Zak Brown calls out ‘nonsense’ McLaren ‘bias’ claims ahead of Abu Dhabi showdown
McLaren CEO Zak Brown with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown has dubbed online accusations of bias within the team’s ranks as “very uninformed”, with both drivers going head-to-head for title glory on Sunday.
Sections of social media users have sought to claim the team has been acting in favour of Lando Norris at times this season, but the team has repeatedly batted away those claims, having gone to great lengths to seek to ensure parity between its drivers in 2025.
McLaren boss: ‘You do see some nonsense out there’
Norris heads into Sunday’s season finale 12 points ahead of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen in the championship standings, with Oscar Piastri still in mathematical contention but sitting a further four points behind Verstappen.
With McLaren having sought to keep the inter-team battle between Norris and Piastri as fair as possible, the team’s ‘let them race’ approach has been an undercurrent through much of the season.
That has not stopped online conspiracies claiming Norris has been favoured over Piastri in the title fight, however, with the Australian’s previous lead having ebbed away and Norris seizing the advantage ahead of the final race.
These theories were put to the McLaren CEO, but he and the team does not give credence to what is said online.
“All that’s really important to us is how the team operates and works together and work with our drivers, and so we block it all out,” Brown told PlanetF1.com and others in Abu Dhabi.
“I have seen it. You know, some of the comments that you see are very uninformed, but it’s sport. It’s emotional. People are entitled to their opinions, and I can’t go around correcting everyone’s views, but you do see some nonsense out there.”
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Where there is a two-in-three likelihood of a McLaren driver winning the Drivers’ Championship on Sunday, that also means at least one of the team’s drivers will emerge on the losing side of the title battle.
Asked by PlanetF1.com about any contingency plans the team has put in place for this scenario, Brown explained that the team will look to help either or both of its drivers regroup over winter.
“We’ll tackle that when and if that happens,” he replied.
“We’ve got two awesome guys. They’ve been great team players, they understand it.
“We understand the emotions of the sport and the highs and lows, I think we’ve had plenty of highs and lows this year, and we’ll just put our arm around him if that’s the situation, and come back and give it a go again next year, and hopefully we’re in the same position.”
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Additional reporting by Mat Coch and Thomas Maher
