McLaren expects its star drivers Norris and Piastri to collide this season, but insists it’s all part of racing at the top.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has made it clear — he’s expecting a clash between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at some point this Formula 1 season. And the team is already preparing for it.
In an interview with The Race, Brown reaffirmed that a collision between his two highly competitive drivers is not a matter of “if” but “when.” Both Norris and Piastri are pushing hard in the fight for wins, and when two top drivers are that close on track, mistakes are bound to happen.
“They’re both incredibly competitive. We wouldn’t be surprised if that competitiveness boils over on track,” Brown said. “Everyone’s waiting for it, and I think it will come — a wheel-to-wheel battle where maybe one of them makes a small mistake.”
But he’s not worried. McLaren has already had internal conversations about how to handle such a situation.
“Drivers can race hard and clean. Still, when you’ve got two cars side by side 24 times a year, there’s always a chance something goes wrong,” he added. “But we’ve built a strong relationship with both of them. They push each other, they get along, and even if there’s a little drama, they can shake hands afterwards and move on.”
Brown made it clear he wouldn’t trade this duo for anyone else on the grid. According to him, they’re fast, team-minded, and positive forces in the garage.
The fact that the team is openly addressing this potential clash shows McLaren is being proactive about managing its internal rivalry.
“No one’s panicking. Everyone knows this is racing and things happen. What I know for sure is that neither of them would intentionally take the other out. If there’s contact, it’ll be a racing incident — maybe a late-braking move, maybe just a misjudgment — but we’ll talk about it, learn from it, and move forward.”
Brown ruled out any comparisons to past controversial rivalries. “We’re not going to see a Suzuka-style situation like Senna and Prost. That’s just not who they are.”
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