P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Zak Brown has lent on Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost to justify why McLaren does not want to assign Lando Norris number one driver status this season.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown is using examples from Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost to support the team’s decision on team orders, especially in Lando Norris’ pursuit of the drivers’ championship. Despite pressure to invoke team orders, McLaren has been hesitant to prioritize Norris over Oscar Piastri, sticking to their principle of not having a clear number one driver. Brown emphasized the team’s goal of winning both championships and highlighted the importance of having two number ones in McLaren’s philosophy, referencing past incidents involving Senna and Prost. Despite the history of conflicts between star drivers, Brown believes Norris and Piastri have a good relationship and race cleanly, for now adopting a race-by-race approach to their strategy. The team’s performance and dynamics between drivers will continue to be evaluated as the season progresses, with a cautious but flexible mindset.
