Zak Brown explains how he plans to deal with McLaren’s 2025 team orders between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

It’s been a long time since McLaren have gone into a Formula 1 season as the potential favourite to win the championship.

Despite topping the constructors’ standings in 2024, even after the first few races, not many fans would have backed McLaren to overtake Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.

CEO Zak Brown had full faith in team principal Andrea Stella and the team at McLaren’s Woking base to build on the progress they made the previous year.

After starting the season near the back of the grid, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were both regularly featuring on the podium in 2023 and after a slow start to last year, both drivers earned their maiden Grand Prix victories.

Their progress was so impressive that Norris suddenly established himself as Max Verstappen’s closest challenger for the drivers’ championship.

Although the young Brit eventually fell short, McLaren initially put their ‘papaya rules’ in place to try and aid his championship bid.

This involved Piastri being tasked with helping Norris whenever possible but that didn’t always go to plan.

His incredible lunge into the second chicane on the opening lap of the Italian Grand Prix cost Norris and McLaren points, although he moved over for his more experienced teammate at the end of the Sprint Race in Sao Paulo.

Brown was asked about McLaren’s potential team orders in 2025 on the James Allen on F1 Podcast and explained his plans for handling two of the sport’s most exciting drivers.

Zak Brown explains McLaren’s team orders plans for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

It was mentioned to Brown that he might have a headache managing both of his drivers this season and was asked how he plans to keep them both happy.

McLaren’s CEO responded: “We like our guys to race, we don’t want to be a one-car team. We have rules, the drivers are very respectful of those rules.

“I look at Monza. I think we could have done a better job of communicating there. We went into turn four first and second, came out first and third [which] probably cost us the race.

“I think that was on us, not necessarily on the drivers because we weren’t explicit in our instructions.

“We gave them some guidelines, but I think next time around, we need to be explicit.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend

“They get along great. Of course, they’re extremely competitive. I think the secret to success there is being very transparent, very fair, very balanced in communicating.

“On Thursday, here’s what we’re looking to do this weekend. Sunday, once we know how qualifying is gone, here’s how we’re going to race together and against each other.

“I don’t think there’s any way to think that the two of them aren’t going to have some tussles at some point, but we know how to race each other together.

“We won’t let the media flare up the intensity. If something does happen, leave the helmet on. Let’s not talk to anyone yet. Then let’s relax, talk about it. Then we’ll come. Don’t take the bait.”

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s 2024 head-to-head record as McLaren teammates

Norris is the established star at McLaren as he enters his seventh season with the team in 2025.

He’s already proved himself against Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo, although the constantly improving Piastri could be his toughest intra-team battle so far this year.

The young Australian was poached from Alpine after winning back-to-back Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles and won his first Sprint Race in his maiden campaign.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

Norris has outscored Piastri thus far and finished last season with an 82-point lead over his teammate.

However, while Piastri’s performances aren’t quite as consistent as Norris’ yet when he’s on top form, he’s simply unstoppable.

Piastri knows he needs to work on his qualifying form, but he may have the required mindset to beat Verstappen, something Norris has yet to prove.