Zak Brown: McLaren chief executive willing to lose championship rather than back Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris
Zak Brown has revealed McLaren would rather lose the Drivers' Championship to Max Verstsappen than favour one of their drivers; watch the Sao Paulo GP live on Sky Sports F1 this weekend, with Sprint Qualifying at 6.30pm on Friday
Thursday 6 November 2025 15:08, UK
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown says the team would rather lose the Drivers' Championship to Max Verstappen than favour Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri in the title fight.
McLaren have been clear all year that their drivers are free to race but the closeness of Norris and Piastri mean they have taken points off each other, with Verstappen closing a 104-point deficit to 36 points with four rounds to go.
Norris is one point ahead of Piastri ahead of this weekend's Sao Paulo Grand Prix and both drivers are going for their first world championship.
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But, Brown referenced the 2007 F1 season when McLaren pair Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso narrowly lost out to Kimi Raikkonen in the drivers' championship, with the team not backing one driver.
He said on the Beyond the Grid podcast: "We're well aware of 2007. Two drivers tied on points, one gets in the front. But we've got two drivers who want to win the world championship. We're playing offence; we're not playing defence.
"I'd rather go - 'we did the best we could with our drivers tied in points, and the other beat us by one,' than the alternative - telling one of our drivers right now, when they're one point apart, 'I know you have a dream to win the world championship, but we flipped a coin and you don't get to do it this year.' Forget it!
"That's not how we go racing. If 2007 happens again, I'd rather have that outcome than any other that involves playing favourites - we won't do it."
What happened in 2007?
The 2007 season was one of the most dramatic in F1 history with Hamilton in his rookie season surprisingly matching two-time world champion and McLaren team-mate Alonso.
Although both drivers did not collide, the team became divided and Alonso fell out with team boss Ron Dennis, with off-track matters such as Spygate - when McLaren employees gained information on the Ferrari car - causing further tension.
Alonso would have expected to have the better of Hamilton but the British driver's run of nine straight podiums to start the season gave him the lead of the championship.
Going into the last two rounds, Hamilton had a 12-point lead over Alonso and 17-point advantage over Raikkonen. The points system was different those days with only 10 points for a victory.
However, Hamilton retired at the penultimate race in China after beaching his car in the pit entry gravel trap as Raikkonen took the win.
Nevertheless, Hamilton only needed to finish in the top five if Raikkonen won the race. A poor start from Hamilton left him susceptible to team-mate Alonso and the pair raced hard on the opening lap, with Hamilton dropping to eighth.
He was making his way back through the field until a gearbox issue cost him over half a minute and he could only recover to seventh.
Raikkonen won the race with Alonso only third, so the Finn became world champion and neither McLaren won the title.
Will Brown stick to his word?
Sky Sports F1's David Croft:
"McLaren have already won the Constructors' Championship, which pays the prize money, so they are not going to ruin the longevity of a decent, harmonious working relationship between their two drivers which they want to keep for a long time, by making a decision in the short-term that will upset one or the other.
"People might disagree with that and say 'you prioritise the one who has the best chance of winning, so you have the best chance of winning, so it is all about the long-term for McLaren. I think Max will be true to his word."
Sky Sports F1's Sao Paulo GP Schedule
Friday November 7
2pm: Sao Paulo GP Practice (session starts at 2.30pm)*
4.30pm: Team Principals' Press Conference
6pm: Sao Paulo GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 6.30pm)*
Saturday November 8
1pm: Sao Paulo GP Sprint build-up
2pm: SAO PAULO GP SPRINT*
3.30pm: Ted's Sprint Notebook
5pm: Sao Paulo GP Qualifying build-up
6pm: SAO PAULO GP QUALIFYING
8pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook
Sunday November 9
3.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Sao Paulo GP build-up
5pm: THE SAO PAULO GRAND PRIX
7pm: Chequered Flag: Sao Paulo GP reaction
8pm: Ted's Notebook
*also on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1's thrilling title race continues in Brazil with a Sprint weekend at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix from this Friday, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime
