Zak Brown Denies Asking Oscar Piastri to Play Second Fiddle to Lando Norris

Well, well, well, what do we have here? A classic case of “he said, team boss said.” It seems the McLaren garage is stirring up more drama than a season finale of Drive to Survive. At the center of it all is a supposed “brief discussion” that may or may not have happened between Oscar Piastri and the McLaren top brass about, you guessed it, team orders.

Just ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, our very own Aussie hopeful, Oscar Piastri, let it slip to the media that McLaren had a little chat with him. The topic? Oh, just the small matter of maybe, possibly, helping his teammate Lando Norris in the championship fight.

You know, just playing the loyal wingman. Piastri, however, was having none of it. “We’ve had a very brief discussion, and the answer is no,” he stated, pointing out he’s still very much in the title hunt himself, tied with the ever-present Max Verstappen.

Enter McLaren CEO Zak Brown, stage left, to pour a nice, big bucket of cold water all over this spicy rumor.

1. What Did Zak Brown Actually Say?

Speaking to F1 TV after the Sprint Race in Qatar—where Piastri conveniently nabbed a win—Zak Brown looked about as convinced as a cat in a dog park. He flatly denied that any such conversation ever took place. Not even a whisper. “I saw those comments (from Piastri), but I didn’t see the interview,” Brown said, which is corporate-speak for “I heard what was said, and I’m about to shut it down.” He continued, “We actually haven’t discussed not doing anything other than both guys racing. So I don’t know if that particular quote was taken out of context or what the question was, but our boys have been free to race since Australia, they’re free to race now.” So, according to Brown, it’s a free-for-all. No number one driver, no number two. Just two papaya-colored rockets battling it out. It’s a lovely, PR-friendly sentiment, but is it the whole truth? It’s hard to say. In the high-stakes world of F1, where millions are on the line, can you really blame a team for at least thinking about prioritizing the driver with a better shot at the title? It’s practically Business 101.

2. Is McLaren Favoring Lando Norris?

Let’s be real for a second. Lando Norris has been McLaren’s golden boy for a while now. He’s got the experience, the merchandise sales, and a 24-point lead over his rookie teammate. It’s not exactly a stretch to think the team might want to put all their eggs in the Lando basket, especially with Max Verstappen breathing down everyone’s necks. Even Verstappen himself chimed in with some characteristically blunt advice for Piastri, suggesting the Aussie should tell McLaren officials to “f*** off” if they ask for favors. You’ve gotta love Max. But Zak Brown is sticking to his guns. He’s adamant that with three drivers in the mix for the championship, telling one to back off would be insane. And honestly, he has a point.

3. Who Should We Believe?

With 58 points still up for grabs in the final two races, anything can happen. Piastri’s win in the Qatar Sprint and pole position for the main race prove he’s not just there to make up the numbers. The kid’s got pace, and he’s hungry. So, who do you believe? Piastri, the ambitious rookie who feels he has a point to prove? Or Brown, the savvy CEO trying to keep a lid on team politics and maintain a harmonious (and fast) driver pairing? Perhaps the truth, as it often does, lies somewhere in the middle. Maybe the “brief discussion” was just a hypothetical floated by a mid-level engineer that Piastri ran with. Or maybe Zak Brown is just doing what any good boss would do: publicly denying any internal squabbles. Either way, it adds a delicious layer of intrigue to the end of the season. Let them race, Zak. We’re all watching.

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