McLaren address F1 driver status concerns

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has downplayed concerns over managing driver status at his F1 team going forward.

The Woking-based squad has been a consistent front-runner for much of the ongoing campaign, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri securing their first race wins.

The pair have continuously been praised for their talents, however it has posed the question that managing the pair could become complex if they are consistently battling for race wins.

Brown has asserted there is no driver tier status at McLaren as he declared his trust that they are not just racing for themselves.

"I mean, make no mistake about it - they both want to be number ones and they are both number ones,” Brown told Autosport. 

“We just don't have any number twos. But they race for the team. 

“They're the types of individuals I think can race each other hard and be number one in their own mind and respect the fact that we run two number one cars. And we always have and always will."

McLaren could look differently amid title fight

After the opening 14 rounds, McLaren sit just 42 points down on championship leaders Red Bull in the constructors' standings.

The gap in the hunt for the drivers' titles is larger, with a 78-point margin separating Max Verstappen and Norris.

While he asserted both McLaren competitors are on equal footing, Brown admitted one may be forced to help the other in a close fight for the drivers' title.

"Obviously, if you get later into the championship and one driver has more of a shot than another, then you might start looking at things that you do strategically differently,” he said.

"But we treat them equally. They know that, they enjoy that, and they respect our decisions when we sometimes need to make some concessions. 

“They're very respectful of that. So I think we're fortunate and lucky to have the two individuals that we have."