Zak Brown confident of avoiding F1 team-mate trait in McLaren title fight

Zak Brown has stated he sees “no reason” why his two McLaren drivers cannot maintain a positive relationship despite their ongoing title fight.

McLaren has enjoyed a positive first half to the campaign, winning nine of the opening 12 races of the campaign.

Oscar Piastri holds a slender eight-point advantage over Lando Norris following back-to-back victories for the first time in the latter's F1 career after taking the chequered flag in Austria and on home soil in Silverstone.

In the previous race in Canada, the duo were involved in a collision as they battled for position, resulting in a non-finish for Norris. Another close battle followed in Austria, with the Briton prevailing on that occasion.

Title fights between team-mates have often resulted in intra-team agitation, with more recent examples being Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, as well as Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber at Red Bull.

Norris and Piastri are currently in their third year as a pairing, with Brown hailing the chemistry shared between them.

“I think the relationship they have is fantastic,” Brown told the media, including RacingNews365. 

“We've put a lot of time and effort into building our team and having chemistry within the team, and that starts with the drivers.”

While the tensions between the two will inevitably grow as the drivers get closer to the end of the campaign, Brown is confident both are mature enough to handle any potential fallout.

“I think you saw how they handled Canada, how they conducted themselves, and I see no reason why they can't have a big battle all the way to the end,” he said.

“May the best man win! And I'm sure they'll shake hands and congratulate each other. 

“Obviously, both of them want to win, but I see no reason why, knowing the personalities and the way they race, that they can't remain very good team-mates.”