Zak Brown hits back at 'impossible' accusation after Lando Norris title glory

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has issued a defence of his driver management this year after claiming some people stated it would be “impossible” to maintain.

Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri fought tooth and nail for the title this year, with little to separate the pair throughout the season.

McLaren inflicted their famous 'papaya rules' on their drivers and voiced their desire to ensure all were treated fairly, which included scenarios such as swapping positions in Monza when Norris was disadvantaged by a pit stop.

But it was Norris who came out on top in Abu Dhabi as the latest world champion, leaving Brown to voice his pride over how the team has managed the drivers.

“I'm unbelievably proud of the team, unbelievably proud of our two drivers,” Brown told Sky F1.

"We let them race until the end. Most people thought that would be impossible to pull off. It's a dream racing with these two guys.

"Oscar and Lando have been awesome all year. It hasn't been easy. This Max guy is quite hard to beat, so it's quite the accomplishment.

"So well deserved from everyone. I can't wait to get back to the factory and celebrate with the entire team!"

With  Norris and Piastri locked in at McLaren on long-term deals, Brown suggested nothing will change going forward when it comes to how the drivers are treated.

"I think it is,” Brown said, when asked if his approach is the right way to manage the drivers. 

“To us, it's the right way to go racing. We have two awesome racing drivers.

"It's the same thing Nico and Lewis did, it came down to the last race. Very proud of everyone conducting themselves - the teamwork, the highs and lows and how we dealt with the lows.

"As many highs as we had some terrifying moments at the end.”