Zak Brown insisted that mistakes made by Lando Norris or McLaren were always more in focus compared to rival teams.
Lando Norris found himself in title contention this season against Max Verstappen. However, the Briton has been criticized for his mistakes during the campaign. Now, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has defended the 25-year-old against this backlash.
Norris had a terrible outing at the Brazilian GP. The British driver went off-track and lost several places. Brown made it clear that everyone makes mistakes. The McLaren boss highlighted that previously such mistakes were not as noticeable as they were not fighting for the championship.
Everyone makes mistakes. They used to be less visible because it wasn’t about wins.
Zak Brown said, as reported by GPBlog
On the other hand, Zak Brown claimed that Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes have also made errors. The 53-year-old asserted that these mistakes are often forgotten, hinting at double standards. Brown reckoned that these errors were ignored because these teams and drivers like Max Verstappen have consistently won races in F1. With pressure being more on Lando Norris and McLaren.
Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes also make mistakes, but that is forgotten because they won so much in between.
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Zak Brown reveals his advice to McLaren over making mistakes
McLaren has made a few strategic errors during races this year. This has cost the team a couple of potential victories. Zak Brown revealed that he gives a clear instruction to his staff. The 53-year-old is fine with mistakes being made, as long as the same mistake is not repeated again. Brown made it clear that he would not be happy if an error happened more than once.
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris (via IMAGO)
I say to the team: you can make mistakes, but please don’t make them twice. It would have only really irritated me if the same thing had happened to us several times.
Zak Brown explained
Certainly, Lando Norris and McLaren have learned lessons this year. The 25-year-old will aim to bounce back stronger in 2025 to win his maiden F1 world title. However, it remains to be seen if the Woking-based squad will be able to fend off Verstappen next season.
