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"Crazy" not to use team orders admits Brown

NEWS STORY
05/12/2025

Zak Brown admits that it would be "crazy" not to use team orders to ensure one of his drivers wins the title this weekend.

Lando Norris heads into the weekend as favourite, with teammate Oscar Piastri 16 points adrift. However, with Max Verstappen 12 points down on the Briton, if circumstances dictate it is obvious that McLaren would have to act.

Speaking on Thursday, Norris, who has previously dismissed the so-called papaya rules, openly admitted that he would welcome team orders, though he wouldn't call for them.

"Honestly, I would love it," he told reporters, "but I don't think I would ask for it."

While the Woking team has insisted that papaya rules will continue to apply, Brown admits that things could change as the weekend develops.

"We want to win this drivers' championship so we're coming into the weekend knowing that they both have equal opportunity, even though there's obviously a points spread," he told Sky{/}.

"You don't know how qualifying's going to go or reliability," he continued, "but if we get into the race and it's becoming pretty clear that one has a chance and the other doesn't, we're going to do what we can to win the drivers' championship.

"It would be crazy not to," he admitted. "We want to win the drivers' championship. So, we'll see how the race plays out, but we're not going to not win the championship because we're trying to protect a third and a fourth or a sixth and a seventh or however the situation may play out."

Check out our Friday gallery from Yas Marina here.

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READERS COMMENTS

 

1. Posted by Chester, 05/12/2025 19:15

"@dejan I am fully in agreement with your assertion that McLaren gifted Verstappen the win, Yes, even in spite of those who willfully deny McLaren's favoritism towards Lando.

Montoya was a commentator last week who put forward the same premise. To me, Montoya seems to shoot very straight. When James Hinchcliff proclaimed there was no other place better to be on his birthday, and no better people to be around, Montoya said" "My God, what about your wife."

"

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2. Posted by dejan, 05/12/2025 17:51

"So they gifted a win to Verstappen because they didn't want to favor one driver over another (crazy to begin with - this is why you qualify on Saturday - to get a favorable position for the race on Sunday) and now would actually flat-out disfavor one driver just to help the other win..."

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3. Posted by Superbird70, 05/12/2025 15:28

"Well, Lando only needs a podium to become WDC, so protecting a third place would make sense. But I am sure Zak has done the math, and knows which driver will bring the most $$ back to the team."

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4. Posted by Mad Matt, 05/12/2025 15:25

"Fair comment in some respects.... I really hope it doesn't come to that. They've both driven exceptionally well this year, both had their dips and both come back and neither has played "dirty" so they both have my respect for that."

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