28/07/2024
NEWS STORY
Zak Brown has revealed that the team will discuss whether to throw its full weight behind Lando Norris' championship bid over the summer break.
While some might suggest the decision was taken some time ago - based on some of the more erratic strategic calls - the fact is that last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix put the situation fully in the spotlight.
Having pitted Norris ahead of his teammate, race leader Oscar Piastri, the team subsequently called on the Briton to hand the position back... he wasn't happy.
In short, the Briton argued that he has more points at this stage and is therefore better placed to challenge Max Verstappen, and by yielding to Piastri he was giving away 7 points in the title fight.
Going into today's race Norris is 76 points adrift of the world champion, while his teammate is 116, and Zak Brown admits that with eight races remaining a decision on prioritising one of its drivers will soon need to be taken.
"That's ultimately going to be Andrea's call," he told Sky Sports. "We want to get through the first half of the season, and see where we end up this weekend.
"The constructors' championship, while it's definitely not going to be easy, is well within reach," he added. "I think the challenge on the drivers' front is that Max's bad days are second and third places, so it's hard to make those clawbacks that we're making on the constructors' that we can do because Sergio Perez is struggling at the moment, but we also know he's capable of turning it on at any moment. That will be something I think we discuss over the summer break."
Of course, Perez starts today's race from the front row, while Verstappen starts three rows behind the McLaren pair.
Asked if he had any doubts about Norris obeying the order last week, and refusing to hand back the lead, Brown - who was not present for the race - said: "I know Lando very well, so I had no doubt he was going to move over.
"I think we left it a bit long because they were free to race," he added. "Had he made that change of position right away, you would have had 21 laps of racing to go. Part of me was actually happy they didn't race because that would have been 21 laps of me biting my nails.
"I think it all worked out in the end. Some learnings there, some better communication amongst us, to be clearer with each other. But it all worked out in the end."
Check out our Sunday gallery from Spa here.