THE MCLAREN MANIFESTO: INSIDE ZAK BROWN’S "NO TEAM ORDERS" POLICY FOR 2026
McLaren CEO Zak Brown breaks down the "pause" strategy and why he won't stop Norris and Piastri from fighting on track.
Zak Brown says McLaren’s drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, can race each other freely, with no team orders holding them back this year, even though last year was a little different.
If you think back to lap 30 of the 2025 race, McLaren told Piastri to “hold position” behind Norris. People took that as a clear team order, but Brown pushes back on that idea. He says it wasn’t about stopping Oscar from attacking Lando at all.
Brown’s been pretty open about this. After some close calls in 2024, everyone wanted to know if McLaren would actually let their drivers fight it out in 2025. Turns out, they did. And Brown insists that’s their approach heading into 2026, too.
He explained it pretty simply: if the same thing happened again? They’d handle it the same way. “They were free to race,” Brown said. The weather was all over the place – maybe rain, maybe not. Oscar was catching up to Lando; the team had a solid lead, but nobody knew if they’d need to stick with those tyres. Half the track was wet, the other half was dry, and they were weaving through traffic.
So, the call was basically “pause for a second", not “stop racing", just “let’s see what happens". Conditions were tough, and honestly, both drivers ended up off track not long after. It was chaos out there.
Brown made it clear: letting your drivers race doesn’t mean you never ask them to take a beat and assess the situation. This wasn’t about pitting Lando against Oscar; it was about not risking both cars when the weather and track were unpredictable.
In the end, both Norris and Piastri slid off, but Piastri came out worse, losing grip and ending up in the grass.
Looking ahead, Brown thinks people need to understand what’s happening during a race before judging team orders. “We’ve explained this over and over. I get that, in the heat of the moment, people might get frustrated watching the broadcast. But once we’ve laid it out, it makes perfect sense,” he says.
The team just wanted to pause and see how things would shake out. Once things settled, they let the drivers race again exactly as promised. Brown reckons it’s a good reminder that sometimes, fans need a bit more context before jumping to conclusions about what’s really going on.
SERGIO PEREZ BREAKS SILENCE ON CADILLAC’S FIRST FOUR RACES OF 2026 F1 SEASON
Discover why Sergio Perez is confident in Cadillac’s 2026 path despite urgent needs for better pace and reliability fixes.
Sergio Perez didn’t waste time sharing his thoughts on Cadillac after the first four races of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Cadillac shows up in 2026 as F1’s newest team, but honestly, not a lot of people expected fireworks right away. With veterans like Valtteri Bottas and Perez behind the wheel, the team’s start has been a mix, some moments full of promise, others derailed by reliability issues.
Still, Cadillac isn’t just stuck at the back. Lately, they’ve been right there fighting with Aston Martin and even managed to split them in Miami, which turned a few heads.
Perez knows the team is at risk of falling behind in this crazy-fast development race, though. “We still have work to do, but I’m confident we’re on the right path,” he told reporters, including Motorsport Week.
He added, “Sometimes, once tyre degradation sets in, we can hang with the midfield, but they always seem to find another gear. There’s a long way to go this season, but we’re in a rush to find more pace. We know Aston will get stronger, and we don’t want to be left behind.”
Racing Aston Martin has actually brought Perez some enjoyment. He especially likes battling Fernando Alonso, calling those fights fair and satisfying. Still, he pointed out a weak spot: “We’re having fun with them. Racing Fernando is always great because he’s so fair. But we struggled with tyre degradation; we burnt through them too quickly. We picked the hard compound, but honestly, looking back, I should’ve gone with the soft.”
He said there’s plenty to analyse, and really, the key is getting a better grip on their car as they look ahead to Canada. “We don’t have much time, but in the short term, we need to fix the degradation. We have some ideas, but putting them together is our biggest challenge in the next few weeks.”
Cadillac may be the new kid on the block and still finding its feet, but it’s already starting to make an impact. The road out of the lower ranks won’t be easy, but they’re moving in the right direction.
HOW KIMI ANTONELLI’S THREE-RACE WIN STREAK IS REDEFINING THE MERCEDES TEAM HIERARCHY
With a 43-second gap in Miami, Antonelli proves he’s ready to lead the World Championship. Can Russell bounce back in Canada?
David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, recently pointed out that Kimi Antonelli might be on track to overtake George Russell as Mercedes’ team leader.
Antonelli has been on an impressive run, clinching victories in the last three races and pulling ahead by 20 points over his main competitor and teammate, Russell.
At the Miami race, the young Italian once again outperformed his more seasoned teammate, with Russell managing only fourth place, trailing by 43 seconds.
Coulthard acknowledged Antonelli’s rapid rise in 2026, which is just his second season in F1. He highlighted Antonelli’s strengths and suggested that the Italian is, in many ways, now leading the Mercedes team.
“He’s come of age,” Coulthard said during the Up To Speed podcast.
Despite being relatively new, Antonelli has shown resilience, dealing not only with the pressure from a driver like Lando ready to strike but also with technical glitches like inconsistent paddle shifts. Coulthard mentioned how Antonelli kept his cool even when his engineer, Bono, was trying to help troubleshoot the issue in a tense moment.
“I think he’s earned the right to lead the World Championship,” Coulthard added, noting that this situation probably feels uncomfortable for George. Still, the expectations now lean heavily toward Antonelli leading the team, especially based on recent results.
Coulthard also pointed out that Russell has the experience and skill to reclaim his position as the team’s lead driver, but emphasised that only one can come out on top; someone must finish first and the other second.
The rivalry between them might start opening doors for other teams. Coulthard noted that improvements from McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull were already noticeable, especially in Miami.
“Winning in the best car isn’t always straightforward. Many have tried and struggled,” he said.
For Russell, who is feeling the weight of this momentum shift, the upcoming race in Canada will be crucial if he wants to close the gap and halt Antonelli’s winning streak.
