Brown indicates Norris and Piastri have a "fantastic relationship"

McLaren's CEO Zak Brown reckons that the Woking-based two drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have "a fantastic" relationship despite the close championship battle.

McLaren endured a difficult weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix as the papaya team slightly struggled for one-lap performance considering their dominant form in 2025. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were unable to beat Mercedes in qualifying, with the Australian and the Briton ending up third and seventh on the grid.

The championship leader had an average start, and lost a place to Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli on the opening lap. Norris meanwhile had started on the hard tyre and ran a long first stint. Despite his offset strategy, he was unable to make a one-stop strategy work. It meant that he rejoined the track in P5 after his second stop.

In the dying stages of the race, Norris hounded Piastri, who in turn was chasing Antonelli. With only six laps to go, Norris made a move and got his team mate in the hairpin, but Piastri retaliated and got back past.

However, Norris was eager to make the move on his team-mate, but he misjudged the distance to the Australian and swiped the rear of his car on the start-finish straight.

The touch sent Norris into the wall and out of the race, while Piastri limped home to collect a valuable haul of twelve points with a fourth-place finish.

Piastri currently leads the championship from Norris, with only eight points separating the Australian and the British driver. Asked whether the two drivers will be able to stay friends despite the heat of the battle, McLaren's CEO Zak Brown reckoned that Piastri and Norris have "a fantastic" relationship.

"I think the relationship they have is fantastic. We've put a lot of time and effort into building our team and having a chemistry within the team, and that starts with the drivers.

"I think you saw how they handled Canada, how they've conducted themselves, and I see no reason why they can't have a big battle all the way to the end.

"May the best man win, and I'm sure they'll shake hands and congratulate each other. Obviously, both of them want to win, but I see no reason why, knowing the personalities and the way they race, that they can't remain very good team-mates," concluded Brown.