McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri comprise “the strongest driver pairing in Formula 1.”
Norris and Piastri raced as team-mates together for the first time in 2023, combining for nine podiums to finish fourth in the Constructors’ Championship with 302 points.
Norris, in his fifth year with the team, had his strongest campaign to date, scoring seven podiums in 2023 to more than double his career tally en route to sixth in the standings.
Meanwhile, Piastri sustained a strong rookie campaign with two top-three race results and a memorable Sprint race victory at the Qatar Grand Prix in October.
Speaking in an open letter penned to McLaren’s supporters, Brown was complimentary of both drivers’ efforts as McLaren returned to being a credible contender at the front.
“Lando has been at the top of his game in 2023, showing tremendous pace and terrific racecraft,” said Brown.
“He can often be hard on himself when he makes a mistake, but his seven podiums are a testament to his speed and determination. That first win for him is just around the corner.
“I believe we have the strongest driver pairing on the Formula 1 grid.
“Many agree that Oscar has been a revelation in his rookie campaign, and he has already shown he is able to fight at the front with the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
“It was a shame he missed out on a podium at Silverstone, due to the timing of the Safety Car, but he did achieve his first at Suzuka before his brilliant victory in the Qatar Sprint, both of which prove he is an exceptional talent.
“With a new contract that takes Oscar with us through to the end of 2026, I’ve no doubt he’ll continue to impress as he gains more experience.”
Brown called the start of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone his “personal highlight,” where Norris took the holeshot from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in front of a roaring crowd.
Norris converted that early advantage into a second-place finish, with Piastri narrowly missing out on the podium in fourth after an ill-timed Safety Car midway through.
The British GP proved to be a turning point for McLaren in 2023, as both drivers had the heavily updated MCL60 at their disposal after Norris had received it the previous round.
The Woking-based squad had admitted a misstep had been made in winter development and as such started the season with an uncompetitive car, struggling to escape Q1 in qualifying or trouble the points-paying positions during grands prix.
However, the revised MCL60 paved the way for a rapid rate of progress for McLaren and the team went from having one of the worst to arguably the second-best car on the grid.
Brown surmised the team’s finishing point in 2023 as the goal and credited Andrea Stella for leading the turnaround in his first year as Team Principal.
“Going into 2023, our aim was to be a regular podium contender and finish no worse than fourth overall,” Brown added.
“Although we managed to achieve that goal, the reality is we have been a blend of going from the ninth quickest team to arguably the second-fastest come the end of the year.
“A lot of credit for our upswing in performance must go to Andrea Stella’s team and their collective leadership in orchestrating such a phenomenal turnaround.
“Andrea has done an outstanding job, not only in the culture he has created at McLaren, but in the way he has empowered people. He’s a very determined and inspirational leader.”
