Zak Brown explains why McLaren’s driver line-up is ‘maybe’ the best on the grid

McLaren chief Zak Brown believes in Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri he has the best line-up on the grid given their mix of “youth and experience”.

Although this year’s championship is not going to plan for McLaren, the Woking team off the pace after admitting they failed to foresee the huge impact the revised floor regulations would have on the car’s downforce, Brown has found one silver lining – his driver line-up.

Led by Norris, who is in his sixth season with McLaren, this year McLaren have a new Australian driver in the mix having replaced Daniel Ricciardo with Piastri.

The 22-year-old was prolific as he came through motorsport’s ranks with championship victories in the Renault Eurocup, Formula 3 and Formula 2.

With the team-mates on multi-year contracts, Brown reckons in Norris and Piastri he has “maybe” the best line-up on the grid.

“The energy inside the team right now is awesome,” the McLaren CEO said as per RacingNews365.com.

“You have a bad weekend, you dust yourself off. Everyone’s highly motivated. The culture is great and that’s something that Andrea [Stella] is really focused on.

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“We’re going to have good days, bad days, that’s motor racing. But we’re all very excited. We see what’s coming.

“We’re excited about our driver line-up. I think our driver line-up for the foreseeable future is good as anyone’s, if not maybe better given the youth and experience, so we’re pumped.”

Norris is too.

The Briton, who has scored 10 points to Piastri’s four, recently told the media he feels his new team-mate is pushing him a“little bit more”than his former team-mate Ricciardo did last season.

“Honestly, just as a genuine, genuine answer, it’s not too different,” Norris said when asked how his rapport with Piastri stacks up to what he had with Ricciardo.

“I think how I worked last year, and how I worked with Daniel, it’s not too different – not too many things change.

“Maybe they lean on me a little bit more for the knowledge of how we were in previous years, to look at the development from last year to this year and things like that.

“But, apart from that, you both give your sides of the feelings and the story of what’s going on to the car, what you want from the car, which aligns very well.

“I wouldn’t say we have the same driving style, but our comments and complaints are generally always the same. So, I think that’s a good thing.”

He added: “He’s very fast at the same time, so probably been pushing me a little bit more than the past couple years. So yeah, enjoyable.”