In a defiant stand that has steadied McLaren’s turbulent ship, CEO Zak Brown declared “We have decided” on the futures of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, vowing unbreakable commitment to both drivers despite the FIA’s controversial €50,000 fine slapped on rivals Red Bull for grid sabotage at the 2025 United States Grand Prix. The announcement, delivered in a fiery team briefing ahead of the Mexico GP on Wednesday (October 22, 2025), comes amid escalating tensions from Austin’s chaos: a Sprint race pileup that sidelined both McLarens, Verstappen’s dominant double victory, and a post-race probe into Red Bull’s “unsafe act” of tampering with Norris’ grid tape. With Piastri clinging to a 40-point lead over Verstappen and 14 over Norris, Brown’s words signal a united front, quashing exit rumors and reaffirming McLaren’s dual-title chase as the season’s final five races loom.
The US GP weekend was a powder keg for McLaren, starting with heartbreak in Saturday’s Sprint. Piastri’s aggressive cutback at Turn 1 clipped Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber, ricocheting into Norris and triggering a multi-car melee that handed Verstappen an unchallenged eight-point haul. Both papaya cars DNF’d, costing crucial data on ride height and tire wear—issues that forced a conservative main-race setup to dodge plank disqualification fears, as pundit Ted Kravitz dissected. Sunday offered partial solace: Norris battled to P2, fending off Charles Leclerc, while Piastri salvaged P5 amid handling woes. But Verstappen’s 11-second romp netted 25 more points, igniting a three-way title scrap with 141 still available. Off-track, the drama peaked when FIA stewards fined Red Bull €50,000—half suspended—for a staffer re-entering a restricted grid area post-formation lap, allegedly to peel away McLaren’s tape marker aiding Norris’ lineup.
Brown didn’t mince words on the incident, labeling it “skullduggery” that reeks of desperation from a faltering Red Bull. “This wasn’t racing; it was interference born of fear—Max knows we’re the benchmark now,” he told reporters, echoing paddock whispers of prior tape tampering. McLaren had FIA-approved the tape early season to prevent grid positioning penalties, a tweak Norris credits for his P2 start. The fine, while minor financially, underscores ethical cracks in F1’s garage wars, with critics like Gary Anderson warning it won’t deter future antics. For McLaren, it amplified frustrations: Brown’s initial blame on Hulkenberg for the Sprint crash drew backlash, forcing a retraction and spotlighting internal “Papaya Rules” scrutiny after Norris’ unpunished Singapore nudge on Piastri.
Enter Brown’s bombshell: “We have decided—Oscar and Lando are our present and future. No divisions, no favorites; they’re both locked in through 2028 and beyond.” The extension builds on Piastri’s recent multi-year pact, now mirrored for Norris with performance incentives tied to dual championships. “Rumors of fractures? Ludicrous,” Brown scoffed, referencing Singapore’s “repercussions” for Norris—a minor sporting penalty like deferred strategy calls—that won’t haunt the Brit further. Piastri, who vented “I’m leaving” in a heated post-Austin garage spat, nodded approval via X: “Family fights, but we finish together. Eyes on the prize.” Norris echoed: “No grudges—let’s bury Red Bull in Mexico.”
The decision quells a paddock rife with doubt. After Piastri’s “injustice” outburst over perceived favoritism—Norris’ softer tires in Austin, Brown’s “future” nods to the McLaren alum—analysts feared a Verstappen windfall from discord. Yet Brown’s vision paints harmony: “Oscar’s the points machine, Lando’s the flair—they’ll epic-battle rivals, not each other.” Team principal Andrea Stella, fresh from a “reset” debrief, added: “Data from Austin showed our pace; Mexico’s altitude favors us. Verstappen’s surge? Temporary.” With Piastri drawing on his 2020 F3 nail-biter experience—”I’ve won tighter than this”—and Norris vowing “clean aggression,” McLaren eyes Constructors’ retention and a maiden Drivers’ crown since 2008.
Reactions poured in. Red Bull’s Christian Horner downplayed the fine: “Small potatoes—focus on track.” Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur praised the unity: “Smart; divided teams lose.” On X, #McLarenUnited trended with 150,000 posts, fans hailing Brown’s “masterstroke” amid memes of tape-peeling Red Bull gremlins. But shadows linger: the Sprint’s “amateur hour” (per Brown) echoes Singapore, and plank paranoia cost pace—Kravitz estimates 0.3 seconds per lap. As Mexico’s lights dim Sunday, Brown’s “We have decided” isn’t mere rhetoric; it’s a gauntlet to Verstappen, a balm for papaya passions. In F1’s cutthroat endgame, McLaren’s gamble on harmony could crown kings—or crumble under pressure. The grid awaits proof.
