A small group of senior figures at McLaren discuss with the drivers how they are going to approach their racing. They review what happened after each grand prix, and apply the lessons for the following race.
This happens in formal meetings, more informal conversations and ad hoc.
And they keep building on that process, over and over again.
This is all well and good in theory, but it’s only sustainable in practice if everyone sticks to the principles when problems arise, as they inevitably do through an F1 season.
In 2025, there have been a number of races where equality and harmony have been tested – particularly Hungary, Italy, Singapore and Austin.
In Hungary, Norris was allowed to switch to a one-stop strategy after a bad start left him fifth, and ended up beating Piastri, whose two-stop from an early second place saw him spend the final laps trying and failing to pass Norris for the win.
In Italy, a decision to invert the natural pit-stop choreography after they had spent the race running in the order Norris-Piastri behind Verstappen was followed by a slow pit stop for Norris, and Piastri being asked to hand back the second place he had inherited.
In Singapore, Norris scrambled past Piastri into third place at the first series of corners, banging wheels in the process, leading to the Australian saying over the radio: “Are we cool with Lando just barging me out of the way?”
In Austin, an attempted cut-back move by Piastri on Norris at the first corner of the sprint race ended up in a collision that took both of them out.
Externally, these situations have either led to accusations that Norris was being favoured, or that McLaren were meddling too much, or both.
Internally, they were dealt with quietly, behind closed doors, and with the apparent result that everyone came away satisfied it had been resolved in the best possible way.
McLaren insiders have told BBC Sport that the driver meetings really are conducted in the way they are externally presented – issues are discussed openly, constructively and calmly, and a resolution is arrived at from which everyone can move on with equanimity, even if they had issues with what happened at the time.
If there has been any deviation from that in the drivers’ minds privately, they have certainly not given any hint of it in public.
Piastri has rejected any suggestions that the team was not being fair, saying he’s “very happy that there’s no favouritism or bias”.
And Norris says: “We still always have the right to question it. We’re never going to just go around – because I think it’s just a racing driver’s mind – and be happy to accept whatever the team wants to do or what they think is correct.
“I understand that a lot of people have different opinions and think maybe other things are correct. But I still stand by the fact that Andrea and Oscar and all of us together are confident that our approach is better than what other people’s are.”
Brown says that any idea the team are siding with Norris is “nonsense”.
He explains that when they let Norris switch to a one-stop in Hungary, “Andrea and I were like, ‘This ain’t gonna work.’ But it was a free punt, and Lando drove brilliantly.”
Monza, he says, was “just like what happened in Hungary the year before”, when Norris let Piastri by for the win after a similar pit-lane arrangement.
“If the lead car is prepared to sacrifice their rights to the first call to help his team-mate, who’s actually his number one competitor in the championship, that’s great teamwork,” Brown says.
“So I understand what it looks like from the outside, but it’s not what’s going on on the inside, and we’re trying so hard to give them equal opportunity and let them race hard. I wish everyone recognised more of that.
“But I’ve definitely come to the conclusion there’s too many fans with too many views that we’ve just got to be comfortable with how we’re going racing inside McLaren, and that’s what’s most important to us.”
