Zak Brown absent for McLaren at Brazilian Grand Prix

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown will not be present in his F1 team's garage this weekend at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The American motorsports executive has been at the centre of the championship drama this season after a constant re-evaluation of how his F1 team allow their driver duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to race.

Their infamous 'papaya rules' approach has often made them the butt of the joke but with just four rounds to go, McLaren are the only team on the grid to have both drivers still in contention for the title.

Heading into a Brazilian GP sprint weekend which could prove pivotal for the championship, British star Norris leads the drivers' standings by just a single point after proving he deserves to remain in the fight at the Mexican GP last time out.

His team-mate Piastri follows in a close second, but with four-time champion Max Verstappen breathing down their necks in P3, McLaren's management of 'two No.1 drivers' could make or break their chance to bring home their first drivers' title since Lewis Hamilton picked up the trophy in 2008.

But at such a vital point in their championship campaign, Brown will not be in Sao Paulo to help manage his drivers, with team principal Andrea Stella left alone to make sure things run smoothly.

Why is Zak Brown not at the Brazilian GP?

Speaking prior to FP1 at Interlagos on Friday, Sky F1 commentator David Croft said: “It's also Zak Brown's 54th birthday. He's not here at Interlagos I'm not sure why.”

A McLaren spokesperson told GPFans: “It is quite common for Zak to not be at track- he has other commitments as CEO of McLaren Racing.”

Brown also missed the Canadian GP back in June, a race which has gone on to become a frequent talking point in the debate over whether McLaren should allow their drivers to race freely.

In the fight for P4 at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Norris clipped the back of Piastri's MCL39 with just three laps to go, not only ruling himself out of the race but also breaking McLaren's one rule- do NOT make contact with your team-mate.

The Woking-based outfit have continuously refused to back a single driver this season and ahead of this weekend's race, Brown issued the shocking claim that he would rather lose the drivers' championship to Verstappen than favour Norris or Piastri.

In Brown's absence, the papaya duo will be left to race freely and hope they can bring home as many points as possible across the sprint and main grands prix at Interlagos to extend their advantage over the Dutchman.

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