McLaren would rather lose the world championship by a point than favour one of their drivers against Red Bull's Max Verstappen, according to the Formula One team's chief executive Zak Brown.

McLaren's Lando Norris leads Australian teammate Oscar Piastri by a point in the drivers' standings with four rounds, including Sunday's Sao Paulo Grand Prix and Saturday sprint, remaining.

The team has already won the constructors' title for the second year in a row but have not won both championships in the same year since 1998.

Verstappen, chasing his fifth title in a row, is 36 points off the pace and closing in after slashing the gap from 104 at the end of August while McLaren's pair have taken points off each other.

The Dutch driver's return to contention has reminded some of the 2007 season

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