Meanwhile, Norris's McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri endured a weekend to forget, finishing way down in 13th and out of the points having been hit by Carlos Sainz but proving a point by setting the fastest lap.
Piastri has just under half the points of Norris's 83 in the drivers' standings but Brown has backed the Australian to become a major player on the grid and emerge as a genuine title contender.
“He’s very confident, he seems more relaxed, he’s more used to being a Formula 1 driver now," Brown said.
“He’s very fast, and the part where he’s most impressive is in the high-speed corners. When you look at Oscar through the quick stuff, he’s brave.”
“He has some inconsistencies, tyre management [for example] but these things just come with experience.
“Lando is as good as anyone in Formula 1, and Oscar can do everything Lando can do. Sometimes he doesn’t, but that’s more inexperience, so I think he’s going to get better and better.
“That’s why I’m so excited about our driver lineup. We’ve got two of the best drivers in Formula 1.”