Zak Brown’s controversial post-race radio message to Oscar Piastri divides opinion. Zak Brown’s radio messages to Oscar Piastri at the Abu Dhabi GP sparked debate.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marked the end of the season, celebrating Lando Norris’ first world championship and the defeat of his teammate Oscar Piastri, who had led the championship for much of the year.

After the race, celebrations for the new world champion were abundant, but, as expected, McLaren CEO Zak Brown also took a moment to address the Australian driver.

Zak Brown opens up on the radio

The CEO expressed himself on the team radio, exclaiming: “What a season, what a season! You’re a star. Seven wins. We’ll do it again next year. Thank you for everything, Oscar, what a year!”

A few seconds later, Brown spoke again on the radio, almost overshadowing Oscar’s race engineer: “Oscar, really proud of you. What a team effort, we’ll do it again next year. See you on the podium.”

Brown’s intentions were likely positive, aiming to shift attention to the Australian rather than solely celebrating Norris’ victory, which must have stung for Oscar Piastri at that moment.

The criticism from Rosberg

Despite this, many criticized Brown for a “lack of tact.” Nico Rosberg commented: “That was the worst moment of his career. Perhaps Zak could have shown more empathy at that moment instead of celebrating. He could have said, ‘Next year will be yours.’ But for Zak it was really difficult because he was so ecstatic at that moment.”

Hearing your boss celebrate someone else’s victory can indeed be tough, but after many years, McLaren finally won both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles, making Zak’s joy completely understandable.

Oscar Piastri’s season

Oscar Piastri showed immense talent throughout the season, despite the disappointment of missing out on the title. The young driver has a long career ahead in Formula 1, and this season can only have made him stronger.

Looking ahead to 2026

Yet one question remains: in such a fiercely competitive season, did McLaren truly manage its two drivers in the best possible way? The 2026 season will reveal whether this dynamic can continue, or if Abu Dhabi was merely the first real turning point for the team.