'Big Daddy' Zak Brown reveals who 'terrifies' Norris and Piastri

A straight faced Zak Brown is flanked by a smiling Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris — Photo: © IMAGO

McLaren

'Big Daddy' Zak Brown reveals who 'terrifies' Norris and Piastri

Zak Brown was joking around at the McLaren Christmas party

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 18 December 2025 16:42

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McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown, aka 'Big Daddy, hilariously quipped that his two drivers are 'terrified' of team principal Andrea Stella.

Brown holds a CEO role with McLaren Racing, meaning he oversees all of McLaren's racing operations, although he is more involved and present within F1 than any other racing series.

The day-to-day running of the team, however, is conducted by Stella, with the Italian having achieved a lot of success since taking on the role in 2023.

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McLaren have won back-to-back constructors' titles, while Lando Norris managed to become the first McLaren drivers' champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2008 earlier this year.

Both Norris and his team-mate Oscar Piastri were involved in a championship battle, with the pair winning seven grands prix each.

Now, Brown has been talking about his drivers and their exceptional talent, with the pair set to drive together at McLaren for many more years to come. However, Brown did make some outrageous claims in a hilarious interview on stage at the team's Woking headquarters when addressing the whole team.

"They idolise me. They call me 'Big Daddy' behind my back," Brown said in his speech at the McLaren Christmas party.

He then joked: "In reality, they can often get the better of me, but with Andrea Stella, they won't try that. Deep down, they're terrified of him."

Brown criticised for Piastri treatment

Brown's conduct since becoming a world championship-winning CEO has been called into question of late, with the American recently joking that Norris was a 'wimp' for crying in the aftermath of his championship win.

He was also criticised for his post-race radio message to Piastri by 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg.

Brown sounded upbeat when talking to Piastri, understandably so after just having spoken to the new world champion in Norris, and he congratulated Piastri for a great season in which he had won seven grands prix.

However, Rosberg suggested that Brown should have been more sympathetic when talking to Piastri, understanding that it was one of the worst moments of the Australian's young career.

"That's his most horrible moment in his racing career," Rosberg said live on Sky Sports F1. "Maybe Zak could have had a little more empathy there, rather than celebrating.

"He could have said, 'Next year will be your year,' but it's difficult for Zak because he's so ecstatic at the same time."

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F1 McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Zak Brown Andrea Stella