McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown calls himself the 'big daddy'

oscar piastri, zak brown, lando norris, mclaren, graphic — Photo: © IMAGO

McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown calls himself the 'big daddy'

Zak Brown was joking around at the McLaren Christmas party

Originally written by Sam Cook. This version is a translation.

Saturday 20 December 2025 17:00

McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown has called himself the 'big daddy', while also hinting that his two drivers are 'terrified' of team principal Andrea Stella.

American Brown is the CEO of McLaren Racing, and runs the F1 team alongside team principal Stella, while also overseeing all of McLaren's other racing activity.

Stella took over from Andrea Seidl as team principal back in 2023, and has achieved great success since then.

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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.

"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."

F1 McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Zak Brown Andrea Stella