Piastri sledged in McLaren boss' foul-mouthed speech

McLaren CEO Zak Brown fired off some brutal sledges at Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in a foul-mouthed speech at the team’s end of season celebrations.

The UK-based F1 side were crowned World Constructors' Champions for the second consecutive year in 2025 with Lando Norris claiming his maiden title after a three-driver race in the final Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi.

Both McLaren drivers were in contention to be world champion alongside Max Verstappen until the final weekend, with Oscar Piastri leading the standings until early September.

Terrific performances from both drivers made 2025 one of McLaren's best seasons in its history, but it was soured by rumours of preferential treatment, internal rifts and team orders.

Comments made by Brown in his spend of season speech will do little to quell the conspiracy theories that all is well behind the scenes.

Addressing Piastri and Norris, he said: “We took big risks on both of you, and don’t pretend you had better options.

“You (Piastri) had f--king Alpine, and you (Norris) had to go faster than Stoffel Vandoorne!”

The latter sledge is aimed at Stoffel Vandoorne, a young F1 talent that famously fell out with Brown and was replaced by 18-year-old Norris for the 2019 season.

The reference to Alpine is a swipe at the team Piastri was contracted to drive for before a bombshell switch to McLaren to replace Daniel Ricciardo in 2022.

Alpine have since been one of the worst teams on the grid.

Brown then went on to reveal the bizarre nickname both drivers have for him.

"Couldn't dream of having a better driver line-up on and off the track. Two fastest guys in the world and nicest. That's the McLaren way. Proper racers like us, which stands for how we race. You guys are almost a unicorn combo.

“Then again, maybe we’ll be up here next year saying, ‘f--k that guy.’

“Anyways. Won’t come to that. Both drivers love me, idolise me, and call me ‘Big Daddy’ behind my back.

“Reality is they’ll mess with me, but they won’t mess with Andrea (Stella) ‘cause, deep down inside, they’re scared s--tless of Andrea.”