McLaren Zak Brown faces backlash from Nico Rosberg for showing a lack of empathy towards Oscar Piastri

McLaren boss Zak Brown faced criticism from Nico Rosberg after the American's message to Oscar Piastri left the German unimpressed. The two drivers for the Woking-based squad were involved in an intense title battle that went back and forth throughout the season.

Ahead of the season finale, the equation was simple, for Lando Norris to win the championship, he had to finish on the podium. For Oscar Piastri, he had to make sure he outscored his teammate by more than 16 points. The F1 Abu Dhabi GP would eventually see Max Verstappen hold on to the lead at the start.

From that point onwards, it was all about managing the race and bringing it home as he did not try to slow things down and back the McLaren duo towards the chasing pack of Charles Leclerc and George Russell.

In the end, when the chequered flag was waved, Max Verstappen would be first, followed by Oscar Piastri in second and Lando Norris in third. As a result, the McLaren driver from Britain would end up securing the championship.

After the race, Zak Brown came on the radio to congratulate both drivers, but Nico Rosberg was left unimpressed with the American's tone while talking to the Australian driver. Talking to Sky Sports, Rosberg felt that Brown could have been more empathetic in the way he communicated with Piastri. He said,

"That's his most horrible moment in his racing career. 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."

What the McLaren boss had said to Oscar Piastri after Abu Dhabi GP

With Lando Norris sealing the driver's championship, the McLaren driver ended the team's lean patch that goes back to 2008, when Lewis Hamilton won the title. Zak Brown was expectedly emphatic after the race, and his tone whole talking to Oscar Piastri, who had just lost the championship, reflected that. He said,

"What a season, what a season. You're a star. Seven wins. We love ya. We'll do it again next year. Thank you Oscar for everything you've done. What a year. Oscar, very proud of you. Awesome. What a team player. We go again next year. See you on the podium."

At the end of the season, Lando Norris is crowned world champion while Max Verstappen finishes second, ahead of Oscar Piastri. All three drivers were on 7 wins before the race in Abu Dhabi, and Max Verstappen would end up finishing the season with 8 wins while the McLaren teammates have 7 wins each to their name.

With new regulations in effect next season, there's a lack of clarity on what the pecking order could be and who would potentially be in the driving seat in 2026.