Rosberg Criticizes McLaren's Brown for Lack of Empathy Towards Piastri After Title Miss
2016 champion Nico Rosberg has taken McLaren CEO Zak Brown to task for not offering more empathetic public support to Oscar Piastri after the Australian narrowly lost the 2025 world title to teammate Lando Norris. Rosberg, speaking from experience as a former runner-up, believes Piastri deserved clearer recognition for his strong season during the post-race moment.
Nico Rosberg has publicly criticized McLaren CEO Zak Brown for what he perceived as a lack of empathy and supportive words for Oscar Piastri following the Australian driver's narrow miss of the 2025 World Championship title in Abu Dhabi. The 2016 champion believes Piastri deserved more recognition after a stellar season that fell just short.
Why it matters:
The dynamic within a top team following a championship-deciding finale is critical for morale and future performance. How leadership treats a driver who came agonizingly close to the ultimate prize can impact their confidence and the team's internal harmony, especially when their teammate is the one celebrating. Rosberg's critique highlights the nuanced but vital role of team principal communication in high-stakes moments.
The details:
- Rosberg, speaking as a pundit for Sky Sports F1, called Piastri's defeat "one of the worst moments of his racing career" and stated Brown "could have found more appropriate words."
- He suggested a public message of support like "Next year is your year" would have been more fitting for Piastri, who was defeated by teammate Lando Norris for the title.
- While Brown celebrated with new champion Norris, Rosberg felt Piastri's own "performance was also great" and that "in the end, not much was missing" was overlooked.
- Drawing from his own experience as a runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in 2014 and 2015, Rosberg argued that such a moment requires "more empathy and support" from the team boss.
What's next:
All eyes will now be on how the McLaren dynamic evolves with Norris as the reigning world champion within the team.
- Rosberg notes that Norris now faces the immense pressure to maintain or even improve his level, stating "from now on it will only get harder."
- How Piastri responds to this personal setback and whether the team management reinforces its belief in him publicly will be a subplot to watch heading into the 2026 season.