Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan blasts McLaren's Zak Brown as a 'weanie' over team orders controversy

American actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, best known for his role as Negan on The Walking Dead, has launched a scathing social media critique of McLaren CEO Zak Brown, calling him a "weanie" and accusing the team of unfairly favoring Lando Norris over Oscar Piastri in the 2024 title fight. Morgan's comments come after a season where Norris clinched the Drivers' Championship by two points over Max Verstappen, with Piastri finishing third following several contentious team strategy calls.

Why it matters:

Celebrity criticism, especially from a longtime, vocal fan like Morgan, amplifies fan debates about team ethics and driver management beyond the paddock. His comments reflect a broader sentiment among some observers that McLaren's late-season decisions compromised sporting fairness, putting the team's internal dynamics and public reputation under an uncomfortable spotlight.

The details:

• Morgan took to X (formerly Twitter) to vent his frustration, directly blaming Zak Brown for the team's handling of its drivers. He wrote, "Zak Brown is such a weanie. Screws up his own team but only cries about EVERYTHING else."
• He expressed sympathy for Oscar Piastri, stating, "Feel bad for Piastri. Hope he bails," and predicted the Australian would "leave and win his title" elsewhere.
• The actor's critique centers on specific 2024 incidents, including team orders in Monza that benefited Norris after a botched pit stop and the Singapore Grand Prix where Norris collided with Piastri—an incident for which Norris later received undisclosed "consequences" from the team.
• Conversely, Morgan heaped praise on Max Verstappen, who mounted a remarkable late-season comeback, calling him the "greatest" and "my champion."
• Morgan clarified his fandom is not derived from Drive to Survive, but from watching F1 with his grandmother since the early 1970s.

Between the lines:

Morgan's outburst taps into the perennial tension in F1 between a team's championship ambitions and its duty of fairness to both drivers. While McLaren officially maintained a policy of fairness—evidenced by giving Piastri a different, potentially strategic tire compound in the season finale—the perception of favoritism, rightly or wrongly, can be damaging. The incident highlights how team principals like Brown become the focal point for fan frustration over complex strategic decisions made in the heat of a championship battle.

What's next:

The court of public opinion will continue to debate McLaren's 2024 season, but the real test is internal. Managing the driver relationship between Norris and Piastri moving forward will be crucial for Zak Brown and the team. Piastri's long-term contentment and belief in the team's equal treatment could become a significant factor in contract negotiations and team harmony as McLaren aims to defend its titles in 2025.