A Hollywood star has hit out at McLaren boss Zak Brown just days after Lando Norris claimed his maiden world title and the team's first Drivers' Championship since 2008.
Norris secured the podium finish he required at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to clinch the first championship of his career.
It was a tense race for the Briton, who knew anything outside the top three would allow either Red Bull's Max Verstappen or McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to snatch the title away from him.
Piastri came into the season finale in contention for the crown, but was always unlikely to overtake both Verstappen and his McLaren teammate Norris in the standings.
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Throughout the season, McLaren allowed their drivers to race under the team's papaya rules, meaning they were free to battle so long as they avoided contact.
Although Norris and Piastri collided on consecutive race weekends in Singapore and the United States, McLaren never enforced team orders.
However, ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP, Brown confirmed they would be prepared to use them.
The McLaren boss said the team "would be crazy not to" in order to ensure either Norris or Piastri won the title.
Despite McLaren's insistence that they wanted both drivers to race freely, the team still received criticism for allegedly favouring Norris in the title battle.
After the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, American actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who is best known for his role in The Walking Dead, hit out at McLaren.
Posting on X, Morgan wrote: "Zak Brown is such a weanie. Screws up his own team but only cries about everything else.
"Figure out your own s**t dude. Feel bad for Piastri. Hope he bails.
"Again. Brown deserves s**t all. Trophy for boning Oscar is about it.
"God I hope Piastri tells him to shove it where the sun don’t shine. Papaya rules my a**. Lando rules perhaps."
However, Morgan was far more complimentary towards Verstappen, who ultimately missed out on a record-equalling fifth successive title by just two points.
"Greatest driver since Senna, period," he wrote.
"Two points. Came back 102 points... needed 104. What a run. He’s my champion. My god, what a second half of season. Just the best."
Verstappen ended the year with eight Grand Prix victories, including the finale in Abu Dhabi.
Although he had won the previous four world titles, the Dutchman said he believed 2025 was the best season of his career so far.
He described it as a 'rollercoaster', but said he was happy to even be in title contention given how far behind he had been at one stage of the campaign.
Topics: Formula 1, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, McLaren
James Taylor