Steiner roasts Zak Brown’s viral radio fail in Abu Dhabi

Guenther Steiner knows a bad joke when he hears one, and Zak Brown’s attempt at comedic immortality apparently went down like a lead weight in the Marina Bay harbor after F1’s recent season finale.

Lando Norris fulfilled a lifelong dream by finishing third in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, clinching the title. In the heat of celebration, Brown reached out over the team radio to deliver what some fans have labeled “the worst championship radio of all time”:

"Lando this is Zak from McLaren, is this the world champion hotline?"

While the sentiment was heartfelt, the delivery sparked amusement – and plenty of ridicule. Steiner weighed in during an appearance on The Red Flags Podcast.

“I think he tried to be funny there, and sometimes when you try to be funny you are not funny,” Steiner said. “That’s my opinion. It is quite dull. It is not a funny joke.”

Pressed on whether Brown is generally funny, Steiner offered a measured jab:

“He is pretty good but maybe you try too hard to be funny then it’s not funny anymore.

“Or maybe you think it would be cool to say and you bring it out and it’s ‘is this the championship hotline?’ Yeah whatever!”

What Steiner Would Have Said

The irony of the situation wasn't lost on the podcast hosts, who asked Steiner what his own championship-winning radio message might sound like.

Steiner, ever the realist, noted that he is currently more likely to perform biblical miracles than to lead a backmarker team to the title.

“I have a better chance to walk on water than to pull off a championship at Haas. I can try to do that one, you know!” he said.

He even recalled a lighter moment from his Haas days, congratulating Kevin Magnussen on a surprise pole for the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint race:

“I think I radioed in but I did not tell that this was the pole position hotline. I don’t have that good sense of humour,” Steiner joked, before offering a bit of backhanded sympathy for the McLaren boss.

“Zak normally is pretty funny, but you know sometimes we try too hard, all of us and it doesn’t work. When you try too hard and miss the target.”

Read also:

• Zak Brown, look away: Steiner offers Norris a MotoGP test!

While Brown’s attempt at humor may have landed awkwardly, Steiner’s reflections suggest even seasoned F1 bosses struggle to strike the right balance between levity and professionalism.

Some jokes land, others… well, you radio in and hope nobody records it.

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