McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says Red Bull should face “massive consequences” if it is proven that it has used a device to change the clearance of its front bib illegally. Red Bull admitted it has a device on its car that allows it to quickly and …
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says Red Bull should face “massive consequences” if it is proven that it has used a device to change the clearance of its front bib illegally.
Red Bull admitted it has a device on its car that allows it to quickly and easily make adjustments following an FIA note that it was clamping down on the area, to ensure no team is making changes under parc fermé regulations. Such a change would be illegal and Red Bull maintains it has only used the device for setup reasons prior to parc fermé starting, but with the FIA instructing it to be removed, Brown is unconvinced.
“Well, why would you design it to be inside the car, when with the other nine teams it’s designed to be outside the car?” Brown asked when interviewed by Sky Sports.
“Ingenuity is part of Formula 1, and then there are black-and-white rules. You cannot touch your race car, other than things like driver comfort — they chose their words very carefully, saying ‘when the car is fully assembled,’ but you’re allowed to not have the car fully assembled in parc fermé when you’re working on driver comfort.
“Also, what doesn’t quite stack up is the comment that you can’t modify it. Well, then why does the FIA feel they need to put a seal on it? If it’s not accessible post or during parc fermé, then why put a seal on it?
“So, I’m very happy to see the FIA is on it. I think it needs to be a very thorough investigation because, if you touch your car from a performance standpoint, after parc fermé, or in parc fermé, that is a black and white material, substantial breach, which should come with massive consequences.
“Touching your car after parc fermé is highly illegal within the rules. So I think the FIA needs to get to the bottom of were they or weren’t they?
“Why would you design it to be inside the car when the nine other teams haven’t? So I think it’d be unfair of me to say… Of course, I have an opinion on whether I think they have or haven’t. But I think the FIA needs to be very diligent in their bottoming out whether they think they have or haven’t.
“When you see cleverly worded comments like, ‘You can’t do it when it’s fully assembled’ but I know the car isn’t always fully assembled, and then the FIA feels they need to put a seal on it, why would the FIA need to put a seal on something if it wasn’t accessible?
“I think transparency is critically important in today’s day and age. So I still have questions. I know from talking to other team bosses, they still have questions. So, until those questions are answered, I think it is still an ongoing investigation to bottom out what we know.
“I’d like some more answers before I’m prepared to kind of go, ‘Right, I guess they were or they weren’t,’ but I think the FIA will bottom it out.”
Brown believes Red Bull admitted it was the focus of the FIA note relating to the device because all rival teams were able to see for themselves.
“I think they probably had no choice, because there’s published what are called open source components — OSC — where all the teams can see what each other are doing. You have to submit the drawings to the FIA, and all the teams have access if it’s an open source component.
“So anyone, every team, which is what we do — we look at it and you can see it. So I think there was no denying that they have the ability to access their front bib from inside the car. That’s undisputed, so I think they had no choice but to say, ‘Yes, we can.’
“We know we can’t — we don’t have the access, it’s not designed that way — and from what we see in the other eight teams, [they] don’t. So I think they had no choice.”
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says he will ask questions relating to Daniel Ricciardo’s fastest lap at the end of the Singapore Grand Prix, as it helped Red Bull. RB opted to pit Ricciardo from 18th place and fit a new set of soft tires to take the …
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says he will ask questions relating to Daniel Ricciardo’s fastest lap at the end of the Singapore Grand Prix, as it helped Red Bull.
RB opted to pit Ricciardo from 18th place and fit a new set of soft tires to take the fastest lap away from Lando Norris, a move he duly completed to prevent Norris scoring an extra point. It meant race-winner Norris only outscored Max Verstappen by seven points rather than eight, and Brown believes it highlights a problem with Red Bull owning two different teams.
“That’s a nice A/B team sporting thing that I didn’t think was allowed…” Brown told SiriusXM. “But hey, that’s not the first time we’ve seen it, probably won’t be the last.
“I’ll certainly ask some questions. It’s something I’ve spoken about in the past and I think it illustrates that it does happen, because I think you wouldn’t have made that pit stop to go for that. It’s not going to get anyone a point, so I think it does illustrate the issue around that topic.”
Brown raised concerns relating to Red Bull’s ownership of RB over the past year, but Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says the teams make their own decisions.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1388]
“Racing Bulls stopped and did the fastest lap at the end of the race!” Horner also told SiriusXM. “There’s nothing more to it than that. Kevin Magnussen would have had it had he not gone wide earlier in the race and he has a Ferrari engine. Every team has its own independence.”
When it was put to Horner that Magnussen had to pit due to a puncture, while RB risked a car that was finishing 18th, he admitted the ownership situation would lead to scrutiny.
“Sure, sure. It’s always going to get raised because it’s the same ownership, so it’s inevitable that question’s going to get raised,” he said. “But Daniel’s lap in a grand prix car… He wanted to… Remember, he gets paid a bonus on a fastest lap.”
While Verstappen said he was thankful to Ricciardo for the move, Norris himself downplayed any frustration at the lost point.
“Well done, Daniel,” Norris said. “I don’t know. Nothing I can do, so good on him. I did my best at trying to get a quickest lap when the tires were in a good condition in the middle, but I can’t have them all. I’ve done my best at trying to get quickest laps over the last few weekends and I’ve been able to get them more often than not. But I can’t, on a hard tire in the middle of a stint, beat a guy on a new soft. That’s just life.”
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has penned a number of annual thoughts about the state of Formula 1, and with the NTT IndyCar Series season days away from reaching its end, the Californian has written his first “State of IndyCar” piece as viewed from …
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has penned a number of annual thoughts about the state of Formula 1, and with the NTT IndyCar Series season days away from reaching its end, the Californian has written his first “State of IndyCar” piece as viewed from Arrow McLaren’s three-car effort in the sports property owned by Penske Entertainment.
Brown opened the long missive with some of the positives he sees in the North American championship and began adding in constructive suggestions or criticisms.
“IndyCar has made strides under Penske Entertainment over the past few seasons,” Brown said. “It’s been great to see the introduction of a new hybrid power unit this year, and I couldn’t be more excited about the new TV deal with FOX. However, I believe there’s more we can do to elevate the sport.
“First and foremost, we must ensure the racing remains fair, competitive, and exciting to continue attracting the world’s top drivers. Additionally, enhancing the fan experience — at track, on TV, and across digital platforms — is crucial. We must also ensure the financial viability of the championship for all the teams. The charter system is a step in the right direction, but a lot more can be done to lift the sport to new heights.
“Next year’s schedule features 17 rounds — seven road courses, four street circuits and six ovals. I love the variety, as it challenges both drivers and engineers to adapt to different tracks. However, I see potential for further calendar improvements.
“The 2025 season finale in Nashville will take place over Labor Day weekend, which strategically avoids clashing with the start of the NFL season. However, this condenses our championship into just six months. Aside from that, I think we should look at expanding further within U.S. markets, especially on the East Coast and in major metro markets. For instance, a return to Denver has been a long time coming and the absence of Watkins Glen — which dropped off the calendar a number of years ago — continues to leave a noticeable gap in the Northeast, which we should aim to fill.
In its quest for new venues, Brown urges the series to take advantage of the support for Pato O’Ward among fans in Mexico. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images
“We should also look at the stadiums and convention centers in big markets as they have historically been great venues to host races such as Toronto and Long Beach. I think we also need to consider investment in venues. Las Vegas, by example, was a significant investment by Formula 1 that has led to a significant uplift in television and sponsorship contracts. So, we need to look at investments that have direct and indirect payback.
“Understandably, there has been a lot of reaction to NASCAR’s new multi-year deal to race in Mexico City from 2025 onwards, and we’ve seen the huge response from the local fans, who will give a hero’s welcome to Daniel Suárez. It’s clear to all that Pato O’Ward has a huge following there, and the return of IndyCar to Mexico would also be a tremendous success.
“There has been talk about adding international races and it’s not a subject we should shy away from. While we’ve had events at Motegi in Japan and Surfers Paradise on Australia’s Gold Coast for many years, I think we would be much better served by focusing on more events in large markets closer to the U.S. to enhance our foray into Canada. In the past, the races we’ve run in Mexico and in Brazil were extremely popular with fans as they also love IndyCar racing, so when we talk about international expansion, my preference would be to remain within the continents of North and South America. I think we will see more growth in major markets closer to home so let’s focus on the Americas and not get distracted. Focusing on these regions makes much better strategic sense, building on our established fan base.
“Non-championship races are a distraction we could do without. With no championship points at stake, these events are merely exhibitions rather than bona fide competitions and really only serve to dilute the competitive nature of the series. We should also eliminate doubleheader weekends as these back-to-back races don’t add much value, reduce the exposure the series has in a 17-race season and don’t add a lot for the fans who are onsite compared to the action they’re already experiencing in a standard one-race weekend.”
Brown feels a few tweaks could make help IndyCar strategy games more exciting. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images
Brown would like to see changes to how IndyCar structures and administers its race weekends.
“The cadence of practice sessions heading into a race weekend also needs some revision,” he said. “Having only one practice on Fridays of street and road courses is inefficient for teams and limits the opportunity to gather critical data and further refine their setups. Ensuring a higher level of preparation will ultimately elevate the quality of competition and the overall fan experience.
“While I truly believe IndyCar is some of the most exciting racing in motorsport, we saw a few races this season where fuel-saving racing removes the thrill of how different strategies play out. Whether it’s a smaller fuel tank capacity for street courses or higher degradation on tires, there are a few ways to address this to ensure the racing stays as exciting as it’s always been in this series. Tire allocation through a weekend should also be considered. There is a better way to balance opportunity for tire strategy with used and slicks on race day than all but forcing teams to sit parked for half a practice session to save new tires for a race.”
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says he would like to see Pato O’Ward driving other races such as the Daytona 500 as well as his Formula 1 runs. O’Ward has been confirmed to be making his next FP1 appearance for McLaren at his home race in Mexico City …
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says he would like to see Pato O’Ward driving other races such as the Daytona 500 as well as his Formula 1 runs.
O’Ward has been confirmed to be making his next FP1 appearance for McLaren at his home race in Mexico City next month, in what will be the first time he’s driven during an F1 weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Brown says the 25-year-old has got the attributes to drive in different categories and suggests there could be a similar crossover to the one that sees Kyle Larson running with McLaren at the Indy 500.
“He’s one of our reserve drivers, we want him to get through the IndyCar season,” Brown told the Dale Jr. Podcast. “He’s tested our Formula 1 car a bunch — he’s a huge talent and it will be massive news in Mexico, which is great.
“Obviously there was the whole fiasco a week or two ago and I’m going to be wearing my ‘Pato who?’ hat this weekend for some fun! But he’s huge. When I go to Mexico — Formula E races there, Formula 1 — I’ve got people shouting at me, ‘Bring Pato! Bring Pato!’ So it will be great to put him out in Free Practice 1 — that will be big news.”
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1388]
Brown said he is still hopeful of O’Ward being involved with the NASCAR event in Mexico, although schedule conflicts appear to preclude it happening next year.
“If we can get him in the Xfinity race, that would be cool. I love that stuff. So I’d love to see Pato do that,” he said. “Right now it conflicts — I don’t know what the schedule will look like on ’26 but maybe that. Talking through what else can we do with Hendrick Motorsports? Maybe there’s something… Pato at the Daytona 500 — how cool would that be?”
O’Ward has already shown an interest in running the Mexico City NASCAR race, previously telling RACER’s Marshall Pruett he is eyeing a ride in 2026.
“I would love to,” O’Ward said. “I’m really bummed. I wish we could have done it as soon as the first time, which is next year, but it’s when we go to Gateway and obviously my priorities lie in IndyCar, but I would love to do the next one. That’s the race I would do absolutely. I don’t really have interest doing another race. I want to do that one, and I think it’d be cool.”
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says “it’s game on” in the championship battle after Lando Norris’ dominant victory in the Dutch Grand Prix. Norris took pole position by over 0.35s and although he lost the lead to Max Verstappen at the start, he …
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says “it’s game on” in the championship battle after Lando Norris’ dominant victory in the Dutch Grand Prix.
Norris took pole position by over 0.35s and although he lost the lead to Max Verstappen at the start, he subsequently overtook the championship leader and went on to win by over 22 seconds. After adding an extra point with the fastest lap on the final lap of the race too, Norris reduced Verstappen’s lead in the standings to 70 points with nine races remaining, and Brown believes it’s a realistic target to keep closing that gap.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1388]
“That was a good day at the office,” Brown told SiriusXM. “An impressive performance by everybody. Lando was perfect, team strategy, pace of the car… Oscar [Piastri], a shame we didn’t get him on the podium because I think he definitely had the pace for that but he couldn’t quite not be in dirty air with [George] Russell early on and then of course Charles [Leclerc] at the end, but they did a great job so a good day at the office.
“I thought we had great pace. 23 seconds or whatever it was, no I didn’t think it was going to be that, but that was great to see.
“Yeah we’ve thought [the championship is a possibility] for a few races, but it’s going to take a while. We’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing, and it’s going to be tight. But it’s game on.”
With the Italian Grand Prix offering a very different test due to the low downforce demands of the circuit, Brown is also confident in McLaren’s developments that will run at Monza.
“I think so [the car should be strong]. You never quite know what everyone else is going to do, but we’ve got our Monza tricks up our sleeves so hopefully they work like the rest of the upgrades that all the men and women at McLaren have been putting on this race car for the last couple of years.”
Although frustrated to miss out on the podium on Sunday, Piastri also believes McLaren is in for an exciting final nine races given the pace it showed in Zandvoort.
“I could tell once I got within about two seconds of Charles that it wasn’t going to be quite the same story as when I got past George,” Piastri said. “It worked with one car but not quite the other, so we’ll try again next weekend.
“I think this weekend was just not as strong as it needed to be really from myself. Clearly the car has got a lot of pace, so I will try to make sure I capitalize on that a bit better, but I think it’s going to be a pretty fun second part of the year for us…”
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says the team will give it all its got to win both Formula 1 championships this season, despite the deficit to Max Verstappen in the drivers’ standings. Red Bull leads the constructors’ championship by 42 points from a …
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says the team will give it all its got to win both Formula 1 championships this season, despite the deficit to Max Verstappen in the drivers’ standings.
Red Bull leads the constructors’ championship by 42 points from a resurgent McLaren, while Lando Norris is second in the drivers’ classification but 78 behind Verstappen. Even so, Brown believes both titles are realistic targets for McLaren when racing resumes after the summer break, even if he acknowledges it will be a tough ask to overhaul the three-time world champion given the advantage he has already built up.
“I think we can; we’re certainly going to try,” Brown told SiriusXM. “Obviously, the constructors’ is more within reach because of how many points are available at a weekend and the fact that they have only one car always performing at the front at the same time. But I think Sergio [Perez] is capable of turning it on it at any time.
“And then the I think the challenge on the drivers’ side is Lando can go win seven races, but if Max finishes second or third — which is probably what he would do — the point spread isn’t big enough. I think the point spread is what, seven points, and he’s 70 plus points behind. So literally, Lando could go win seven races, and if Max finishes second, he still doesn’t catch him.
“Now, obviously there’s 10 races left. DNFs happen, but those go both ways. So 100% we’re going to give it all we’ve got for the constructors’ and drivers’, but you’ve got to say the drivers, mathematically, is a taller mountain to climb.”
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1388]
McLaren has been playing catch-up since falling over 100 points behind Red Bull in the opening six rounds of the season before its full upgrade package was available, but Brown says he doesn’t rue the time it took to get the car to its current level of competitiveness.
“I think motor racing and sport is all ‘woulda, coulda, shoulda.’ Do I wish we had today’s car at the first race? Yes, but we didn’t. So I think you can’t look back and kind of regret things.
“You can learn from things, but the team’s done a wonderful job. I think we’re further ahead than anyone anticipated — really, ourselves included. So I can’t look back on anything so far this year with anything other than fond memories.”
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown arrived at the circuit Saturday morning and got his first look at the NTT IndyCar Series’ new hybrid powertrains in action during practice and qualifying for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto event. With years of …
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown arrived at the circuit Saturday morning and got his first look at the NTT IndyCar Series’ new hybrid powertrains in action during practice and qualifying for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto event.
With years of experience leading the hybrid-powered McLaren Formula 1 team, Brown offered a fresh take on the unique energy recovery systems carried in the bellhousings that add power, weight, and newfound relevance to IndyCar’s chassis and engine formula as it competes in its 13th season.
“Given everyone’s concerns, I’m pleasantly surprised,” Brown told RACER. “I am a big advocate of updating our technology, chassis, engines, etc., and you go talk to any manufacturer, and they are very bullish on hybrids. I would even say, from my visit last month to the 24 Hours of Le Mans (where nine manufacturers compete with hybrids), that they’re more bullish on hybrid than electric.
“In our quest to make sure that we modernize IndyCar’s technology, that includes the chassis and a hybrid power unit. I think one could argue it was long overdue and I’m thankful it’s here. [I’m] pleased that there’s been very few technical issues now that it’s gotten started.”
In the two weeks since IndyCar brought its hybrids forward to race at Mid-Ohio, complaints about the on-track product, namely in reduced passing, have been shared by some fans and members of the paddock. While entirely valid, despite the Iowa doubleheader’s processional races being mostly due to a mismatch in track surface grip and tire degradation, Brown says the purpose for hybridization was never driven by entertainment.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1408]
“I don’t think the hybrid has changed the racing for good or bad, but what it has done is made the technology that we’re using more relevant, more appealing to manufacturers,” he added. “I’m not sure it was ever intended to make the racing better or worse. It was intended to modernize the marketing message and be current in today’s more sustainable world.”
Sunday’s 85-lap contest will deliver more data on how the hybrid-spec IndyCar formula performs in yet another change of venue.
Its first street race will demand nimble handling on the low-grip city circuit, and as Brown looks to the future, his long-held desire for the Dallara DW12—in use since 2012—to be replaced by something new could come true as soon as 2027 when its successor will be designed from scratch as a hybrid.
“The fact that the cars are heavier now, that points to needing more modern race cars to take weight out,” he said. “Hybrid Formula 1 cars have gotten heavier and heavier and heavier and heavier. I think Formula 1 cars, people generally think are too big and too heavy, and that’s something that’s being addressed in the ‘26 rules.
“Yes, hybrids are heavier, but that’s why we’re working on a new chassis, and part of the brief will be to make the racing better, make the cars even safer, and make them lighter. That’s why we need a new IndyCar chassis, and they say a new chassis is coming.”
As McLaren Racing contests its fifth season in the NTT IndyCar Series under the Arrow McLaren banner, its CEO, Zak Brown, is actively tracking where the program stands and where the team could be headed. Currently fourth in the championship with …
As McLaren Racing contests its fifth season in the NTT IndyCar Series under the Arrow McLaren banner, its CEO, Zak Brown, is actively tracking where the program stands and where the team could be headed.
Currently fourth in the championship with Pato O’Ward and fifth with Alexander Rossi, Arrow McLaren is in the thick of another title fight. They’ve been joined by rookie Theo Pourchaire, the reigning Formula 2 champion, who’ll complete the rest of the season in the team’s third car.
Thanks to substantial, ongoing investments from McLaren, Arrow McLaren has grown to field three full-time entries, plus a fourth car at the Indianapolis 500, and has become a routine winner and title contender since McLaren’s arrival in the sport. Its trio of Chevrolet-powered cars are also blanketed with sponsor logos, which speaks to McLaren’s transformational influence on the Indiana-based effort.
Even with its significant progress, the team continues to pursue its first Indy 500 victory and to crown its first champion. Now five years in, and despite the challenges to reach its full potential, Brown says there’s no end in sight for Arrow McLaren in American racing.
“We just acquired Andretti Global’s facility. We’re going to move into it next year and make a substantial investment in what is already a great building. We’re fully committed to being in Indianapolis,” Brown told RACER ahead of this weekend’s Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix and Road America IndyCar races. “That commitment extends to our wider presence in North America and this team over the long term. Our decisions are driven by what’s in the best interest of our team and sponsors. Those are the key stakeholders we look after: Our people, our sponsors, and our fans. It’s the foundation here that has already brought the great success we continue to build upon.”
A Los Angeles native, Brown fell in love with racing at an early age, attending the Long Beach Grand Prix where his passion for the sport — with F1 and IndyCar serving as early influences — led to driving in junior open-wheel training categories before turning his attention to the industry’s business side. Through the formation of Just Marketing International, Brown and his company became known for its blockbuster sponsorship deals struck between major corporations, teams and racing series.
When McLaren asked Brown to lead and rehabilitate its F1 program in 2016, he developed an expansion plan to implement once its grand prix organization regained its form. Spurred by his lifelong passion for IndyCar, McLaren’s first move was the creation of a domestic open-wheel program in the U.S. within IndyCar. Further expansion came when the team joined the all-electric FIA Formula E and FIA Extreme E championships.
Brown keenly monitors McLaren Racing’s cadre of worldwide racing initiatives, and as such, he has strong opinions on which sanctioning bodies are trending up or down.
Phillip Abbott/Motorsport Images
“I’ve always been a massive fan of IndyCar. It’s got tremendous potential. The Indy 500 is iconic. But in a day and age where everyone’s developing new cars and really focused on growth through digital (social media and streaming), we think that despite its strengths, IndyCar has a lot of catching up to do,” he said.
“The race calendar needs work. We need to ensure that the whole series isn’t contingent upon the Indy 500. We need a schedule with more fullness so that fans don’t tune out after the month of May. The product can certainly use a freshening as well. Formula 1 is known for having new race cars — those annual reveals and updates are immensely important not just to the teams, but to the fans. Domestically, you can look at IMSA and NASCAR and say that everybody’s racing product is being freshened or renewed on a more regular basis.
“Certainly, IndyCar’s on-track competition is great, but it’s not just about passes; the quality of the racing is critical. When you have events like we’ve seen at Laguna Seca, and Detroit more recently, we all can say that they didn’t represent the caliber of competition that we expect from the pinnacle of U.S. single-seater racing — certainly not as teams, and certainly not as an entertainment product for the fans we all do this for.”
To that end, IMSA, with its thriving hybrid GTP cars and expansive GT categories, has Brown’s full attention.
“McLaren Automotive loves its presence in North America, and we’re very intrigued by IMSA,” he continued. “Of course, we’re always forward-looking with regard to our racing portfolio. We’re very excited to be in IndyCar, but we expect to see substantial changes here over the next few years because the reality is that our digital growth, our television ratings, our race schedule and our product freshness aren’t where they need to be. Most people recognize that.
“We’re confident that these issues will be addressed. Those are the things that IndyCar must be fully committed to fixing for the long term. At the same time, we think IMSA is doing a wonderful job. It’s got a thrilling modern-day product with exciting races at legendary venues in Daytona and Sebring; they race in Long Beach, Watkins Glen, and they go to Indy now, and they have a tentpole race in Petit Le Mans to conclude the season. IMSA has substantial investment behind it from a wide range of manufacturers; its momentum is real, and there’s room for continued growth.”
Brown is keeping a firm eye on the calendar and the pace of IndyCar’s progress to modernize itself. With the FIA unveiling its new-car plans for 2026 this week, Brown wants to see IndyCar share in his sense of urgency to improve itself.
“Sports in general continue to evolve quickly. Just look at the way baseball has improved itself, and how golf has embraced new thinking as it works to drive the sport forward,” he said.
“If we look at the motorsports landscape, we’ve now just seen the future of Formula 1. We’re seeing the future of sports cars play out in real time. IndyCar has a very strong foundation and brand, but we need to accelerate our efforts to match the growth we’re seeing in other disciplines because we have room for significant improvement.
“We’re excited and optimistic that we’re going to have an increased television package, which is critical to the sport. Our TV ratings are not where they should be, and we can see by Formula 1, as an example, how quickly a sport can grow if you get these dynamics right. Look at Formula 1 and what it’s done on growing its fan base; it’s driven a more diverse, younger and female audience. A lot of that has been achieved through new digital media and we think that’s a real opportunity IndyCar has yet to seize. We should embrace and capitalize on the success Formula 1 has brought to motorsports as a whole in North America.
“What might seem like a small point, but we think has been significantly impactful in Formula 1, is proper podiums. We shouldn’t underestimate the attention podium celebrations get and the breadth of broadcast social media imagery they generate. The new podium bridge at Detroit looked great — those are the types of upgrades we want to see more of. There’s a lot we can learn from other sports that we need to apply quickly, because we think we are underserving our fan base.”
Utilizing a bridge over the Detroit street circuit to create a winner’s podium represents the type of creative thinking Brown would like to see more of. Brett Farmer/Motorsport Images
Brown’s narrative on how McLaren chose to enter IndyCar — just prior to the “Drive To Survive” effect that turned F1 into a global phenomenon — is filled with insights and realities that could chart Arrow McLaren’s future path.
“We are always trying to create the most exciting racing team in the world so that we can offer our sponsors a deep, broad commercial portfolio that presents them with many partnership options, especially as corporate partners evolve and change priorities,” he said.
“Likewise, we’re always looking to create opportunities for employee growth. Sometimes that comes within a team, and sometimes that opportunity comes from changing racing series. We’ve done this with people from our Formula 1 team and our Formula E team, moving drivers, sponsors and so on around. This helps us keep up with the fast pace of changing tastes — what’s immensely popular today might not be in the future, and vice versa.
“For example, one of the main reasons we got involved in IndyCar was Formula 1. Formula 1’s presence in North America was lacking not long ago before Netflix worked its wonders. And so when we’d be out selling to sponsors, one of the largest showstoppers was Formula 1 because it didn’t work for most of them in North America. Now look how times have changed. For most of those companies, North America is a huge marketplace, but before it took off like it has, Formula 1 was a problem for us here. Today, we can’t sell Formula 1 fast enough.
Brown sees F1’s expanding popularity with younger fans following directly from its investment in digital media. Sam Bagnall/Motorsport Images
“So we felt getting into IndyCar, which obviously has a long and established name here, would help ring the bell, if you like, for our North American presence. But that’s all changed since Formula 1 exploded in this market. Apart from the Indy 500, Formula 1 pulls larger television ratings than IndyCar. It’s no longer filling a void because the void went away. Now we need to ask ourselves: What else does an IndyCar or an IMSA provide McLaren Racing?”
With Arrow McLaren’s deep commitment to racing in the U.S., the options for where it might compete are based on the value a series can offer.
“For many of our partners, North America is certainly one of, if not the most important market outright. So even with Formula 1 being as big as it is in North America, I want to add another layer to the cake,” Brown said. “We want to be bigger than all of our Formula 1 competitors in North America, so you look at what’s out there. You have IMSA, which we think came up with some fantastic rules. Just look at the number of manufacturers that have gravitated to IMSA and WEC. It almost feels like an overnight success, and with our McLaren Automotive business, its largest market is North America.
“As we look at what our long-term strategic objectives are, wheels start turning. Working with McLaren Automotive, potentially around a prototype sports car program, suddenly becomes pretty interesting.
“You can see we’re dipping our toe in the water because we’re running a couple of (McLaren 720S) GT3s in the World Endurance Championship and we have a partnership with Pfaff Motorsports in IMSA. That’s not by accident. Let’s just start planting some seeds in those championships, because we’re a big believer of what we’re seeing out of them, and that might be something in a few years’ time that we want to go all-in on.
“Obviously, we have to evaluate how much commercial sponsorship we can raise in any one particular market. With my passion for racing, I’d love to do it all, but business will drive where we go racing, not my personal passion.”
Brett Farmer/Motorsport Images
IndyCar team owner Roger Penske purchased the series and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the same time McLaren acquired a majority stake in the former Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports IndyCar operation. Since 2020, Penske has rejected multiple offers to buy the series, which includes at least one inquiry from Formula 1 and MotoGP owner Liberty Media.
If it’s going to prosper under Penske’s command, Brown would like to see changes in the tight financial reins applied to the series.
“Our sport requires more investment that will pay off by delivering real, tangible value to both IndyCar and its teams,” he said. “If you look at what Liberty Media invested in the Las Vegas Grand Prix as an example, I can tell you we have significantly more sponsorship today because of the excitement that Las Vegas created.
“So we think you can look at payback around specific investments in the short term, but also in the long term. Look at the value of what Formula E is worth, what charters in NASCAR are worth, the team value that Formula 1 has created. Williams was sold for $150 million five years ago, and I believe today, their price is around $1.5 billion.
“So in five years, they’ve 10x’d the value of the sport, and that should be the level of expectation we all have in IndyCar. Make our sport 10x in value creation for all the stakeholders over the next five years. That should be the trajectory and ambition we have. A lot of that will require investment — but it will pay back over that period.”
Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles has recruited McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown to be part of a small new taskforce designed to help the IndyCar Series improve its marketing efforts. More accurately, and humorously, Miles stated as such in an …
Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles has recruited McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown to be part of a small new taskforce designed to help the IndyCar Series improve its marketing efforts.
More accurately, and humorously, Miles stated as such in an interview before the outreach to Brown had actually been made. The oversight was handled with grace.
“I’ve read that,” Brown said in a wry manner. “I’ve since spoken with him. And I’m happy to help because I definitely have lots of opinions on opportunities I think we’re missing to make the sport much better and to capitalize on what I think the sport can become.”
As a young driver on the American and European junior open-wheel scene, Brown stood out among his rivals with his ability to attract sponsors. After moving into the business side of racing with the formation of the ultra-successful Just Marketing Incorporated, his savvy is what drew the interest of McLaren where he’s led the Formula 1 team while finding partners who’ve infused the company with immense investments.
Conversely, Penske’s core strength have been demonstrated in business-to-business deals which, for the most part, have required minimal marketing on behalf of the series’ owner. Recruiting Brown and other sharp marketing minds to address IndyCar’s greatest longstanding weakness is a smart move, and as the Los Angeles native said, he’s not lacking in opinions or ideas where the series can make vast improvements.
“I think there’s a lot of room for optimizing the race schedule,” Brown said. “I think some of these most recent changes are OK. Having a non-championship race once the season started…preseason…testing…race…might make a lot more sense. I think it’s unfortunate to lose Texas, which is a great market. I think the doubleheader thing, sponsors don’t view it as two races. It’s one weekend, so I don’t think doubleheaders is the solution to expanding the race calendar.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1408]
“I think we need some, and I’ve said this for a while now, new cars. I think we shouldn’t be introducing new technology in the middle of the season. I think that’s high risk for a little reward with hybrids coming. Why don’t we get this season done and out of the way? What’s the rush to do it with seven eight races to go? Wouldn’t it just be better to get all the testing done and give all the teams a chance to properly modify their equipment and come at it in ’25?
“I think the drivers are the stars and we need to put them on a pedestal. And proper podiums. That might sound like a small thing, but if you look at the attention that podium ceremonies get you in the imagery that comes from that…
Brown was among the many who felt embarrassed for the series and its drivers who stood on a cut-rate podium at The Thermal Club’s $1 Million Challenge.
“I thought that was not adequate for the level of IndyCar,” he continued. “I think you need to invest. And then I think these can be sponsored — a proper podium. Now, sometimes that might mean you have to invest and then go get the sponsors and just wait for the sponsor, but I think so much social media and imagery and exposures created from the podium, to not have proper podiums in a missed opportunity.”
Brown wasn’t impressed with the podium at the Thermal Club. James Black/IndyCar Media
Formula 1’s broadcasts are rich with analysis and strategy projections that engage viewers on a deeper level. It’s another area where Brown would welcome changes for IndyCar.
“I think, with whoever the new broadcaster is — whether that’s the same broadcast or whatever our new TV deal is — I think we can do a better job of the way we show the races,” he said. “I think getting into predictive scenarios (would be good.) I hear a lot of, ‘They’re on red tires.’ Unless you’re really avid fan, and I consider myself to be an avid fan, I’d like to have next-level of information, which is, ‘Soft tires, so they’re going to be a half a second lap faster for eight laps and if Pato doesn’t catch Josef by lap 8, his tires are going to fall off and the strategy wouldn’t work.’
“So helping fans understand how races play out and strategies behind them, because I don’t think that’s necessarily always clear, I think there’s room for improvement.”
Car counts, charters, and IndyCar’s overall value was another major area of concern for Brown.
“We need to make sure that we focus on quality over quantity,” he said. “I think the NASCAR show is no worse off by having a smaller car count than the magical ‘you have to have 43 cars.’
“We have 20 cars in Formula 1, 27 (Indy) cars, 29 cars, create a lot of red flags at Nashville, create a lot of yellows in Laguna Seca. So I think we need to be very focused on quality over quantity on what we do. I don’t think the fan pays too much attention after about 20 cars. So what are those other 6, 7, 8, 9 cars bringing to the table other than a lot of times creating red flags?
“So I think there’s lots of opportunities for improvement. I think the schedule would really need to get into the East Coast. I think there’s two things to play for growing the value of the sport. There’s cash generative, but then there’s also franchise value.”
Having brought McLaren into the all-electric Formula E series ahead of he 2022-23 season, Brown wonders how a 10-year-old series with a modest fan base is worth so much more than IndyCar whose roots extend back more than a century.
“If you look at what Formula E is worth, and I don’t know what number IndyCar was purchased for — if you believe the rumors of 300 million-ish — but on the finance side, when Formula E is trading at twice that, with all due respect to Formula E, it does not have the history of IndyCar, there’s a lot of value creation that I think is a massive opportunity for growth,” he said.
“So I think you can take a view, and you can invest in doing street races, where the street races themselves might not make the money, or maybe we could potentially lose a few bucks, but if that helped (improved) the valuation of IndyCar and you limited the amount of teams and therefore had a scenario if you had more demand and supply because you’re limited to — pick a number — 22 teams, you can create a dynamic where IndyCar racing is worth a lot more because of the demand; you get a more lucrative media deal.
“You have more sponsors that come in, therefore more teams that want to come in. But if you’re limited on teams, you then have to create franchise value. So I think that’s what we as an industry need to be looking at.”
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown is “very excited” about the team’s chances at the Japanese Grand Prix following a step forward in performance in Australia. Oscar Piastri finished fourth at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but struggled to pass Lewis …
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown is “very excited” about the team’s chances at the Japanese Grand Prix following a step forward in performance in Australia.
Oscar Piastri finished fourth at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but struggled to pass Lewis Hamilton for much of the race with a lack of top speed, even when DRS was open, hurting his chances. After a more competitive showing in Melbourne where Lando Norris finished third ahead of Piastri again in fourth, Brown says McLaren has already made progress with that area of weakness.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1388]
“We made some changes to address that and we still have work to do but where we were pretty far off with our DRS in Saudi I think we’ve taken a nice step forward and it’s something for us to continue to build on,” Brown told SpeedCity Broadcasting.
“I’m very excited, I think we should be pretty strong in Suzuka.”
Norris claimed he should have finished second in Melbourne having run there in the early part of the race before Charles Leclerc undercut him in the pits, but Brown says the lost position shouldn’t overshadow how competitive overall the team was.
“It was pretty close, we were only a few seconds off. You don’t know what [Leclerc] had left in the tank, but clearly we were very competitive. We were pretty close to the front. I think any time your cars can see the winner, that’s a pretty good thing.”
However, there were words of caution from Norris himself, who – despite a double podium finish at Suzuka last season – doesn’t believe McLaren’s strong start to 2024 makes a repeat any more likely, given the gains Ferrari has made this season.
“You’ve got a lot of high speed,” Norris said. “The problem is Ferrari have improved their high speed a lot and that’s where they were struggling last year. So that’s why they’ve been able to take such a good step forward.
“I think we can still have a good weekend. We can still look forward to it. And I would love to say that if we can get two cars on a podium again, it would be a lovely weekend. But I think we have two more cars this year that we’re competing against on these types of circuits, not just Max [Verstappen].”
