McLaren CEO Zak Brown says there is still “a lot to do.” The “ultimate goal” for the British racing team is not just to win Formula 1 world championships
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown spoke about the future of his team in an in-depth interview with Canadian broadcaster TSN, setting out some ambitious goals. Despite recent successes in Formula 1, the American still sees a lot of work ahead: “We still have a lot of unfinished business.”
Since joining McLaren Technology Group as managing director in 2016 and becoming CEO of McLaren Racing in 2018, Brown has rebuilt the team step by step. The milestone will come in 2024: McLaren’s first constructors’ title in Formula 1 since 1998.
But for Brown, that’s just the beginning. “I feel like we’re on the right track,” he said. “We’re achieving many of our goals, but our real goal is to win the Indy 500, win the IndyCar title, win both F1 titles (driver & constructor), win Le Mans and win the World Endurance Championship – and then do it all again.”
So far, only one of these goals has been achieved – the constructors’ title in Formula 1. “But seriously, I really believe we’re on the right track. There’s just a lot of work to be done.”
Brown sees enormous potential in the IndyCar series in particular – and a team that is ripe for success. According to Brown, McLaren currently occupies “second and fifth place in the championship” [at the time of the interview]. He was particularly impressed by the dominant driver of the current season: “I’ve never seen a driver dominate the series like Alex [Palou].”
Nevertheless, he believes Arrow McLaren is on the right track: “We’ve been close three times now at the Indy 500. We’re a young team, but we have a strong driver lineup, good people like Tony [Kanaan] and Kevin [Thimjon] at the top, and now a new headquarters. I’m very happy with what I see.”
Victory in Toronto – a clear signal
Shortly after the interview, Pato O’Ward promptly proved in Toronto that McLaren is a force to be reckoned with in IndyCar: The Mexican won the race – and Brown was there live.
“I honestly didn’t think it would work out today,” said O’Ward after the race. “But I had a good feeling with the prime tire all weekend. It was a bit tricky with the alternate in qualifying, but I knew we had a strong car in the race – and the guys got the strategy spot on.”
