Revitalizing McLaren Racing: A Tale of Resilience and Triumph

When Zak Brown joined McLaren Technology Group in 2016 as executive director, the legendary racing outfit was grappling with its worst performance in history. The iconic team that once dominated Formula 1 with legends like Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and Mika Hakkinen was now struggling to keep up.

Overcoming Adversity: A Journey of Redemption

The decline in performance was not just a matter of poor racing strategy. It was compounded by Ferrari‘s dominance in the early 2000s, the infamous ‘Spygate’ scandal that resulted in a $100 million fine, and reliability issues during its partnership with Honda in the 2010s.

Fast forward to today, McLaren is back on top after securing its first constructors’ title since 1998 in 2024. In a video with Bloomberg (below), Brown discussed the journey of bringing the team back to its former glory. He explained: “When I joined, we were ninth in the championship. Our corporate partnerships were at a record low. Our morale was at a record low. Our fans were pretty upset with us. It was not a good environment, but I saw that all as opportunity.

Rebuilding the Commercial Side: The Key to Success

Brown immediately focused on rebuilding the commercial side of the sport. He knew that by doing so, he could bring in resources to upgrade the team’s technology, which had fallen behind. “I started giving the technical team more toys to work with,” Brown said. “It took some time, but I believe sport in the world is all about momentum, and I needed to reverse this downward momentum and get the kind of snowball picking up pace going the other way.

Now, eight years later, Brown reflects on his journey. He says, “The first two years felt like eight years. And these eight years now feels like two years. Because now it’s fun and we’re winning races on a regular basis.

McLaren Racing and the McLaren Car Company: A Symbiotic Relationship

When asked about the relationship between McLaren Racing and the car company, Brown clarified: “Our automotive company, it was interesting, Ferrari built road cars to go racing way back when. We’re a racing team that now builds road cars.”

He continued, “We leverage our dealer network to talk to our high-end customers. And so we’re very much collaborating. ‘You’ll very rarely see a McLaren road car without a Formula 1 car next to it.’ And vice versa.

The two companies share a brand and common ownership, but their businesses are different. However, they have a lot in common when it comes to technology, innovation, and engaging with fans. “Our drivers love them,” Brown concluded.