Zak Brown reveals secret to managing McLaren’s global motorsport empire

There's something to be said for how Zak Brown is able to successfully orchestrate an entire multi-series organisation. As McLaren Racing CEO, he is ultimately responsible for all of the teams under its papaya-coloured umbrella. From Formula 1 and the IndyCar Series to the World Endurance Championship, Brown has high hopes for his motorsport empire. Talking to TSN, he explains how he manages to keep it operating at a championship-winning level.

The secret is delegation - being able to "fly in and fly out" while making sure he has the right people in the right roles.

“Balance isn't one of my greater strengths," he said. "I just kind of - I just go. Fortunately, the way I've set up McLaren Racing is there's - the performance of each race team is something that I help contribute to, it's ultimately my responsibility but that's Tony's job, that's Andrea Stella, that's James Barclay in the World Endurance Championship.

"So I think the way to do this is every team is kind of self-contained, has its own team."

Brown has managed to build structures that don't require micromanagement. Each of his teams has its own leadership structure that allows for a certain level of autonomy, enabling him to focus on his strengths. Brown's commercial experience has brought a wealth of partnerships to its teams, with the organisation enjoying a healthy balance sheet since it last made a loss in 2022. 

Zak Brown, McLaren

Photo by: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 / Getty Images

"I fly in and fly out, whether it's a Formula 1 race or an IndyCar race. A lot of that's on the media side, a lot of that's on the corporate partnership side and staying close to the teams, but also knowing when to stay out of their way.”

McLaren Racing boasts a substantial sponsorship portfolio, including the likes of Mastercard, Google Chrome, and Jack Daniel's. These partnerships with major brands require a personal touch from Brown, who would be unable to fulfil such responsibilities if he wasn't able to delegate to his trusted team leaders.

His experience as the founder of JMI, the world's largest motorsports marketing agency, has been invaluable. But being a people person has been equally necessary.

“Something I think I'm good at is getting the best people in their roles - pushing them very hard, giving them constant feedback, but letting them do their job,” he told Motorsport.com. “It’s about getting the best out of them and driving the pace of the organisation.

“We're immensely loyal to each other, but we disagree with each other and it’s very constructive knowing a lot of people push back on me.”

The Californian now seeks his next target: "Our ultimate goal is to win the Indy 500, win the IndyCar championship, win the Formula 1 constructors' championship, win the Formula 1 drivers' championship, win Le Mans and win the World Endurance Championship, and then to do it again."