Zak Brown: We want to become the most popular team in the world!

      Zak Brown recently participated in the Speed video podcast of the American TV channel FOX, and the conversation with the famous British commentator Will Buxton covered various topics, as McLaren now has three equally important directions. Formula 1 and IndyCar have now been joined by WEC.

      Their dialogue began with a humorous remark from the executive director of McLaren Racing: “The reality is that all three of my racing teams are doing just fine without me when I’m not at the track on race weekend – just don’t tell anyone!”

      It seems this is true, as Zak Brown was not in Zandvoort, and Lando Norris first won the qualifying and then the Dutch Grand Prix.

      It was with the reigning world champion that the executive director of McLaren Racing compared Felix Rosenqvist, who won the famous Indy 500 race in May driving for the Meyer Shank Racing team, but in 2027 the Swede will return to Arrow McLaren.

      “For us, it’s important that the team is genuinely competing for victory every weekend,” Brown said. “And Felix is characterized by stability, confidence in his abilities, and experience – the same qualities we see in Lando, who has changed a lot now that he is the world champion. I was impressed with how Felix handled the Indy 500 – there aren’t many drivers who can go the entire distance without lifting off the throttle. But he handles any track equally well.”

      When Zak Brown was asked how well the exchange of information is established between the McLaren teams competing in different racing series, he said: “There are many reasons why we compete in three championships. We want to win the 'Triple Crown', i.e., to win the Indy 500, the '24 Hours of Le Mans', and the Monaco Grand Prix.

      In the past, we managed to do this, but in different eras, and it was achieved by teams of three different types. But now we want to repeat this in the era of McLaren Racing, which we call the 'era of papaya colors'. We have already won in Monaco, we were very close to winning the Indy 500 – and of course, we hope to win the race in Le Mans.

      In 1995, the year of our debut in this marathon, we succeeded – of course, I’m not going to make such predictions for 2027, but that is indeed the goal set for the team. We want to become the most popular racing team in the world that attracts the maximum attention of fans – that’s why we compete in three championships, and that’s great!

      We also want to become the most commercially attractive racing team in the world. But besides that, we provide our specialists with opportunities for professional growth. The exchange of technology between the three teams is very limited, as these are three different championships with different regulations, but in the team that competes in IndyCar, there are people who have moved from the Formula 1 team – and vice versa. In this regard, there is a constant exchange of information.

      In particular, Pato O’Ward, the Arrow McLaren driver, was a reserve driver for the F1 team and worked during practice sessions. In general, there are examples of exchanging drivers and specialists, but the same applies to some of our commercial partners and fans.

      So, to reiterate: we want to win the 'Triple Crown' in papaya colors, and if we can do it in the same year, it would be incredibly cool! Especially since the goal is not just to win these three races, but to win all three championships – WEC, IndyCar, and F1. And when that is done, I want us to do it again!”