McLaren CEO Zak Brown on F1's Growth, IndyCar, and the Future of Motorsport

Zak Brown's Role at McLaren Racing

• 🎯 Zak Brown leads McLaren Racing, overseeing diverse series including Formula 1, IndyCar, Formula E, and Extreme E.
• 🚀 He emphasizes the importance of a strong leadership team and self-sufficient racing divisions, while leveraging commercial synergies.
• ✈️ Despite brutal travel schedules, Brown expresses a deep love for his job and McLaren, finding joy in the work and staying connected digitally.

The Resurgence of Formula 1

• 📈 Brown attributes Formula 1's recent popularity surge primarily to Liberty Media's strategic reshaping of the sport, focusing on the fan experience.
• 📺 Netflix's "Drive to Survive" played a significant role by offering behind-the-scenes access, making the sport more relatable.
• 🌎 The sport has successfully attracted new demographics, including women and youth, and made strides in sustainability, leading to more races and healthier teams.

Formula 1 Calendar and Monaco

• 🗓️ Brown suggests 24 races is the maximum capacity for the F1 calendar, advocating for a rotation of 20 fixed races and 8 rotating ones to expand global reach.
• 🌎 He believes North America has reached its race capacity and highlights the need for more races in Asia and Africa.
• ❓ Regarding Monaco, Brown acknowledges that Formula 1 could survive without it due to its commercial strength, but believes it shouldn't and likely won't be removed from the calendar.

IndyCar vs. Formula 1 in North America

• 💡 Brown notes that while IndyCar has untapped potential, Formula 1 has done an exceptional job in North America, leading to greater TV ratings despite fewer races.
• 🏎️ He suggests IndyCar could learn from F1's fan engagement and digital experience, and that a refresh of the product and calendar is needed.
• 🇺🇸 The irony of an American company, Liberty Media, revitalizing F1 in the US is acknowledged, with credit given to their approach of making the sport more personal and accessible.

McLaren's Brand and Zak Brown's Passions

• 🏆 Winning on Sunday positively impacts McLaren's automotive sales, particularly in North America, their largest market.
• 🚗 Brown is a passionate car collector, daily driving a Range Rover but owning various McLarens and other sports cars.
• ⚾ He also collects sports memorabilia, particularly baseball and ice hockey items, and enjoys meeting his childhood heroes.

Diversity and Future Talent in Motorsport

• 🌱 McLaren is committed to increasing diversity through programs like "60 Scholars" for young women in STEM and supporting the F1 Academy.
• 🏁 The goal is to create awareness and opportunity for young talent, both male and female, across all aspects of motorsport, from engineering to driving.