Zak Brown Says Culture Shift Drove McLaren Back to the Top of F1

Overview

• Brown, speaking to reporters Tuesday, called “people and culture” the biggest change of his nearly decade in charge.
• He joined in late 2016 and became racing CEO 18 months later, finding a cold workplace with black cars, unhappy partners and drivers, and mistrust.
• Leadership changes tied every department to lap time, from commercial staff trimming vinyl for weight to finance teams tracking gains that help on Sundays.
• The overhaul preceded back-to-back constructors’ crowns in 2024 and 2025, with Lando Norris ending a 17-year wait for a McLaren drivers’ champion last year.
• Brown said office politics now surface only rarely, reflecting a more open culture across roughly 1,400 staff.