Bold Names McLaren CEO Zak Brown On F1 And Business Strategy At 200 Miles Per Hour
Dec 5, 2025
Zak Brown, the dynamic CEO of McLaren Racing and former racecar driver, shares insights on leadership and business drawn from his racing experience. He discusses the importance of trust and communication under pressure, and how he turned McLaren around since 2016. Zak reflects on lessons learned from missteps in IndyCar, the impact of streaming deals on F1's growth, and balancing the dynamics between star drivers. His anecdotes and strategies reveal how high-speed racing influences corporate excellence.
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Racing Skills Translate To Leadership
- Racing skills like communication, listening, and trust directly map to effective CEO leadership.
- Zak Brown says those traits matter as much in business as they do when life-or-death decisions are on the line.
Drive To Survive Grew F1's Audience
- Drive to Survive opened the sport and dramatically expanded F1's audience, especially in North America.
- Zak Brown credits Netflix for bringing women and youth into the sport and driving new races and deals.
Put Fans First To Unlock Revenue
- Focus relentlessly on fans because they attract commercial partners and funding.
- Serve fans first to enable investment in drivers and technology, Zak Brown argues.
