The American executive, CEO of the Woking-based team, has shared his views on the latest speculation surrounding the Formula 1 paddock and the future direction of the sport.
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, offered his perspective on several key topics currently shaping the Formula 1 landscape, including the potential return of Christian Horner and the ongoing debate over affiliated teams within the championship.
The Californian manager believes that Horner’s return to Formula 1 would represent a positive development for the sport. Despite their past clashes as leaders of rival teams, Brown openly acknowledges Horner’s value as both a charismatic and highly capable figure within the paddock.
According to Brown, “Horner has been a great personality for the sport. The sport always needs great personalities. They come and go. I think it would be fantastic to have him back in Formula 1. He is a great manager. His track record speaks for itself”.
Brown is also convinced that, given Horner’s passion for Formula 1 and his relatively young age, a return seems highly likely. Whether it would be with Alpine or another team, the McLaren CEO made his expectations clear: “I’m sure that, given his passion for the sport and his age, I would be shocked if he didn’t return to Formula 1, whether it’s with Alpine or someone else”.
Opposition to A-B teams
On the issue of multi-team ownership structures, Brown’s position remains firm and unchanged over the years. Now in his ninth season in Formula 1, he continues to argue that the model of closely linked teams should be phased out as quickly as possible.
Zak Brown stated: “My position hasn’t changed at all. I think I’ve been consistent. This is now my ninth season. I think A-B teams should be eliminated as much as possible and as quickly as possible”.
He emphasized that such connections create a significant risk of undermining sporting integrity and fairness. In his view, fans could quickly lose interest if they no longer perceive a grid made up of fully independent teams. “I think it carries a real high risk of compromising the integrity of the sport. What would drive fans away faster than anything else is if they didn’t feel there are 11 independent racing teams”.
Concrete examples of risks linked to multi-team ownership
Brown highlighted several practical examples of how multi-team ownership could create issues. He referenced the case in which Daniel Ricciardo took the fastest lap point away from McLaren in order to benefit another team. He also recalled intellectual property controversies related to brake ducts between Aston Martin and Racing Point, as well as the frequent movement of personnel between affiliated teams without proper financial compensation, effectively bypassing budget cap restrictions.
He further pointed to the movement of staff between Ferrari and Haas, underlining that a significant portion of intellectual property resides in the minds of individuals. To better illustrate the concept, Brown drew a comparison with football: “Imagine a Premier League match where two teams are owned by the same group. One risks relegation if it loses. The other can afford to lose… And that is the risk Formula 1 is running”.
The ideal vision for the future
For Brown, the only acceptable link between teams should be limited to the supply of power units. All 11 teams should remain as independent as possible, as this is the only way to preserve the integrity of the sport and avoid alienating fans.
He concluded: “I think the supply of power units is the maximum limit. In my view, all 11 teams should be absolutely as independent as possible, because I think there is a high risk—and we have seen—that it compromises the integrity of the sport. And that will drive fans away faster than anything else”.
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