Zak Brown extends his contract with McLaren until 2030
The CEO of McLaren Racing, Zak Brown, will remain at the helm of the British team until at least the end of the decade.
McLaren Racing announced this Friday the extension of the contract of the American Zak Brown as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the team until 2030. Brown, who joined McLaren Racing in 2016 as Executive Director of the McLaren Technology Group, has been in the role of CEO since April 2018.
« As CEO, Brown played a pivotal role in the strategic direction of McLaren Racing, overseeing the high-level operational performance of all McLaren racing teams and driving significant commercial and marketing development, the team wrote in a statement.
The group was particularly pleased with this announcement, as Zak Brown is an iconic figure within the paddock. Zak has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities and played a crucial role in the progression of McLaren Racing,” commented McLaren Group Chairman, Paul Walsh. “His extension is a testament to our confidence in his ability to lead the team to even more success in the years to come.”
On their side, the main interested party seems naturally very enthusiastic about the idea of continuing to lead the team for at least another 6 years. “I am delighted to continue leading McLaren Racing and to be part of such a historic racing team,” rejoices Zak Brown. “It is a privilege to work alongside the talented men and women from different racing series of McLaren Racing. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of motorsport and aim for top performance on and off the track.”
A racing driver turned businessman.
Aged 52, the American businessman was previously a professional race car driver. He started his career in karting in the 1980s, accumulating 22 victories in five seasons. He then made his debut in car racing in Europe, winning his first race in Formula Ford 1600. Over the years, he competed in various championships, including in North America, Europe, and Germany.
In 1997, he achieved good results at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. In the 2000s, he focused on his company JMI but returned to racing in 2006, winning several races and championships, notably in the Ferrari Challenge series.
Zak Brown then played a leading role as a co-founder and co-owner of United Autosports in 2009, where he continued to compete and achieve success, including victories at the 24 Hours of Spa and the British GT Championship. Through United Autosports, he is also a co-owner of the Walkinshaw Andretti United team, which competes in the Supercars Championship alongside Michael Andretti and Ryan Walkinshaw, as well as the Andretti United XE and McLaren XE teams in the Extreme E series. Additionally, he served as non-executive chairman at Motorsport Network, a major digital platform in the motorsport and automotive industry, from 2016 to 2019.
