The Formula 1 cameras were focused on the McLaren pit garage in the aftermath of the British Grand Prix. The famous British team had turned around its early-season troubles and Lando Norris had claimed a glorious podium in front of the home fans.
The team’s chief executive Zak Brown showed just how much it meant to the squad by bounding into the garage and giving a high five every single member of the crew. It was a spontaneous moment of jubilation and a snapshot into the competitive racer’s spirit that burns within the American team patron. It was just another staging post on a long journey for him.
Crossing the Atlantic in search of a pathway to a grand prix seat, the Los Angeles-born racer was in his teens as he tried to make his sporting dreams fly behind the wheel.
He pursued his aim with ambition and determination, but some frustrating seasons led to his dreams of reaching the Formula 1 grid being snuffed out.
A sabbatical from life in the cockpit – a period he describes as a “great relief” – gave him the time to create the hugely successful Just Marketing International firm.
But the motorsport hunger was always there, bubbling away in the background. He returned to the tracks in 2006 and found life as an amateur driving kept the competitive spirit quenched.
Founding the United Autosports team with Richard Dean in 2009 was the starting point to a life on the pitwall and it eventually led to a role with McLaren in 2016, before he became the CEO in 2018.
The arch-enthusiast has gone on to become the recognisable face of the iconic squad, but he can still be found exercising his own driving skills in his mouth-watering collection of competition motors as much as he can fret over the latest percentage points of downforce for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
“Long Beach sparked a passion’
Zak Brown
He kindly took time out of his preparations for the Singapore GP to tackle the Motorsport News readers’ questions, and we are extremely grateful.
Question: Where did the motorsport passion come from for you? Can you remember the first motor race you went to?
James Hilton
Via email
Zak Brown: “I went with my family to the 1981 Long Beach Grand Prix. I still have the raceday programme which was signed by then-Tyrrell driver Eddie Cheever. I remember meeting him very briefly to get his autograph at the end of the race. I remember exactly the grandstand I was in.
“I was with my mum and dad and my brother. The race result was a 1-2 for Williams with Alan Jones leading home Carlos Reutemann. I recall seeing the cars in the Aquarium Dock, which is the place where they were all being set up, behind these little picket white fences. When I run my historic Formula 1 cars now, that is how I set things up which is a nod to those memories.
“I have got the 1980 Alan Jones Williams, which is a better car because it was a championship-winning car, but I actually wanted the 1981 Long Beach-winning car just because that was where it all started, but I don’t have that one…yet.
“I remember everything about that trip to the United States Grand Prix West in 1981. I was 10 years old and it really left an impression on me. I have even still got the timing sheet from the starting grid, which
