McLaren CEO, Zak Brown has iterated that the team enters the 2022 F1 season with a “clear aim to build on the foundations of our recent progress.”
Brown first joined McLaren in late 2016 as initially Executive Director before being promoted to CEO in 2018 and has since guided the team’s revival in F1, with top four finishes in the last two seasons and a first race victory since 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix at last year’s Italian Grand Prix.
2022 though will see new regulations introduced in F1 complete with new car designs but Brown is confident of further progress as he told mclaren.com exclusively: “We head into the new Formula 1 season with a clear aim to build on the foundations of our recent progress.”
Brown though has requested caution about the size of success expected this season as he added: “But we are still early in our journey to return to the front. We remain ambitious and determined but realistic.”
“Success in any organisation is truly a team effort and our on-track progress stems from strong executive leadership and the outstanding efforts of all our people across McLaren Racing.” pointed Brown towards the reason behind McLaren’s progress.
Brown also acknowledged Andreas Seidl’s efforts as Team Principal alongside with everyone else across McLaren’s F1 infrastructure from racing to media and even finance departments for helping the team develop ready to be competitive again up front in spite of a new F1 budget cap.
This season will see F1 teams limited to a maximum budget of $140m which will be reduced to $135m next year, which Brown believes will present all ten constructors and F1 overall “with a fairer framework to compete by reducing the inevitable advantage of the biggest-spending and best-resourced teams.”
Brown also accused some top teams of “effectively holding the sport hostage” in order “to protect their own competitive advantage,” at risk of what is “best for the fans and therefore the sport at large.”
FIA Governance also came under fire from Brown following poor organisation of 2020 Australian and 2021 Belgian Grands Prix, due to emergence of the Coronavirus pandemic and torrential rainfall respectively.
Brown also remarked upon the controversial finish to the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi last month which saw Race Director – Michael Masi gift Max Verstappen his maiden F1 title, with FIA President – Jean Todt since replaced by Mohamed Ben Sulayem.
Discussing that scandal, Brown commented that he believes the incident is merely a “symptom rather than cause”, as he felt that there are “systemic issues around alignment and clarity” on decision making between FIA and teams.
The 50 year-old though is hopeful that Ben Sulayem’s appointment represents a “collective reform” chance in how F1 is run, as he called for “Greater clarity on the roles of the FIA and F1 and the need for increased leadership” within the sport.
Describing previous leaderships as “autocratic style of governance,” Brown insists that recent “consultative” conversations about F1’s direction have been successful, meaning that “there is a need to shift back to stronger, more directive leadership and governance at the top of the sport.”
Brown added that “inconsistency in the policing of the regulations” which teams have learned to ensure are “habitually exploited” needs ironing out with teams having their power reduced in their “significant role” of decision making of the sport.
Consultations therefore is Brown’s preferred approach moving forward to ensure that teams no longer contribute to “to the inconsistencies in the policing of the regulations” like Safety Car finishes for example.
Brown also criticised Team Principals like Toto Wolff and Christian Horner for their attempts to “influence penalties and race outcomes,” whilst F1 TV directors also were blasted for “broadcasting of radio messages to the race director” which feeds into a “pantomime audition” feeling.
Looking ahead to what improvements he wants to see in 2022, Brown concluded that he is “confident that we will see increased leadership from the FIA and F1,” to ensure that the sport evolves and there is no “shirk responsibility when it comes to tough decision-making.”
Leave a Reply