Zak Brown CEO of McLaren Racing, Vegas F1, big finish for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri | The Pivot

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“I think you have to have a big ego in business and in sports but I use mine to want to protect myself from failure. Ego makes me not want to fail, it’s a motivator, my ego doesn’t want me to be laughed at or labeled a failure.” Zak Brown CEO of McLaren Racing

The 2025 F1 season is winding down with three races left to go and McLaren has already won its 2nd Consecutive Constructors’ Championship with the chance for their drivers to finish 1st and 2nd. At the helm of all this success is CEO Zak Brown, a high school dropout from California that pursued his passion for motor sports and turned around McLaren Racing.

On this episode of The Pivot Podcast, hosts Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder sit down with Zak Brown for an unfiltered conversation on leadership, risk-taking, and the relentless pursuit of speed—both on and off the track.

Zak pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to transform one of the most iconic organizations in motorsport, from rebuilding McLaren’s Formula 1 program to cultivating a culture where innovation thrives, no blame is placed and a team first mantra. He talks candidly about navigating high-pressure decisions, the realities of competing at the sport’s highest level, and how he balances business strategy with his pure passion for racing.

The conversation amps up as Zak talks about Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s fierce but healthy internal rivalry, explaining how their push to beat each other is exactly what drives the team closer to the front of the grid. With only a few races left, McLaren is eyeing a 1st, 2nd finish for the 2025 season, hoping to prove doubters wrong with a drama-free relationship between his two drivers that sit atop the sport- a no favoritism, no fighting approach. From the dynamics inside the garage to the strategic vision for the future, Zak gives rare insight into what it takes to manage two hungry, elite-level drivers chasing the same trophy.

Zak dives into the inspiration behind his new book, sharing the lessons, setbacks, and bold decisions that shaped his journey from young racing enthusiast to the executive steering one of motorsport’s most iconic teams. He reveals the mindset shifts that fueled McLaren’s resurgence and why embracing risk is often the only real path forward.

From bold driver signings to the future of electric racing and what winning means in today’s F1 landscape, this episode offers a rare look at the mindset of a global sports executive who isn’t afraid to bet big.

A special thanks to our partners at Jack Daniels for sponsoring this conversation and inviting us to be apart of their F1 partnership with McLaren, Las Vegas has been exciting and we wish the best of luck to Lando and Oscar down the finish!

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