Zak Brown Tells All: F1 Secrets, Leadership, and the Cost of Winning

Ever wonder what it takes to run one of the fastest and most elite teams on the planet? On this episode of Golf Underground, the crew welcomes Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing and a true master of speed, sales, and strategy. From chasing Mickey Mantle as a kid to leading a 1,000-person Formula 1 operation, Zak breaks down the mental grind of racing, what separates winners from losers, how to build a culture that elite drivers want to be part of—and how AI, tire tricks, and track-day politics all factor into the future of F1.

If you think golf is tough, wait until you hear what goes down on the pit wall.

Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments

• Zak Brown shares how a childhood obsession with Mickey Mantle turned into a global racing empire.

• The crew cracks up as Zak tells how he dodged trouble and found racing through "the long way around."

• Zak reveals the behind-the-scenes pressure of leading McLaren’s 1,000-person Formula 1 operation.

• AI, tire data, and driver instincts collide in a conversation about how F1 teams win—or completely blow it.

• Zak and Wardo compare the egos of F1 drivers to pro athletes in other sports, and it gets spicy.

• George Brett wants to know if there’s such a thing as cheating in F1—Zak’s answer doesn’t disappoint.

• Brian Sullivan digs into leadership: how Zak handles high-performance people under pressure.

• Zak drops his golf game stat line—including the story behind the best par he’s ever made.

• The crew dives into Drive to Survive, McLaren’s media rise, and whether F1 fame helps or hurts performance.
• Final lightning round: Zak faces the Golf Underground Emergency 9 with answers that cover fantasy baseball, leadership, and vintage cars.

Words of Wisdom: Standout Quotes from This Episode

• "The best teams don’t just hire smart people—they build cultures winners want to join." – Zak Brown

• "If you take one second off mentally in a race car, you're in the wall." – Zak Brown

• "We’re not guessing out here—Formula 1 is a thousand-person operation." – Zak Brown

• "AI can’t measure guts. Not yet." – Zak Brown

• "Winning used to be about money. Now it’s about people." – Zak Brown

• "In motorsports, you beg for forgiveness, not ask for permission." – Zak Brown

• "I shot 92 today, but I also made the best par of my life." – Zak Brown

• "Drivers aren’t just athletes—they’re pilots, boxers, and chess masters in one." – Zak Brown

• "The best leaders know when to put an arm around the shoulder—and when to kick some ass." – Zak Brown

• "You're running a Formula 1 team, and still managing a fantasy baseball roster? That’s elite multitasking." – Brian Sullivan

• "You get more tech in a race car than a spaceship, and still, some guy will blow it on tire strategy." – Kevin Ward

• "Zak’s out here leading McLaren and still remembers every stat from Mickey Mantle—respect." – George Brett

  
  

About Zak

Zak Brown is CEO of McLaren Racing, a position to which he was appointed in April 2018 after joining McLaren in November 2016 as Executive Director of McLaren Technology Group. In his role, Zak has overall responsibility for the McLaren Racing organisation, including the strategic direction, operational performance, marketing and commercial development of the McLaren Formula 1 and IndyCar programmes. After a professional racing career i