Latest news with #ZakBrown
Indianapolis Star
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Where 'playing more offense' makes sense in IndyCar, why Zak Brown's other suggestions don't
Lost in the emotion and vitriol that has emanated from Zak Brown's comments to select assembled media at the Detroit Grand Prix is this: The McLaren Racing CEO's believes Penske Entertainment needs to take bigger swings, and in some cases, risks, in the way in which it steers the IndyCar ship. His ideas — ranging from suggesting IndyCar launch its seasons on the Saturday of the Daytona 500, to challenging the sport's owners to spend big on new events in major markets (particularly on the east coast) and suggesting that less may be more on IndyCar's grid — are no doubt out of the box, and they range from problematic (making some racing media choose between covering Daytona or St. Pete is a losing battle) to grandiose and cruel. One thing they also do: Challenge a status quo that many in the IndyCar paddock believe publicly and privately haven't been pushed enough in the five-plus years since Roger Penske took ownership. It's not to say things haven't changed since 2019. Not only does the schedule have notable updates, but the Indianapolis 500 is back booming again, the grid is meaningfully larger and IndyCar appears to be with a network willing to pull out all the stops and push the needle to help it reach heights not seen in decades. But to many in the paddock, Brown included, the sport continues to operate on the defensive. In some ways, it's a product of a pre-Penske past where the sport was stuck in neutral and is simultaneously trying to play catch-up while also attempting to innovate and break the mold. Next year's Arlington Grand Prix is the latest Penske Entertainment project aimed at trying something big and new and different (at least for this racing series). Past projects like IndyCar's long-awaited video game project (now dormant), a concert-filled doubleheader at Iowa Speedway (no headlining concerts any more), a downtown Nashville street race (which has moved to an oval 40 minutes outside downtown) and the launch of hybrid technology (which was many times delayed, had a new engine formula axed and which has negatively impacted the racing product) lay in its wake. The Penske Corp.'s shift of the Detroit area street race from Belle Isle to downtown Detroit alleviated a longtime rift with a segment of the community concerned of its impact on the park, and it's made the event more accessible to the general public and a hotbed for Penske hospitality customers, but many drivers haven't been quiet as to their thoughts of racing on the "Mickey Mouse circuit." Racing at The Thermal Club, too, has proved a lightning rod topic, and the resurrection of IndyCar racing at the Milwaukee Mile is an endeavor too early in its reboot to suggest whether it'll have long-term legs or not. 'We need to play more offense, and sometimes we play too much defense,' Brown said. ''Cost savings, cost savings, cost savings.' At some point, you've gotta say, 'I want to spend more to make more.' 'There's a difference between sustaining the sport and covering some losses and picking a number, let's say $100 million, and going and doing something like what (F1 owners Liberty Media) did around Las Vegas. Even though that race isn't profitable today, it brought in a ton of new sponsors and got you a more lucrative TV contract.' Unlike so many team bosses in the sport, Brown comes at what he does with a marketing-first brain. In another life, Brown would've taken the IndyCar CEO job offered to him in May 2013 by then-Hulman & Co. CEO Mark Miles, who's now the president and CEO of Penske Entertainment, but instead, his burgeoning sports marketing firm took him to England and, in 2018, he was tapped to take over the reins of McLaren Racing as its CEO. In less than seven years, he transformed an F1 team with a largely blank racecar experiencing some of its worst results in its decades' long history into World Constructors' Champions. Approaching the halfway point of this season, his two drivers are locked into a head-to-head battle for the World Drivers' Championship while McLaren the runaway favorites to win the Constructors' title again. Both in business as well as sport, Brown views winning as the primary target at all costs, for better or worse, and that goal, particularly when pursued by a program in flux, comes with the suggestion of wholesale changes. When it comes to IndyCar, along with spending sizable sums of Penske's money and taking risks on new races in a couple major cities across the country, Brown's vision for change is a slightly smaller, more exclusive sport filled with more high-energy events and high-powered cars exactly at a time where demand ideally will be rising. So what do some of Browns ideas look like in reality? Let's dive in. In short, finding a way to shrink IndyCar's grid — the idea of Brown's that far-and-away drew the most ire — is the toughest to imagine happening anytime soon, at least at the levels he suggested. It's not something Brown hasn't suggested before, but it comes less than a year after Penske Entertainment handed out 25 charters to the 10 teams competing last year in IndyCar. Though the fine print of the charter remains largely shrouded in secrecy, we know teams were given a max of three per team, leading to Chip Ganassi Racing dropping two cars from its fleet. New for 2025, IndyCar welcomed two unchartered full-time entries to the grid from Prema Racing, making for 27 cars on the grid at non-Indy 500 races — said to be the max field size. Should any more cars show up, the event would see bumping to get into the field for the first time outside the 500 in recent memory. As the grid sits, the easiest way to trim the grid would be for Prema to purchase one or two charters from current holders, slimming the grid back down to 25. But Brown said he'd like to see things scaled back further, suggesting grid sizes from 20 to 24 could make for a more competitive grid top to bottom and lower the supply at a time when demand is rising. In his view, the charter system solidified the status quo — basically allowing for all cars that had been on the grid for several years (minus Ganassi's fourth and fifth) while allowing for the addition of Prema that had been agreed to before the charter system was launched. 'Just a passenger hitting the wall': Robert Shwartzman's Indy 500 fairly tale ends Would it have been tough to tell Dale Coyne, Brad Hollinger and Ricardo Juncos or the powers that be at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing that one of their cars wouldn't be granted a charter come 2025? Undoubtedly, and I'm not sure how you make those distinctions, either. It's no secret Coyne has for several years now had at least one (and last year both) its cars mired at or near the bottom of the Entrants Championship, but they now have a driver sitting 16th in points who was 10th before a pair of back-to-back DNFs. RLL has two cars on the outside looking in of the Leaders Circle chase for the time being — a tough look for a team that occasionally can fight for poles and wins and has been around the sport for decades. Both JHR cars are near the bottom, but both have also finished in the top-10 this year, and Arrow McLaren's Nolan Siegel is still in his first full season in IndyCar and 12 months ago was a serious Indy NXT title contender. So far this year, 24 of the 27 full-time cars have logged top-15 finishes, with 22 of them having finished in the top 10 at least once (all but both Prema cars, RLL's two cars near the bottom and Coyne's Jacob Abel). Across the entire 2024 season, all 27 cars nabbed top 15s, and 23 finished in the top 10 — 21 of those cars having secured at least two top 10s. Two-thirds of the field finished in the top 5 at least once, and 14 finished on the podium. Knowing that Penske Entertainment ultimately is the owner of all 25 IndyCar charters, I imagine there's some (or likely multiple) mechanisms with which the series owner could yank them back, but I don't know how much benefit you're getting from telling Dale Coyne, one of your longest-tenured team owners, that his No. 51 car no longer has a guaranteed spot each weekend. A move like that very well might put Coyne's other car in a tenuous spot, and if you try doing that to multiple low-performing two-car teams, you could be without a couple cars who with the right circumstances can legitimately run inside the top 10 a couple times a year. Yes, those cars aren't on par with the likes most cars at Penske, Ganassi, Andretti and McLaren, but those four teams aren't your entire series either. And outside them, the other 15 (with few exceptions) can finish just about anywhere on any given weekend. Now, if you were building a series from scratch, I'd be interested to see a 24-car IndyCar field with 12 two-car teams, or maybe one with 10 or 11 teams combined to have 24 cars on the grid — allowing for a little less chaos on the tightest tracks and shortest pit lanes and a bit more exclusivity to generate some actual interest in those on the outside trying to buy their way in. But putting a square peg in a round hole now, and the unnecessary firestorm that would come from it, is just too tough to navigate now. IndyCar had the opportunity to trim its grid to 25 and tell Prema it needed to buy charters in order to compete 18 months ago and chose not to. Until this charter agreement expires, I don't know there's any changing that. At the same time, I think Brown's assertion that decisions on IndyCar's next car and technical regulations need to be made by chasing cutting-edge technology, more speed and horsepower and lighter-weight machines — rather than what's easiest to stomach for teams in the middle or back of the pack — are spot on. And maybe if you do so, we see a bit of a shakeup to the grid anyways. After going more than 15 years without a wholesale change to the car on track, IndyCar can't afford both technologically and optically to make another relatively minor update to what has become a Frankenstein-like car compared to the one Dan Wheldon tested and helped refine in 2011. And the major implication is this: Don't cut corners for the sake of cost-savings. I hate to say it, because I know this isn't going to be an easy stretch for several teams on the grid (even with the friendly loan plan Miles said in March the series is working on to help teams pay for the cars), but this needs to be a car that makes a statement. Use some parts from this car's construction if you can and it makes sense — in other words, don't just pursue change for change's sake. But the series needs to map out a car that best fits this state of IndyCar, and see where the chips fall. Insider: IndyCar planning to introduce new car in 2027, Roger Penske says While better integrating the aero screen, the hybrid (if it indeed is staying in some form) and recent safety updates to IndyCar's new machine, this car needs to be light, sleek, powerful and loud. It needs to be something this series can rally and market around in a similar vein to how NASCAR's NextGen car and IMSA's GTP machines drew increased intrigue in their early years. It's not going to be the peak of technological engineering, ala Formula 1, but it needs to make some noise both literally and figuratively. And that's going to cost some money. And if that's a dealbreaker to some teams, then it's an unfortunate fact the way in which new chapters in racing series spell different phases for teams up and down the grid. It's not uncommon in other series, and it shouldn't be something Penske Entertainment should shy away from. As Brown said, 'We need to get to the point where everyone's chasing the best, as opposed to working toward the lowest common denominator because you're trying to keep the back of the grid in business.' It's enough to not get uber-exclusive and outright boot teams out of the series like Brown suggested, but it should also at the same time be a privilege and a sign of both passion and financial stability to have a couple cars running in IndyCar. Brown's third major pillar is perhaps too soon to suggest breaking ground on, in part because we need to see how a project in the same vein, the Arlington Grand Prix, works next March. The new event, which Miles said he expects to be as big and culturally impactful as the Miami Grand Prix — if not bigger — brings the muscle, marketing savvy, local knowhow and the ticketholder registries of the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers to help IndyCar put on perhaps its biggest event outside the Indy 500 in 2026. It's been said to have been in the works for some time, and for a series desperately in need of more spring races, it adds yet another high-energy street race to the pre-Indy 500 section that already includes St. Pete and Long Beach and hopefully next year will also include Mexico City. The 'race around a stadium' model is by no means new to American open-wheel racing, but having the might of two of Texas' biggest pro sports franchises behind it is a major plus. Insider: What are 3 things to change about IndyCar? Here are our ideas And if next year's debut is as much of a success as it's been pumped up to be, Penske Entertainment needs to shop this around to other pro sports franchises around the country. Target No. 1? MetLife Stadium — the home of the NFL's New York Giants and Jets — and the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Though not a simple project to land — after all, you've got to convince two NFL franchises to join you in this endeavor to really get it to pop — it would be a major step for a series that is adamant it is and will continue to be wholly a North American series, but doesn't race anywhere close to the continent's biggest media market. And if it's something that the NFL franchises would only be willing to minimally support in Year 1 so as to feel out its potential before going all in, it should be a risk Penske Entertainment — which up until this point has shied away from racing in Mexico City on a track rental because it was devoid a local partner and which has emphasized in recent years its willingness to do big things, but mainly with other partners in the mix — should go all in on. As Brown said, massive undertakings like a blowout race under the shadows of the New York City skyline, might not be a profitable endeavor on its own, but it would offer an opportunity to elevate the series' brand as a whole. 'I think we need to be in bigger cities. I know it's going to be fiscally difficult to say, 'I want to race in New York City,' but I think to invest in a few more key markets where races may not be profitable, but (they) drive greater following of the sport and more sponsorship and bigger TV ratings, you get money back in value creation and growth of the teams and the sport,' Brown said. It would be the biggest swing Penske Entertainment has taken to date, but a sport where IndyCar is at the moment isn't going to take meaningful leaps in the sports — and even the racing — landscapes without taking risks. Outside non-Indy 500 blockbuster events like IndyCar's season opener (St. Pete), Arlington, Long Beach, (potentially) Mexico City and anything like Brown suggested in the Greater New York City area, IndyCar needs to elevate the floor of the rest of the events on its calendar. Not every single race can feel like one of the biggest on the calendar in the way F1 grands prix do, but there needs to be an higher level of expectation events that hope to continue to live on the calendar. And that starts with looking for alternatives for events that seem to merely exist like Portland and Laguna Seca. Though the former gives you a stop in the Pacific Northwest that IndyCar otherwise wouldn't race in, it's a race weekend that gets almost zero hype and publicity locally, and the fan turnout isn't anything to write home about. Until a couple years ago, Laguna Seca made sense as a finale in that it offered a somewhat glamorous place for the series and teams to entertain sponsors, even if the race weekend itself was sparsely attended. Now that it's left floating around the summer slate, Penske Entertainment shouldn't be afraid to move off an event even if it's willing to offer a slightly higher sanctioning fee than others. As Graham Rahal and so many others in the paddock have said before, in an age where it's trying to position itself as a growing giant in the motorsports realm, IndyCar should not be racing in places that make it appear unimportant. So as not to completely upend the series' balance of road, street and oval events, I think the series should first look toward natural terrain road course opportunities to swap into. Sonoma fell off the calendar in place of Laguna Seca seven years ago. If Penske Entertainment was better positioned to partner with the track and market the hell out of a return to the venue that's just north of San Francisco, could it have more success than previously? I've been told by multiple parties in the paddock that it's pertinent that IndyCar maintain a presence in the greater central California coast area, which makes giving Sonoma another chance something to consider. Insider: Will Fox, IndyCar find 'rapid growth' it sought after Indy 500? Detroit Grand Prix was a start Could you partner with IMSA on its Six Hour event at Watkins Glen and run Saturday, so as not to completely upend IMSA's six-hour race on Sunday, or find another slot on the calendar that would make sense for the upstate New York track to hold another major race weekend? Could you make a return to Homestead in the spring to give the oval track and the community another race weekend to rally around as it's primed to occasionally host NASCAR season finales and potential other fall playoff rounds in the future? Could you reconsider a return to Richmond, even though Miles vehemently poo-pooed the idea last fall? All these involve returns to tracks that fell off IndyCar's calendar for a reason, but Penske Entertainment clearly isn't afraid to put its marketing and promotional might behind events it needs to find success. In the slim amount of NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports-owned tracks that IndyCar visits, it's clear those two behemoths in the track owning landscape across the U.S. aren't going to just hand IndyCar a race weekend if there's not something for them in it, and in most cases, IndyCar hasn't been able to draw big enough crowds at some venues to make owners of those facilities feel there's enough financial gain for them to promote the race themselves. So find an already big event and see if you can make it bigger, like The Glen, or rent an oval like you do with Iowa Speedway, and pull out all the stops to give a race there a better chance to succeed than it had before. Sometimes in this crowded sports and entertainment market, you need to make your own luck, even if it costs a few bucks, and believe in yourself if no one else will. And if IndyCar is to make a serious jump in the next five years, it can't just sit around and wait for others to believe in the dream if Penske Entertainment isn't out on the frontlines trying to will it to happen.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
What McLaren CEO Zak Brown Told IndyCar Owner Roger Penske In Detroit
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images) McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown believes fellow IndyCar Series team owners are providing a 'disservice' to IndyCar Series owner Roger Penske by not telling the series owner their true feelings regarding the sport. Brown believes IndyCar team owners are highly critical in the media, but when they meet with Penske, they tell him the series is fine. Brown met with Penske during a rare trip to the United States for last weekend's Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix IndyCar Series race. Brown offered his insight on upcoming changes he believes IndyCar needs to do. 'I had a good meeting this morning with 'The Captain,'' Brown told a very small and select group of reporters in the team NTT DATA Strategy Center in the McLaren paddock on May 31. 'We spoke about everything, and it was very productive. I shared my views on things in a very productive constructive manner I was very encouraged that I think they recognize the issues and the opportunities. 'But I am disappointed in some of the team owners that when 'The Captain' is not around they say another thing. And I think that does a disservice, actually, to Roger, because he probably gets conflicting information when he's not around the teams and hen he's around, it's like, 'Hey, everything's great.' 'I was like, 'That's not what you said 20 minutes ago.'' Brown believes real feedback is important for Penske to help guide IndyCar to become a better and more responsive organization. 'We covered everything from tech, to cars, the fans, the races, conflict of interest, the perception of conflict of interest, and I felt he was listening to me,' Brown continued. 'I called it as I see it, which I think is the right way to do it. 'I warned them. I did say I'm seeing media later and I always share my opinion, and they went, 'Yeah, we know,'' he said with a laugh. Brown has some strong, but very constructive views. Because of an extremely busy schedule, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown doesn't get much opportunity to attend an NTT IndyCar Series race in person. Most of his time is devoted to the resurgence of the McLaren Formula One operation, which has been the most successful in the 2025 Formula One World Championship. Lando Norris (left) and Oscar Piastri (right) at the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix. (Photo by Jay ... More Hirano/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Oscar Piastri of Australia leads the F1 World Championship by 10 points over McLaren teammate Lando Norris of Great Britain. But last weekend, Brown was in Detroit for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix instead of the Spanish Grand Prix. It was Brown's first IndyCar Series race in person in 2025. The man who has returned McLaren's Formula One team met with Penske, who also owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 on May 31. Penske is at the center of a major decision when it comes to transparency in officiating the series. Brown and other team owners are urging Penske to move to a completely independent officiating body to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest. Also in the meeting were Greg Penske, Penske's son and Penske Corporation Vice Chair of Penske Entertainment; Jonathan Gibson, the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at the Penske Corporation, Doug Boles, the President of IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Penske Corporation President Bud Denker. Penske Corporation President Bud Denker with Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Chevrolet at Indianapolis ... More Motor Speedway on May 18, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael L. Levitt/Lumen via Getty Images) 'We've been discussing those for some time,' Denker told me on a taping of the Pit Pass Indy podcast. 'We've talked about them last week also. with a number of people and we're still working with the teams. We're working with the people that are stakeholders in our sport to get the right structure of that. But I think the goal continues to be to have that independent organization going into 2026 season. 'We've got our models not like that in terms of their having the FIA do it. We think we'll have an independent body here of the right type of people to make it truly be independent of anything to do with Penske Corporation, Team Penske, or Penske Entertainment. That's important, obviously, but more work to be done there.' When Denker was asked if IndyCar team owners should help pay for the 'completely independent officiating body' along with Penske, Denker said, 'Well, I'm not sure that's what we're going to have. But again, we're not prepared to announce anything yet. And we're still working with the stakeholders to do that. According to Brown, Penske was very interested in some of his ideas of improving the sanctioning body, including modernized and transparent technical inspections. The 109th Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway included violations from three teams – Team Penske in qualifications, Andretti Global and Prema after the race. The seemingly minor rules infraction at Team Penske was modifications to the rear attenuator by applying a different color of Loctite to the seam. Two of the three entries in question were sent to the 32nd and 33rdpositions on the starting grid including Will Power's No. 12 and Josef Newgarden's No. 2. But it came one year after a major penalty for manipulating the Push-to-Pass system. As a team owner, Penske acted swiftly and decisively by dismissing longtime Team Penske President Tim Cindric, Managing Director of the IndyCar team Ron Ruzewski and General Manager Kyle Moyer before the Indy 500. Tim Cindric (left) and Josef Newgarden (right) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 17, 2025 in ... More Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Brandon Badraoui/Lumen via Getty Images) 'It was the worst week of my life,' Denker said, regarding to the dismissals. 'These are people not only we like, but these are also people we love and have done so much for our company with wins and championships and for our brand. 'But the decision was made, and we moved forward. And now we're still moving forward. And I think the fact is that here we were in Detroit, and we're going to be in the next races at Gateway and Road America. We're moving forward. 'Tough decisions were made. They were made, and now we're thinking ahead.' Brown defended Penske's independence from his racing team at Team Penske and believes the owner of the series in no way, shape or form influence race control and technical inspection. He also believes if IndyCar can move toward a more independent officiating group, it would help remove the level of conspiracy theories that have become so prominent in the paddock and among the fans. 'I have no doubt as to Roger's personal integrity on the conflict of interest,' Brown said. 'It's just the kind of perception that creates and I'm sure it's frustrating for him because I'm very confident he's not exerting his influence in a way that but just a human nature side. 'People see ghosts and conspiracy theories and they go, 'Oh did the race director make that call subconsciously?' 'I think we need to work through that issue so that everyone can have confidence.' On the positive side, Brown believes FOX Sports CEO Eric Shanks and the way FOX Sports is promoting IndyCar is 'mega.' 'When you go through the list of things that we needed, No. 1 was we had to land the right broadcast partner and I think we've done that,' Brown said. 'We still have the other 19 things to do but at least No. 1 has been done and done successfully.' Brown shared that IndyCar continues to work on its schedule and believes the Grand Prix of Arlington is going to be an outstanding event. Brown told Penske he would like the see the IndyCar schedule start a little earlier and continue to stay away from football. He even suggested the novel idea of starting the IndyCar season the Saturday of the Daytona 500, not at Daytona International Speedway, but have the race the day before. An idea more likely would be to start the season the week before the Super Bowl or the week after the Daytona 500. 'I think we are in sore need of a new car,' Brown continued. 'I understand we're waiting on the engine formula, which will drive what type of car you need. 'But I think at the end of the day, we've done a lot of band-aids on this car and that is why it weighs so much, it's not fast enough, etc. etc. We could do a better job of integrating the hybrid. An IndyCar Hybrid. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) 'When you just start bolting everything on you end up with a big heavy car and then unfortunately some teams are innovating via engineering a very old car because that's the only way you can find more pace out of it,' Brown continued. 'I'm not saying if you have a new car, teams won't still do what teams have been doing for 100 years in motor racing, but I do think when you've got a spec car that's been around so long, and you ask, 'Where can we innovate?' 'You start innovating in areas you shouldn't innovate in.' Brown said from the discussion, it sounded like the front half of the schedule is going to be better than this year. A major part of the conversation involved technical inspection and how to improve it. Brown told Penske the series needs more investment in tech and technical inspection, including lasers, video inspection and more advanced ways of measuring the cars. 'You are always going to pre-race tech and post-race tech, and we have that in Formula One, but I think technical inspection is very important,' Brown said. 'I think the whole governance around tech, the conversations around having something independent, it needs to truly be independent, and I think that will help a lot on the conflict of interest. 'We spoke about that quite a bit. And I explained my own experience with perception is reality comment.' Brown also would like to see more investment in IndyCar that could grow the overall value of the series. He believes even fewer charters could help create an increased level of interest to 'buy in' to IndyCar and believes 20-24 car fields could actually improve the racing. Currently, IndyCar has experienced growth on the grid as 27 full-time entries competing in the series this season. IndyCar and IMS President Doug Boles during the public drivers' meeting prior to the NTT IndyCar ... More Series 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Photo by Michael L. Levitt/Lumen via Getty Images) Brown also has tremendous respect for IndyCar President and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles, and how he has served two major roles simultaneously. 'I like Doug,' Brown said. 'I think Doug, and I said to him in the team on our meeting, 'He's just been given a (bleep) sandwich for dinner.' 'I like Doug. He is fronted up to it in a big way like he's leaning in which is what you want. Instead of 'everything is great' Doug knows there have been some issues. 'I'm a Doug fan he's leaning in he's direct. He owns the issue and wants to solve them.' Brown would like to see IndyCar put on display the items that fail technical inspection. NASCAR does that with its 'Show and Tell' table outside of the NASCAR transporter in the garage area so that other teams can learn, what won't be accepted. 'If there's an infringement, I think we should all know what it is,' Brown said. 'I think we should just have total transparency in what we do. 'I know what happened on the Andretti car based on what my team has told me. 'But I think it'd be good to go see what it is. 'Doug was in agreement with that. I think Doug works hard, so I'm a fan of Doug. He's a few weeks into the job and having to deal with some issues, but I feel like he's a guy who is going to recognize the issues, tackle the issues and be transparent about it. 'I just think in general, the more transparent, the better. You can never go wrong with transparent.' Brown believes the rear attenuator penalties that were assessed to Team Penske in qualifying were similar to a speeding ticket for going 75 miles an hour in a 70-mph zone. As for Andretti Global's post-race penalties for modifying the Energy Management System (EMS) cover and A-arm covers, that was a speeding ticket for 100 miles an hour when the speed limit is 70 mph. 'Team Penske was going 75, and if what we have taken away from what we've read, Andretti was going 100,' Brown said. 'There's no mistake there. It's not what it was put on because that was the only way to make it fit, or we measured it wrong, or they missed the hole. 'They screwed up. 'You can argue that they screwed up. 'They modified it, completely redesigned a part you can't touch, tested it, and discovered it's better to have on the car,' Brown said of Andretti Global. 'Do I think the owner of Andretti knew what was going on? 'Highly unlikely, but you see the action Roger took with his race team.' McLaren's Zak Brown believes Penske took the issues seriously and intends to restore credibility and integrity to IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500. IndyCar Owner Roger Penske (Photo by)
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Meet the brain behind McLaren's F1 rocketship – with rivals playing catch-up in Imola
On a weekend where fanatical home supporters will bask under the Imola sunshine on the hills surrounding this gloriously old-school circuit, desperate to see their beloved Ferrari outfit turn a corner, it is in fact an Italian donning papaya who is brimming with glee amid his team's current dominance of Formula One. Andrea Stella, the ex-Ferrari engineer now thriving in his role as McLaren team principal, is usually talkative. A deeply respected presence in the paddock, the 54-year-old is candid and uninhibited in his analysis and opinions. Friday's FIA press conference was no different. His first answer to moderator Tom Clarkson was more than six minutes long, encompassing a range of topics; from his love of Imola in what is set to be the circuit's final furlong on the F1 calendar to a thoughtful tribute to Fernando Alonso's long-serving physio Fabrizio Borra, who died this week. Yet his biggest smirk was saved for a question about McLaren's rivals – left languishing in the lurch after the first six races of the season – complaining about suspicious elements of this year's McLaren rocketship. McLaren's long-awaited re-emergence as the top team last year was met with questions surrounding their so-called 'flexi-wings.' In recent weeks, a theory regarding the team's tyre temperature management – with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris preserving their rubber better than the rest of the field – was met with ridicule by McLaren CEO Zak Brown at the last round in Miami. Was water being injected into the tyre rubber to cool them down? McLaren laughed off the suggestions. And Brown could not help but mock the suggestions, with a water bottle on the pit wall in Florida labelled 'tire pressure.' American spelling and all. An official complaint to the FIA was dismissed by the sport's governing body on Wednesday. 'For us, it's good news when our rivals get their focus on us rather than on themselves,' Stella said on Friday, with Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur unable to hide a small snigger himself. '[When they focus] on, allegedly, stuff present in our car… effectively they are not even present. 'Let's say, flexi-wings, like a front wing deflection like everyone has, it has nothing to do with the reason McLaren is very competitive. 'So, I hope that in the future there will be more of this kind of saga, because it means that our rivals keep focusing on the wrong things. 'This is just good news for us.' Eight out of the 10 teams this weekend in Imola – the first European race of the season – have brought upgrades, including all the leading contenders. But the initial impressions on the timing screens on Friday showed little reason to foresee change come the race on Sunday. In both practice sessions, McLaren secured a one-two placing with championship leader Oscar Piastri – ahead by 16 points – once more holding a slim advantage over his teammate Lando Norris. McLaren's status as the quickest team, which is now hitting the 12-month mark, has undoubtedly left the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull reeling. Questioned further on Friday about why teams could not replicate McLaren's speed, Stella was comically stroked on the arm by Vasseur, clearly in a playful mood. 'I would like to give the wrong answer here, so I put all our rivals down the wrong route!' Stella joked. 'The only thing I can say is that, for me, over the years in Formula 1, I have learnt that you have to focus on yourself and focus on the fundamentals. 'I think when you get too distracted by what the others are doing, it's normally an alarm bell that you ring in your factory and should remind you to go back to the basics.' Stella has performed a remarkable job at McLaren since replacing Andreas Seidl as team principal in the 2022-23 off-season. Making key executive decisions, such as the hiring of ex-Red Bull designer Rob Marshall and the promotion of aerodynamicist Peter Prodromou, has resulted in a car incapable of being caught in normal dry conditions. Brown, the big boss of the team as an entity, has regularly heaped praised on Stella, calling him the 'best team principal on the grid.' Unlike many others, who are more spokespeople than engineering figures, Stella is cut from a different cloth. His direct and engaging persona is a massive feather in McLaren's cap. And if practice is anything to go by, McLaren will take some stopping here in northern Italy. Instead, the question should not be which team can take pole but, rather, which driver? Norris has endured a torrid month or so – can he turn it around at what is one of his best tracks? Possibly so. But, increasingly, it's looking like an intra-team battle. Max Verstappen has the raw speed but not the machinery to match; George Russell is in a similar situation. Yet for Ferrari, more issues on Friday with both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc complaining about issues with their brakes. Another issue in the in-tray of Vasseur, who will be unable to cover up his team's failings with humour for much longer.
Associated Press
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Tony Kanaan gets back on track at Indianapolis, perhaps for the final time in storied career
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — It took Tony Kanaan a dozen tries to win the Indianapolis 500, and, much later, four years to accept it was time to retire and find something else to do outside a racecar. His 2023 start in the Indy 500 was supposed to be the last of his career and perhaps will ultimately go down as his final appearance in 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.' But that final 500 led to a full-time job with Arrow McLaren Racing, where in under two years Kanaan has been promoted to team principal and the man in charge of making the decisions while McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown focuses on Formula 1. And, in a worst case weather scenario May 25, Kanaan might just find himself back in the field of 33 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After two days of rain delays, Kanaan on Thursday completed the veteran refresher course required for him to be the emergency replacement driver for Kyle Larson should Larson have to leave Indianapolis early to make it back to North Carolina for the the Coca-Cola 600. A long rain delay in Indy last year ruined Larson's attempt to complete motorsports 1,100-mile 'Double' and he never turned a lap in Charlotte. NASCAR made clear to Larson and Hendrick Motorsports that the Coca-Cola 600 must be his priority or it will cost him dearly in the Cup Series championship race. Although Kanaan said the refresher course rekindled his passion for Indianapolis, he would prefer not to replace Larson and race again at age 50. He'd have to start last if Larson leaves Indianapolis before the race begins. 'My retirement, I think my biggest fear was how much I was going to miss this,' Kanaan said. 'But not sure I want to start 33rd and try to pass everybody and suffer for 2 1/2 hours. I did go out on my own terms and I don't have the need to go back and run this race again.' Kanaan will be on Larson's timing stand during the race and cannot replace him in the car once the race begins. His acceptance of being a retired racer comes from the massive responsibility he's been given by Brown. With Brown based in England, Kanaan is the day-to-day boss at Arrow McLaren and thriving in the new role. 'The team loves him, I haven't had that since I started the IndyCar team. He leads by example. He's a workaholic. He's motivated, and that rubs off on people,' Brown told The Associated Press. 'None of that surprises me. What did surprise me about TK is the dude can talk and listen at the same time. He takes a lot of advice, which is a bit unusual. He talks to our board members all the time — probably more than me — and he knows what he doesn't know and doesn't want to make mistakes, he's decisive, and he ain't scared. 'If I tell him to do something — and it's something unpleasant — Tony's like 'OK, I'll do it.' Then 10 minutes later he calls me and tells me its done.' Adjusting to a new role Kanaan doesn't look at his new job as the guy tasked with doing Brown's dirty work — and there was a lot of it last year as the IndyCar team had a slew of driver hiring and firings. He said he understands the difficult business side of motorsports and noted Michael Andretti fired him in 2010 despite an existing contract over a loss of sponsorship. It was then he truly understood the brutal nature of the sport and has carried it with him into his role as leader at Arrow McLaren. 'I think the way I want to run the team, Zak and I think the same. It's not that he doesn't want to do it, it's that I'm in charge and I should do it,' Kanaan said. 'If he's going to do everything for me, why am I here? When you're being honest, good or bad, it's going to be uncomfortable. 'I had to do a few things these with people that were my friends,' he continued. 'It's not about that. We run a company now. It's also my reputation and how I want this team to be perceived to be successful. If people are not able to separate the friendship to the professional, then too bad. I think it's just a choice that I made. I think I'm a fair person. I think I try to run the team as fair as I can. If you're lacking, I will tell you. Or if you're doing good, I'll tell you. I will never forget, Zak told me one day, 'You don't need a title. If 10 people walk in the room, they should be able to pick who the boss is.'' The drivers' view Arrow McLaren fields three full-time entries for Pato O'Ward, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel, and a fourth car at Indy for Larson. O'Ward has embraced the feedback he receives from his new boss because Kanaan 'still thinks he's a racing driver. 'I think it drives everybody forward. Obviously, always has a good spirit, lots of energy,' O'Ward said. 'I always like to hear the negative feedback more, I would say, than the positive because I feel like the positive, it's always very dependent on just results. But I feel like behind the results, there's a lot of things that happen, and you always learn more from the things that you're doing maybe not optimal. I always welcome it.' ___ AP auto racing:
News.com.au
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
‘Didn't even ask': Oscar Piastri ‘bullying' drama erupts as McLaren chief goes on the offensive
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown has sensationally claimed Oscar Piastri's former team Alpine bullied the Aussie phenom during the rival F1 team's contract stoush in 2022. Three years ago Piastri's contract saga sent shockwaves through the F1 in what was somewhat of a sliding-doors moment for the 24-year-old. And his exit was messy, to say the least. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™, LIVE in 4K with no ad-breaks during racing. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. In 2022, the retirement of legendary driver Sebastian Vettel caused a frenzy on the F1 grid, with Fernando Alonso penning a deal with Aston Martin. The day after Alonso's departure, Alpine revealed academy driver Piastri would replace him in the main team, joining France's Esteban Ocon the following season. However, Piastri rocked the F1 world by tweeting later that day: 'I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 has released a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.' Piastri agreed to join McLaren and that ignited a bitter contract battle between Alpine and McLaren in front of the FIA's Contract Recognition Board. Both teams argued they had signed the promising young driver, but in the end, the Contract Recognition Board ruled in McLaren's favour, and Alpine was ordered to pay the rival team's legal fees. While Piastri went from a team that appeared to be a sinking ship to one on the up. Fast forward three years from the messy contract split and McLaren and Piastri are who the entire grid is gunning for, but it hasn't stopped them from going on the offensive. McLaren chief executive Zak Brown this week tore into Alpine, accusing them of bullying Piastri and trying to strongarm him into staying after then-team principal Otmar Szafnauer dropped the ball. 'He (Szafnauer) got caught with his pants down. He claims that when he arrived Oscar was not tied down in the way he should have been and that it had nothing to do with him,' Brown said in an interview with Mail Sport this week. 'But when you come in you have to assess everything and fix it. Maybe he should have taken a look. 'Their press release saying Oscar would get the race seat in 2023 did not even contain a quote from him. They did not even ask him. They put the statement out as if it was a done deal. It was used to bully him into doing what they wanted. 'The CRB ordered them to pay our expenses, so that tells you what they made of the situation.' Piastri is currently leading the F1 drivers' standings in only his third season on the main grid, having won three consecutive races in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Miami. He'll look to continue his dominant streak when the grid heads to Monza for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday, May 18.
