McLaren seeking 'fun ways' to engage with fans during pause

©McLaren

Zak Brown says McLaren is starting to wrap its head around motorsport's forced hiatus and seeking "fun and creative" ways to reach out to its fans.

On Monday, an eighth F1 race - the Azerbaijan Grand Prix - fell to the wayside, hopefully temporarily, due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

F1 boss Chase Carey said yesterday that he was hopeful the world championship could resume "at some point over the summer", and Brown echoed that prospect.

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"I want to let you know that McLaren, along with all the teams, Formula 1 the FIA are working very closely together to do everything we can that when the world becomes a safer place to go racing, that we’ll go racing and hopefully have as much of our racing schedule preserved," Brown said, speaking in a shot video posted while in self-isolation at his home.

"There are plans in place to start up in summertime if the world allows us to and still get in quite a bit of the racing season. So hopefully that will happen. I know we all of all miss our racing."

Brown expressed his disappointment over the cancellation of the start of the season, but insisted the "health of our team and the fans and everyone in the sport is much more important than another race that we can do in another time."

In the interim, the American, speaking directly to McLaren's fanbase, said the team would reach out to its community and try "new things" to keep it entertained.

"In situations like this once you kind of get your head around it and you protect your team and protect your business, we can start looking at some fun and creative ways to maybe engage with you our fans," he added..

"Esports certainly seems to be very popular at the moment, and I think will only grow in excitement and in stature. And doing things on social media.

"So we certainly plan on continuing to communicate with you and us all sharing this great sport that we love so much."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.