Brown to demo Lotus 79 during British GP weekend

©UnitedAutosports

Zak Brown will slot himself behind the wheel next weekend at Silverstone where the McLaren boss will take part in the British Grand Prix's Historic Cars 70th Anniversary demonstration run onboard a Lotus 79.

Brown is the proud owner of Mario Andretti's 1978 championship winning car whose radical ground-effects aerodynamics penned by the genial Colin Chapman transformed F1 at the time.

The recently restored Lotus 79 was rolled out at Goodwood last weekend, where Andretti treated fans to a few runs up the hill.

"There are so many cool things about the Lotus 79," said Brown. "One, it won the championship; two, it won the championship in the hands of Mario Andretti.

"I don’t think there was a more iconic livery than the JPS Lotus. And then there’s Colin Chapman, who with this and the preceding Lotus 78 became the first to properly harness ground effects in F1. It’s one of the most famous cars in grand prix racing."

The iconic machine is but one legendary car that is part of Brown's impressive collection which also includes - among other jewels - a 1991 ex-Senna McLaren MP/6, a 1970 McLaren M8D Can-Am charger, an ex-works Porsche 962, an ex-Alan Jones Williams FW07, Mika Häkkinen's McLaren MP4-16 and Nigel Mansell's 1987 Williams FW11B.

A former racer in his own right, Brown competed in the 1994 British Formula 3 championship, but eventually traded his overalls for a business suit to wheel and deal in motorsport's commercial arena.

He eventually sold his phenomenally successful marketing company and accepted Ron Dennis' offer to join McLaren in 2016. And he's never looked back since…

"It’s going to be an amazing event at the British Grand Prix this year," said Brown.

"To be involved in the Historic Cars 70^thAnniversary demonstration is a real honour and to have a full circuit of fans is going to make it a mega weekend. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of my Lotus 79 around the amazing Silverstone circuit."

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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.