'Very cautious' Brown 'shocked' by positive Covid test

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McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown says he was shocked by his positive Covid-19 test earlier this week given how cautious he has always been to keep himself protected.

Brown and two other members of McLaren are in isolation after contracting the coronavirus, just ahead of this week's British Grand Prix.

In a video interview with Formula 1, the 49-year-old American said that he was feeling only mild symptoms but admitted to being frustrated by the positive test given his double-vaccination status.

“I feel fine, I guess on a scale of one to 10 I’ve got a ‘one’ sniffle and a bit of a head cold, is what it feels like," Brown said.

“I’ll get tested again tomorrow. We’re able to measure ‘have I peaked, am I still peaking’, but right now if someone hadn’t have told me I had tested positive I would be at work and headed to Silverstone.

©McLaren

“I feel fine and frustrated because I’ve been double vaccinated and ultra-careful for a year-and-a-half, but it’s just one of these that hits home when it gets you and you have no idea where you got it from.

“I was shocked because I’ve probably done now 150-175 tests and I’ve a stash of the lateral flow tests, so I self-test every morning just to be on the safe side.

"I’m a very cautious individual, so I was shocked at the call.”

Brown obviously won't be on site to follow his troops but he'll remotely interact with team boss Andreas Seidl over the weekend and will have access to a large part of the team's data.

“I’ve got my triple top secret laptop that will plug into the pit wall and the TV on, so it’s almost like I would be there,” he added.

“I just won’t be able to say ‘hi’ to the fans and be with the team and our sponsor partners. But as far as being engaged in the race, for sure.

“I wasn’t planning on going to Hungary – nothing to do with Hungary – but if I had the luxury of picking one to miss, this wouldn’t have been it.”

Read also: McLaren boss Zak Brown tests positive for Covid-19!

While he is sad to miss out on this weekend's event, Brown admitted that being deprived of the opportunity to take to the track on Saturday for some demo laps onboard Mario Andretti's championship winning Lotus 79 was the real bummer.

“Truth be known, that’s probably what I’m most upset about,” he commented. “I had to wave that off.

“Mario drove it at Goodwood last week and I was going to take part in the demonstration this weekend, so a little bit of salt in the wound if you like.”

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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.