McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown has confirmed that he’ll be swapping his papaya pride for a scandalous fling in a rival’s embrace at this summer’s British Grand Prix – and he couldn’t be more thrilled about it.
It’s not every day an F1 team boss hops into a rival’s car, but Brown’s grin suggests he’s ready to tear up Silverstone’s hallowed tarmac next July with a delightful detour down memory lane.
His vehicle of choice? A 1987 Williams FW11B plucked from his impressive personal collection and steered to glory on multiple occasions by his good friend Nigel Mansell.
During an ESPN F1 tour of his hall of fame racing shrine, Brown shared his plans with boyish excitement.
“I'll take this out at the British Grand Prix this year, which I think the fans are gonna absolutely love,” Brown said, standing next to the very car that triumphed with Mansell at the 1987 British Grand Prix.
“So, I'm gonna drive this next week in Spain as I've never driven it.
“We've just had it fully restored here, it's been shaken down, it's ready to go,” Brown said, as if that somehow justified the infidelity.
“And I think the fans are going to love this around the British Grand Prix but might be a bit confused why the McLaren guy's in a Williams,” he admitted with a bit of a chuckle.
Indeed, somewhere a “confused” McLaren MP4/4 will be silently weeping in a corner.
Brown’s affection for the FW11B runs deep, tied to his love for racing history.
“So you'll see a bit of a theme. I'm a huge Formula 1 and IndyCar fan. So, of course, Emerson Fittipaldi - Formula 1 and IndyCar Champion. Mario [Andretti] - Formula 1 and IndyCar Champion. And, of course, as was Nigel Mansell,” he explained, connecting the dots between his heroes.
“This is the car... 1987, he won a lot of races. He said this was his favourite car to drive.”
The superb Honda-powered turbo machine’s storied past only adds to the hype.
“This was, if you remember the very famous British Grand Prix where he was leading, had a tyre puncture, and then he went out and he broke the track record,” Brown explained, brimming with awe.
“I think it was 17 laps in a row and did that famous move at the end of the straight on Nelson Piquet to win the British Grand Prix. So, that's this one. That was this exact chassis.
That epic 1987 duel is the stuff of F1 legend, and Zak’s ready to channel it.
How did he snag this gem? A savvy deal, naturally.
“I got this when I did a sponsorship deal for Williams. [They said] 'What can we ever do for you,' I was like 'you can sell me a car!'” Brown recalled.
“‘Can't give me a car because that wouldn't be right. But right, you're going to sell me one.’ And they were like, 'which one do you want?' and I'm like 'that one’.”
Just like that, he bagged Mansell’s chariot, a crown jewel in his collection.
In the end, perhaps the most shocking part about Brown’s upcoming demo isn’t the act itself, but how unapologetic he is about it. In an era of brand loyalty and PR-managed personas, Zak is happily embracing the chaos, choosing nostalgia and speed over monogamy.
At Silverstone, all eyes will be on his disloyal display, and the fans will love it!
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