Brown: F1 will always be McLaren’s ‘centre of the universe’

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has made clear that Formula 1 will always remain the beating heart of the team’s operations, even as the iconic papaya-colored outfit expands its presence across global motorsport disciplines.

With McLaren enjoying a stellar 2025 season in Formula 1 while enjoying success in IndyCar, and preparing for a 2027 entry into the World Endurance Championship, Brown’s vision is clear: diversify without diluting the team’s F1 DNA.

The Woking-based outfit has surged to a commanding lead in F1’s 2025 Constructors’ standings, holding a 299-point advantage over Ferrari as the start of the sport’s summer break, while Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris dominate the Drivers’ championship.

Despite McLaren’s ventures into IndyCar, Formula E, and the upcoming WEC program, Brown underscored F1’s unrivaled importance.

“We’re a Formula 1 team, we’re an IndyCar team, currently a Formula E team, and now going to become a World Endurance Championship team, which is Le Mans,” Brown said, speaking on How Leaders Lead With David Novak,

“Obviously, the centre of our universe is Formula 1 and always will be. However, North America is one of, if not the most important market for most companies – huge fan base, great economy.

“And until Formula 1 took off in North America, we wanted to have a competitive difference to our other Formula 1 rivals with our fan base and with our corporate partners, and have a bigger presence in North America.

Even though Formula 1 is taking off in North America, we still want to be bigger in North America than our competition. That’s kind of the rationale behind why we’re in IndyCar racing.”

Expanding to Endurance Racing

McLaren’s next major step – announced last April – will be into the World Endurance Championship in 2027 in its top Hypercar category, more than three decades after the manufacturer’s legendary win at Le Mans in 1995.

“The World Endurance Championship, which is the 24 Hours of Le Mans, we’ve just announced entry into – we’re going to go into it in 2027,” Brown explained.

“That’s where all the automotive sports car manufacturers play. You see our competitors: the Ferraris, the Lamborghinis, the Aston Martins, the Porsches, and it’s a natural racing series for us to really collaborate closely with our automotive business.

“So that’s why we’re in the World Endurance Championship.”

Chasing the Triple Crown Again

At the heart of Brown’s vision is the pursuit of motorsport’s coveted Triple Crown – victories in the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indy 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Brown sees the manufacturer’s current multiseries presence as a unique opportunity to chase this accolade again.

• Read also: McLaren will let Piastri and Norris shape F1 title celebrations

“You put those three together, you have what’s called the Triple Crown, which we’re the only team to have ever won - the Indy 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Monaco Grand Prix,” he said.

“But we did it in different eras, so kind of in different eras of our brand. We now are the only team in the world racing in those three huge – really the three biggest – racing series.

“And so that offers us diversity of opportunity with fans, geographies, technologies, and for our corporate partners.”

With its sights set on conquering multiple championships, Brown’s message is clear: McLaren’s motorsport empire may be growing, but Formula 1 will always be the beating heart of Team Papaya.

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