McLaren's Zak Brown: a lot to learn and no quick fix

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He hasn't settled in to his plush and spacious office at the McLaren Technology Center yet, but newly appointed Executive Director Zak Brown is as excited as a kid in a candy store with his new job.

Brown has been labeled as Ron Dennis' successor at McLaren by the media but that may be putting the cart before the horse as the company said it was still seeking a proper CEO for the entire group.

The American marketing guru will be a pivotal man at the top of McLaren however, and believes he is joining the legendary Formula 1 outfit at just the right time.

"I haven't been this happy in a while," Brown said in a joint interview to Autosport.com and Motorsport.com, two media outlets owned by a company chaired by the American by the way.

"I feel like a little kid. It feels like Christmas has come early, it's an absolutely awesome feeling. It's been great walking around the building and looking at it through a different lens.

"It's a great time to be joining McLaren. They're clearly on an upwards trajectory. I'm excited by my role in the areas of contribution that I have been asked to make. I have a great relationship with all the shareholders.

"Then beyond F1 I'm very happy with what McLaren are doing in the automotive space. Even though that's not my remit and responsibility, the two go hand-in-hand from a brand standpoint."

The 45-year-old admitted he would be on a learning curve at the outset but expressed a clear view of McLaren's prospects while insisting there were no quick fixes.

"There's a lot for me to learn but like in any business you've got to show forward progress as fast as possible.

"There has been good forward progress in the past 24 months. But I don't know enough yet to start predicting grid positions. I've got to get back to winning sooner rather than later.

"I think it's important that I get settled in and learn more and not think I know best while working off limited information.

"But clearly we need a title partner, so we need to become a more attractive proposition to commercial partners, and we need to go forwards because there's clearly a reason we're not winning as much as we should. That needs to be addressed but I haven't identified where those pockets are."

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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.