F1 EXPLAINS: What it’s like to be an F1 team boss – with McLaren’s Zak Brown live in the paddock

What does the CEO of a Formula 1 team do? What happens in the F1 boss group chat? Who decides who collects the Teams’ trophy on the podium?

McLaren’s Zak Brown answers all of these questions and more in this week’s F1 Explains podcast, which was recorded live on-stage at the Australian Grand Prix.

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Presenter Christian Hewgill invites F1 Explains listeners Chloe, Samantha, Lauren and Katy to ask Brown their questions. McLaren fan Chloe, aged 12 from New Zealand, asks Brown what a normal day of work is for him.

“I like to spend as much time as possible with the people on the racing team,” says Brown, who led McLaren to the Teams’ Championship in 2024.

“My job is to really make sure I’ve got the best people in the business, they’re highly motivated, they have everything that they need, whether it’s resources or hiring more people or creating a better work environment.”

Brown adds that his role involves interviews with media, work with the drivers and the team’s sponsors, but says there is one thing he never does.

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“What I don’t do is touch the race car,” he makes clear. “That is not a skill that I have. I stay away from the technical team, in the sense of getting involved with the build of the race car. I’m just making sure everything is operating well. So, I’m a bit of the orchestra leader.”

Leadership teams vary up and down the F1 pit lane. Some teams, including Mercedes, have one person performing the role of CEO and Team Principal. McLaren do it differently, with the roles split between Brown and Andrea Stella.

“We want [Andrea] focused on the performance of the racing team, being not distracted by anything else,” Brown continues. “I take the business side of the racing team. He takes the on-track performance.”

Across the episode, Brown talks about the inner workings of the F1 boss group chat, whether he will celebrate success in 2025 with more tattoos, and how the team will handle drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as they fight for this season’s World Championship.

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The full episode of F1 Explains is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all other podcast apps, or you can listen using the player on this page.

F1 Explains is the official F1 podcast which answers your questions about the sport. You can send your questions to F1Explains@F1.com.

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