Zak Brown CEO Appointment

Lore & Background

Zak Brown's appointment as CEO of McLaren Racing in November 2016 marked a pivotal shift for the team. He brought extensive commercial expertise from his background in motorsport marketing and founded the successful sponsorship agency Just Marketing International (JMI). Under his leadership, McLaren secured major new partnerships, restructured its commercial operations, and laid the groundwork for a return to competitiveness in Formula 1.

Reader's Guide

The race was originally scheduled for 5 December but was rescheduled to 12 December after the postponement of the Australian Grand Prix. The Yas Marina Circuit underwent a layout change to increase top speeds and overtaking opportunities. Pirelli provided the C3, C4, and C5 tyre compounds. The Grand Prix marked the final race for Kimi Räikkönen, who retired after a two-decade career. It was also the final race for Honda as a works power unit supplier until the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.

Did You Know?

• Zak Brown was the first American CEO of McLaren Racing.
• Brown's appointment followed the departure of Ron Dennis as McLaren Group chairman.
• He oversaw McLaren's return to victory in Formula 1 at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix with Daniel Ricciardo.
• Under Brown, McLaren also expanded into IndyCar, Extreme E, and Formula E.