Former world champion Damon Hill has praised Zak Brown for his role in McLaren’s resurgence. In no time at all, the team managed to win races and become a dominant force within Formula 1. Ahead of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, the ‘papayas’ have already built a comfortable lead in the constructors’ championship. Thanks in part to Zak Brown, the team is said to be ‘almost unbeatable’.
Under the leadership of Zak Brown, McLaren recovered from the lows of the 2010s with engine supplier Honda. Slowly but surely, the British racing team reclaimed a spot at the forefront and in 2024, a breakthrough suddenly occurred. After a lackluster start to the season, Lando Norris won the Miami Grand Prix and the team was on course for a title fight. In the drivers’ championship, Norris and Oscar Piastri ultimately had to concede to Max Verstappen, but in the constructors’ championship, the first trophy in more than twenty years was a reality.
Returning to the Glory Days
This form seems to have continued this season – McLaren enjoys a lead of no less than 105 points in the team standings, and Oscar Piastri is leading a one-two punch among the drivers. Team boss Andrea Stella played a significant role in this revolution, but according to Damon Hill, Zak Brown laid the foundation for the current success much earlier. “I saw Zak (Brown) completely ecstatic in the McLaren hospitality unit after the Miami GP,” Hill told the BBC.
“He is thrilled with the team,” continued the British former champion. “They have done fantastic work. He has put those people in their place. He has breathed new life into this team. In the last three races, they have achieved a perfect result one hundred percent of the time. That’s a statistic that harks back to the glory days of Mika Häkkinen.” Piastri’s victory in Miami was his third consecutive win – the first McLaren hat-trick since the Finnish champion’s in 1998. “Of course Zak Brown is happy,” Hill concluded. “McLaren is reclaiming the reputation they once had; a team that is almost unbeatable in every respect.”
