McLaren CEO delivers tongue-in-cheek swipe at Christian Horner: 'Who?!'

12:30, 22 Jan

byTobia Elia

Zak Brown could not resist taking a swipe at former Red Bull CEO and team principal Christian Horner.

“Red Bull are an unbelievable team, but you could see where the stress was in the system and the performance started to dip”

- Zak Brown

The two have frequently provided plenty of fireworks off track over the years, particularly in front of the microphones, with Horner ultimately stepping aside and making way for Laurent Mekies, who has been promoted from Racing Bulls to take on the role of CEO and team principal at the Milton Keynes-based team.

Speaking at the Axios House, McLaren CEO was asked whether he would miss Horner — to which he replied with a tongue-in-cheek yet telling “Who?”.

Brown also had words of praise for Mekies, who in just a few months has breathed new life into the team, taking it to the brink of a title comeback with Max Verstappen — a championship ultimately lost by just two points in Abu Dhabi.

Andrea Stella and Zak Brown. Photo: Race Pictures.

“Laurent’s done a very good job. Culture in sport, in business, and in life is so important, and I think that’s been our biggest strength. I’m obsessed with our people, and I’m obsessed with our culture — that’s what I spend all my time on, all my time on.

“And when things aren’t going well, Red Bull are an unbelievable team, but you could see where the stress was in the system and the performance started to dip. Laurent’s come in, I think he’s a very good leader, and the performance popped right back up. So I think culture is what’s critical in any business.”

Brown insists best is yet to come as McLaren target strong 2026 start

McLaren are coming off a 2025 season to remember, having wrapped up back-to-back Constructors’ Championships with plenty to spare and also clinching the Drivers’ title with Lando Norris in a dramatic Abu Dhabi finale.

The Woking-based team now faces a major regulatory reset that is expected to reshuffle the competitive order, with McLaren and Red Bull having been the two outfits to master the ground-effect era better than anyone else.

However, in a letter addressed to the fans, Brown reiterated that “the best is yet to come.”

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