McLaren team boss in bet COP-OUT after failing to deliver Oscar Piastri promise

Zak Brown, McLaren, Abu Dhabi, 2023, generic — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 team boss in bet COP-OUT after failing to deliver driver promise

A Formula 1 boss has not lived up to their driver's demands

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Monday 29 July 2024 13:57 Updated: 19:17

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McLaren CEO Zak Brown has wriggled out of a bet after making a promise to one of his star drivers.

Brown is known for celebrating his team's race wins in a unique way, starting with Daniel Ricciardo’s 2021 Italian Grand Prix victory.

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Ricciardo’s victory was the first for McLaren since Jenson Button in 2021, and the Aussie was determined to initiate a special celebration for Brown.

The American commemorated the Monza win with a tattoo, depicting the circuit and the date of the win mentioned above it.

Zak Brown also got a tattoo to celebrate Lando Norris' Miami win

How did Zak Brown celebrate Oscar Piastri’s win?

Brown also celebrated Lando Norris’ maiden F1 win at the Miami Grand Prix by getting a second tattoo, this time of the Miami layout.

"Yep, I did it again," Brown wrote on Instagram. "Another tattoo, this time for our win in Miami, and Lando's first in F1.

"I have to say, it was just as painful as the first time.

"Thankfully, Lando was there to give me all the encouragement I needed ... Not.”

Oscar Piastri finally earned his first grand prix victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, which left fans wondering whether Brown would get a third tattoo.

Oscar Piastri claimed his maiden grand prix win in Budapest

Zak Brown flaunted his 'mohawk' at the Belgian Grand Prix

The Australian took the bet one step further asking his boss to change his hairstyle into a mohawk.

Brown appeared to live up to the bet in the McLaren garage at the Belgian GP, however it was not what Piastri originally meant.

The 52-year-old copped out of the bet by wearing a bald cap with an orange mohawk on it, failing to deliver on his promise to his winning driver.

Piastri nearly made it a second consecutive win at Spa, beating his team-mate at the start to get ahead, and was closing in on both Mercedes towards the end of the race.

The 23-year-old has since been promoted to P2 after it was announced George Russell had been disqualified from the Belgian GP.

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

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McLaren Daniel Ricciardo Zak Brown Italian Grand Prix Monza Jenson Button