Zak Brown details latest McLaren "deal" after Daniel Ricciardo victory

McLaren

Brown details latest McLaren "deal" after Ricciardo victory

Brown is known for cutting deals with his drivers

Ewan Gale

Tuesday 14 September 2021 10:34

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has revealed the deal he made with team principal Andreas Seidl to be "one of the best I have ever cut".

The Woking-based team has risen from the abyss under Brown's tutelage, turning around fortunes from the disastrous Honda partnership in the middle of the last decade to winning its first race in 170 grands prix at Monza, courtesy of Daniel Ricciardo.

Brown has a history of making deals with drivers, including offering NASCAR fan Ricciardo a drive in a Dale Earnhardt car owned by the American, as well as promising an F1 test for Arrow McLaren SP IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward.

Article continues under video

After the team secured its one-two finish in the Italian Grand Prix, Brown explained his deal with Seidl.

"Extremely proud," Brown told Sky Sports F1 with regard to the victory. "It is all the men and women at McLaren, it's Andreas, his leadership team, my leadership team, our leadership team.

"I am just happy I cut a deal with Andreas.

"I cut deals with the drivers and Andreas, and I actually cut a deal which was he [Seidl] does all the work and gets the win, I get to lift the trophy.

"One of the best deals I have ever cut! I am always up for a deal."