Zak Brown overcomes needle phobia with Daniel Ricciardo-inspired tattoo after Toto Wolff challenge

Zak Brown

Brown overcomes needle phobia with Ricciardo-inspired tattoo after Wolff challenge

McLaren CEO tackles his greatest fear

From Ian Parkes in Austin

Saturday 23 October 2021 22:20

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has overcome his lifelong hatred of needles by getting a tattoo after being challenged by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.

Brown put himself through the pain barrier to help out the Grand Prix Trust that looks after those who have worked in F1 but who may now be struggling financially.

As part of the Industry Leaders' Challenge, Wolff chose Brown to put himself through something he is scared of, and with the decision in the hands of the person chosen, Brown opted for a tattoo despite being trypanophobic.

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Brown recently visited a tattoo parlour ahead of this weekend's United States Grand Prix, and although the design has yet to be officially unveiled, the inspiration has been taken from Daniel Ricciardo's Italian GP triumph.

"Sometimes you have to face your greatest fears, which I've done," said Brown.

"It actually came about through the Grand Prix Trust with Sky, where a team boss gets nominated each year to do something that terrifies them.

"Toto nominated me last year. Needles sufficiently terrify me. So in trying to think through what would be kind of fun and genuine - ie. properly terrifying - I came up with the idea of getting a tattoo.

"Then obviously, given that Daniel is a fan of tattoos, and with him winning recently, I thought maybe we can tie the two together and have him come to visit and hold my hand - and it hurt!"

After coming through on Wolff's challenge, it is now up to Brown to throw down the gauntlet to the next recipient, and while that candidate has been chosen, the nature of the bet means they cannot yet be revealed.

"I know who it is, I've done it," added Brown. "It's to nominate someone significant, a personality in the sport.

"So far it's been three team bosses in a row, but it's not limited to just that. It could be engineers, it could be drivers, it could be other people with significant personalities, if you like, within the sport.

"It's up to the individual to come up with their own plan, and I think it will be rolled out shortly who I've nominated. I'm not allowed to say. It's embargoed."