McLaren hopes to win a title before the end of the decade
Having taken over as head of McLaren's commercial vision just a month and a half ago, Zak Brown intends to make an immediate impact on the team's finances. But he's giving himself more time to get back on the road to world championships.
McLaren is experiencing a period of significant changes, from the switch to the Honda engine two years ago to the departure of Ron Dennis, caused by a disagreement with the other shareholders.
They have decided to entrust the commercial management of the team to a specialist in the field, Zak Brown. The founder of the JMI group hopes that his arrival will quickly lead to the acquisition of new sponsors, as he revealed to the Financial Times: “I would be clearly shocked if I do not make a commercial contribution in 2017.”
The question is at what price this contribution will take place. Indeed, Ron Dennis had previously imposed significant entry fees to select only a few sponsors with substantial contributions. However, in recent years, with the lack of victories becoming evident, companies find it difficult to continue paying the amounts demanded for a team that hasn’t won a title since Lewis Hamilton in 2008. The latest example is ExxonMobil, which has chosen to move to the competition, with Red Bull.
He states, however, that his mission is not to make the bride more attractive before a potential sale, despite rumors circulating about a takeover by Apple, then by a conglomerate of Chinese investors. He believes that the team’s capital future is not his concern: « It’s up to the shareholders to decide. I wouldn’t be surprised to still be in a McLaren uniform at a Grand Prix in 10 years. »
If he sees himself staying in Woking for the long term, he knows that such a prestigious team cannot afford to go too long without a victory. While the team’s last victory dates back to 2012, he acknowledges that patience is still required to compete for the title. The goal is therefore to win at least one title “by the end of the decade.”
But there is also a noticeable change in tone from a team leader who still benefits from the famous “historical” share of FOM payments. Despite this bonus of 28 million euros for a total of 73 million for the 2015 season, McLaren received nearly 100 million euros less than the best-funded team on the grid, Ferrari.
He therefore joins the many voices in the paddock calling for a change in the economic model for a sport that generates nearly a billion euros in profit but fails to allow 11 teams to live comfortably: « What you notice in Formula 1 is that the top of the grid is doing very well, and when you look further down the grid, you have teams with big financial problems. »
But the teams are not the only ones suffering as Germany will once again be deprived of a Grand Prix because the Nürburgring is unable to meet Bernie Ecclestone’s demands: « You have circuits that can no longer afford to host races, even if they are very healthy events. You have fans who can no longer afford to go to the races because of what the circuits need. I think we need to rebalance the ecosystem to ensure that F1 works for all stakeholders. »
It’s this kind of statements and long-term vision that explain why Zak Brown has been considered for at least five years as a potential candidate to succeed Bernie Ecclestone…
With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr
