Zak Brown Tells All: F1 Secrets, Leadership, and the Cost of Winning

About this episode

Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, shares insights on leadership and the competitive world of Formula 1 racing.

Ever wonder what it takes to run one of the fastest and most elite teams on the planet? On this episode of Golf Underground , the crew welcomes Zak Brown , CEO of McLaren Racing and a true master of speed, sales, and strategy. From chasing Mickey Mantle as a kid to leading a 1,000-person Formula 1 operation, Zak breaks down the mental grind of racing, what separates winners from losers, how to build a culture that elite drivers want to be part of—and how AI, tire tricks, and track-day politics all factor into the future of F1. If you think golf is tough, wait until you hear what goes down on the pit wall. Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments Zak Brown shares how a childhood obsession with Mickey Mantle turned into a global racing empire. The crew cracks up as Zak tells how he dodged trouble and found racing through "the long way around." Zak reveals the behind-the-scenes pressure of leading McLaren’s 1,000-person Formula 1 operation. AI, tire data, and driver instincts collide in a conversation about how F1 teams win—or completely blow it. Zak and Wardo compare the egos of F1 drivers to pro athletes in other sports, and it gets spicy. George Brett wants to know if there’s…

People in this episode

Hosts: Wardo, George Brett

Guest: Zak Brown

Topics covered

• Formula 1
• Leadership
• Racing
• Sports Culture
• Technology in Sports

Keywords

• Mickey Mantle
• McLaren Racing
• AI in F1
• driver instincts
• F1 culture
• leadership pressure
• racing strategy

Mentioned in this episode

Products: F1, Formula 1, IndyCar, McLaren Racing

Books & works: Golf Underground, Drive to Survive, Golf Underground with Wardo, Sully, and

Places: US, Europe, California, Surrey, UK

More episodes of Golf Underground with Wardo, Sully and George Brett

• Caddie Secrets from Augusta: Masters Week with Drew Hinesley · April 8, 2026 · 1h 1m
• Inside Southern Hills with Cary Cozby: Tiger, Tradition, and Tour Pressure · March 10, 2026 · 54 min
• The Science, Spin, and Secrets Behind Modern Golf Balls with TaylorMade’s Mike Fox · February 2, 2026 · 1h 1m
• Inside the Rise of Golf Phenom John Daly Jr. · October 1, 2025 · 45 min
• Inside Tour Life, Club Secrets, and Growing Up Golf with Greg Cesario · September 18, 2025 · 57 min
• USA vs Europe: Inside the Ryder Cup Chaos · September 16, 2025 · 36 min