Zak Brown

From Wired, this is The Big Interview, where we'll get to know the people beyond the headlines in conversations that explore the intersection of technology, power, and culture.

I'm Katie Drummond, Wired's Global Editorial Director.

Formula One auto racing, or F1, is already very popular overseas.

And in the past few years, it's broken into the U.S.

in a big way.

Much of that success can be attributed to the sport's representation in movies and on streaming platforms.

Netflix has a series, Formula One Drive to Survive, that's now in its eighth season.

And you may remember that among the Oscar contenders for Best Picture this year was the blockbuster named, fittingly, F1, starring none other than Brad Pitt as a race car driver.

But in the world of auto racing, one team in particular has made a huge comeback.

McLaren Racing, one of the sport's oldest teams, won three world championships between 2024 and 2025.

Each marked the first time the team has clinched those titles in decades.

And at the helm of the storied racing franchise is CEO Zach Brown, who's credited with much of the team's recent success.

He joins me now to talk about all this and more.

Welcome, Zach.

Thank you for having me on.

We're thrilled to have you.

I'm so excited to talk.

And I need to start with a confession.

I need to start by leveling with you here.

Wired covers sports a little bit.