McLaren Racing CEO Zach Brown says the only potential surprise about Christian Horner leaving Red Bull was in the middle of the current season.
Horner was removed from his position as Red Bull CEO and Team Principal just two days after the British Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen taking third place in the drivers championship, with the team winning twice this year. With multiple senior departures over the past 18 months and two surveys of Horner earlier last year, Brown says it’s not surprising that the change has happened, even if he wasn’t expecting it this month.
“The timing (thoughtfully surprising) isn’t the result,” Brown told TSN. “I think there’s been a lot of drama out there over the last few years, but it doesn’t seem to be calm. I’m not surprised because it was probably getting worse.
“Anytime in the middle of the season (which could be surprising), we’re heading for the championship, and they’re still knocking on the door, so we have to pay attention to it.
“I think I was given the age (Horner’s) age and his history in motor racing, and I would be surprised if he didn’t show up somewhere in motor racing, but I don’t know if he wants to run a soccer team, if you have, or if he has any other interests.
One recent aspect of the Red Bull situation that Brown mentions is the speculation surrounding Verstappen’s future, with the four-time world champion linked to the transition to Mercedes. Brown says it’s a situation he’s following, but he has no vested interests.
“Yeah, but I couldn’t be satisfied with Oscar (Piastry) and Rand (Norris). It’s not an interesting audience. I’m very pleased with the driver lineup.
Brown gave a speech at the Honda Indi Toron Race on Sunday. There, Patooward beats McLaren, but he sees a long way to go when it comes to his team’s goals.
“We feel like we’re on the road. We feel like we’re achieving our goals, but our ultimate goal is to win the Indy 500, win the IndyCar Championship, win the Formula 1 Constructor Championship, win the Formula 1 Driver Championship, win the Le Mans, win the World Endurance Championship, and start over again!
“So, so far, we’ve only been able to do one of them. This is a constructors championship. Seriously, we feel we’re on track, but a lot of unfinished business.”