Zak Brown Makes McLaren F1 Vow As He Insists "S*** Happens"

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has insisted that mistakes made en route to its double-championship-winning Formula 1 season in 2025 will make the team stronger for the future.

The team based in Woking, England, secured a second consecutive constructors' title with room to spare last term, wrapping up the honor at the Singapore Grand Prix in September.

Yet, despite the battle for the drivers' title seemingly a two-horse race between Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri, repeated errors from both the team and the drivers allowed Red Bull's Max Verstappen to come within two points of a fifth championship.

Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, Qatar qualifying — Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Brown says "we take responsibility"

The Papaya squad allowed both drivers to fight throughout the season, a decision which came under fire as Red Bull driver Verstappen began to cut down the gap to the top.

In an open letter to McLaren fans, Brown conceded errors had been made but believes that they will stand the team in good stead for future battles.

"There were challenging moments along the way, and we definitely made some mistakes that played into the hands of our competitors - which are important to acknowledge - but these were dealt with swiftly and provided valuable lessons that made us better as a team," said the American.

"We are racers and have been in this sport long enough to understand that s*** happens, and it’s part of the game - what’s important is how we react in these situations to help drive us forward. When we make mistakes, we take responsibility. We address difficult situations directly, openly and constructively, ensuring we move forward stronger and more aligned."

As well as retirements through crashes for Norris in Canada and Piastri in Azerbaijan, McLaren made errors in the pits with a strategic blunder in Qatar and a double disqualification in Las Vegas which helped keep Verstappen in the hunt.

Eventual champion Norris was also hindered by a mechanical issue, which took him out of second in the Dutch Grand Prix.

Welcome to the LN1 era 🧡 pic.twitter.com/yvdFn8alXq
— McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team 🧡 (@McLarenF1) January 11, 2026

Yet the "many lessons learned last year" are part of what Brown described as "a part of our constant evolution as a team and will undoubtedly make us better prepared".

He added: "We’re a relatively young team, but we learn quickly, and we bounce back with vigour and purpose. Championships are won by how teams respond under pressure, and I am proud of how we handled those more challenging moments."

The new F1 season gets underway with a behind-closed-doors test in Spain at the end of January.

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