Zak Brown Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Farewell Honda, and hello Chevrolet as Fernando Alonso’s second Indianapolis 500 start will be powered by 2.2 liter twin turbocharged Bowtide Brand for his McLaren Racing entry. “It will be a privilege to wear the Bowtie Brand at the 2019 Indy 500,” Alonso about the announcement. “Having Chevrolet power behind me means we’re putting ourselves in the best possible position to compete at the front.” Last week, Alonso got a glimpse of running a Chevy-powered car when he tested seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson’s Camaro ZL1Read More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief McLaren Racing revealed that Bob Fernley has been appointed as president of McLaren IndyCar. The former deputy team principal of Force India, Fernley will lead the Indy 500 program, which returns two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso, and will report directly to Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing. Fernley will be responsible for putting together and leading a technical team, which will stay entirely exclusive to the IndyCar operation. He will also help evaluate McLaren Racing’s potential full-time involvement in the future. “Heading back to theRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Fernando Alonso and McLaren Racing confirmed plans to compete in the 2019 edition of the Indianapolis 500. With wins in both the Monaco Grand Prix and 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Spaniard needs only a victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” to achieve the Triple Crown, which has only ever been achieved by the legendary Graham Hill. Next May will mark Alonso’s second attempt at the Brickyard, having previously ran there in 2017 in a collaborated effort with McLaren, Honda and Andretti Autosport. TheRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief AUSTIN, Texas – Fernando Alonso will not be participating in the full Verizon IndyCar Series schedule in 2019. However, he is still pursuing a return to the series’ iconic crown jewel race, the Indianapolis 500. The 37-year-old Spaniard shared the confirmation following Formula One qualifying for the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. “In the summertime I was thinking about it, but it was always linked with the team and McLaren. We talked a lot at the beginning of the year what wereRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief AUSTIN, Texas – McLaren Racing will not be fielding a full-time entry in the Verizon IndyCar Series for the 2019 season, but remains keen on the potential of a return in the Indianapolis 500. The confirmation came from McLaren CEO Zak Brown during Friday’s FIA press conference for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas. “We’ve taken the decision to not compete on a full-time basis in 2019,” Brown said. “We’re simply not ready yet and very focused on Formula 1. So weRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief McLaren have announced that Coca-Cola has signed on as a partner for the remainder of the 2018 Formula One campaign. The iconic beverage company has a history in the sport, most notably with Lotus in 2012 with its Burn energy drink. “Coca-Cola has a rich history of sponsorship and a record of innovative activations and we are honored the company has chosen to partner with McLaren to explore opportunities in Formula 1,” said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing. “Formula 1 as a sport is changing,Read More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief McLaren has confirmed that Lando Norris will join the team for the 2019 Formula 1 season. The 18-year-old Brit moves up from his reserve role with the Woking-based squad to replace the departing Stoffel Vandoorne. With the addition of Carlos Sainz, Jr. previously announced, this move completes an all-new driver lineup for the team for next year. Currently second in the FIA Formula 2 championship, Norris is undoubtedly eager for the next step in his young career. “To be announced as a race driver for McLarenRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief McLaren announced that Stoffel Vandoorne will leave following the 2018 Formula 1 season. The 26-year-old Belgian has endured a rough year that has seen him collect just eight points through 13 races, while teammate Fernando Alonso has amassed 44 points over the same span. A veteran of 34 F1 starts to date, Vandoorne first joined the Woking-based squad in 2013 as part of their Young Driver Program and went on to quickly become their test pilot the following year. After winning the 2015 GP2 Series (nowRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor After the shocking news that Daniel Ricciardo was bound for Renault in 2019, Carlos Sainz has been in desperate need of a seat for next season. For months there has been talk linking him to McLaren to replace Stoffel Vandoorne, but with Fernando Alonso’s huge announcement that he is leaving Formula 1 at the end of the season, it gave the Woking-based team the chance to snag Sainz quickly and they wasted little time in doing so. Sainz replaces his childhood hero and fellow countryman inRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief After much anticipation on the future of Fernando Alonso, it has been confirmed that he will step away from racing in Formula 1 at the end of the season. The 37-year-old Spaniard owns 32 Grand Prix victories (sixth all-time) and two F1 championships. “After 17 wonderful years in this amazing sport, it’s time for me to make a change and move on,” Alonso said. “I have enjoyed every single minute of those incredible seasons and I cannot thank enough the people who have contributed to makeRead More