McLaren Boss Zak Brown Alleges Pattern of Intimidation by Former Rival Christian horner
SILVERSTONE, UK – McLaren CEO Zak Brown has publicly accused former rival Christian Horner of engaging in tactics beyond acceptable political maneuvering within Formula 1, alleging a pattern of intimidation that he believes has now subsided following Horner’s recent departure from Red bull Racing. The claims, made in a recent interview with The Telegraph, detail a deterioration in a three-decade relationship that began in Formula 3.
Brown, while acknowledging Horner’s notable track record, stated, “I’ve known Christian for over thirty years. We got along well. His results are remarkable. So, hats off. But he’s changed. I think the fame linked to Drive to Survive, the money, the fame, it all became a little too much.”
The McLaren boss specifically cited a complaint filed by Horner at the end of the 2024 season, alleging McLaren intentionally injected water into their tires, as an example of unacceptable behavior. “He made allegations against our team. I can’t imagine he believed it. It was just meant to upset us. Regardless of the legality, everyone in sports knows you wouldn’t do that on technical grounds,” Brown said.He further clarified that such actions fall outside the bounds of typical F1 competition,stating,”There’s always going to be some politics,and we’re all trying to get flex fins banned,that kind of thing. But when you start getting into frivolous allegations, I think it’s gone too far.”
The FIA examination swiftly dismissed Horner’s allegations against McLaren,finding no evidence of wrongdoing. Brown characterized the incident as a form of “psychological warfare.”
Despite a history of competitive rivalry, Brown admitted earlier this year that the public exchanges between the two had “been too far.” He now believes the situation was not reciprocal, and that Horner crossed a line.
However, Brown expressed optimism about the current state of the F1 paddock. “If I look at the whole paddock today, I see that we’re all fighting hard politically, but there’s a line that’s not being crossed. I think that line had been crossed before,and it was unhealthy. So I think we’re going to see a little change in the right direction.”
