Zak Brown sets the record straight on Christian Horner rivalry

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has set the record straight on his rivalry with the Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

As seen in the most recent season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, Formula 1 fans have become accustomed to the intense relationship between the two team chiefs. The Netflix show is based on true events but is known to dramatise some situations. However, Brown has confirmed that the fraught relationship between the two of them is “genuine.”

During an interview with the Telegraph, Brown explained:

“Oh, it’s genuine,” he says. “There’s no love lost there. I don’t like how he rolls and no doubt he feels the same about me. But I think it’s good for the sport. You need different characters. You need these rivalries. Some are friendly, sporting rivalries. Some are a bit more vicious. It’s always been like that.”

The Woking outfit clinched the first race win of the 2025 season as Lando Norris took to the top step of the podium in Melbourne, Australia. The team had been looking like they were ready to celebrate a 1-2 finish. However, the wet weather led to a costly moment for home hero Oscar Piastri, which saw him temporarily stuck in the grass.

Speaking about the team’s “perfect” strategy at Albert Park, Brown commented to Sky Sports F1:

“It was an unbelievable drive. The team called a perfect strategy in very difficult conditions.

“I feel terrible for Oscar; he drove such a brilliant race. They both came up on that rain at the same time and Lando was able to collect it up, while it was a little bit more tricky for Oscar. He drove great to get back to P9, but an awesome team effort.

“We kept thinking the rain was going to come, but it might not come, when is it going to come, how bad is it going to be, how long is it going to be? We just had to react to the circumstances.

“The team did a great job. Everyone back at McLaren, all the men and women, they’ve built a proper race car.”

McLaren doesn’t have any time to revel in the celebrations as F1 heads straight to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend.