In 2009, a major player in the exhilarating realm of Formula 1 left the tracks, leaving fans and experts yearning for its emblematic return. The mammoth $247 billion entity’s exit was felt acutely, their absence an echoing void in every circuit’s roar. Fast forward 14 years, and the F1 circuits are humming with anticipation. There’s an undercurrent, a hushed whisper of the revival of an old titan.

Enter the scene, Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, who’s known for his strategic maneuvers, on and off the track. Recently, McLaren announced the inclusion of Ryo Hirakawa, a Japanese ace with an enviable track record in both sports cars and single-seaters, as their reserve driver for 2024. This raised a few eyebrows and also some inquisitive questions, especially considering the timing of this announcement right before the Japanese Grand Prix.

Peter Windsor, ex-Ferrari boss, couldn’t help but chime in with his thoughts. He shared, “Ryo is certainly swift on tracks, but seeing him race a McLaren F1 might be wishful thinking. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is Zak Brown’s way, very intelligently, I think, to sort of, you know, get Toyota interested in Formula 1 again” He further hints at Zak’s strategic chess move, suggesting that this could be a move to reignite Toyota’s interest in F1. Windsor recalls, “There’s no doubt that Ryo has very strong ties with Toyota, and that’s the team he wins with, and the president of Toyota was at the Japanese Grand Prix because of this, and I think that’s interesting, isn’t it?”

Windsor, with a hint of nostalgia in his tone, expressed disappointment at how Toyota was treated in its F1 stint. “It was sad to see how the world’s biggest car company, which F1 was lucky to have, was not given its due respect. There was this uncalled-for resentment towards Toyota during its F1 era.” Zak’s gambit seems clear – lure in Toyota, not as a team but as an engine badger or financer for a new engine project. It might be a stretch for 2026, but the future seems promising. One can only hope that Zak’s charm works its magic on Toyota.

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While Brown seems to be subtly pushing for an 11th team, it is a question to ponder if it’ll be Toyota or Andretti!

Zak Brown’s Math 101: The case for an 11th F1 team

In the swirling debate of 2023 about the possibility of F1 welcoming an 11th team into its exclusive club, with Andretti’s name being tossed around quite a bit, Zak Brown has a rather intriguing pitch – and it’s all about the numbers.

While top dogs like Toto Wolff of Mercedes and Fred Vasseur of Ferrari haven’t been too keen on expanding the grid, Brown, in his typical style, popped up with a calculator and some quick math during a recent chat with Motorsport-Total. His proposal? Triple the anti-dilution fee for the new entry from $200 million to a whopping $700 million. Now, before you fall off your chair, hear him out.

“It’s simple,” Brown began, easing us into his logic, “Let’s say the 11th team pays a $700m franchise fee. That’s an instant $70m for me. Considering we’d face a yearly dilution of around $10m from an additional team, this upfront payment has us covered for seven solid years. Not to mention, the increased entry fee just bumped up the entire franchise value. So, if my team is valued at, let’s say, $2 billion today, with this move, it’s suddenly $2.7 billion.”

While Brown’s playful number-crunching gives us a fresh perspective, it remains to be seen whether other teams will warm up to his arithmetic. For now, you can put your calculators away – no pop quiz today!

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