Zak Brown never misses a jab on Red Bull. Even when the CEO doesn’t take his most stern stance, his sarcastic comments are still enough. Especially in this season, Brown has been Christian Horner and Co.’s toughest critic. More importantly, Red Bull’s internal unrest and on-track fiasco are the fodder for Zak Brown’s relentless thoughts on the team.

Meanwhile, McLaren’s symbiosis amidst moments of confusion on the track is working out for them. But Red Bull at the moment stands on shaky ground. Key team members are leaving, the cars are slow, and Max Verstappen is dominating the races. The situation isn’t very favorable. And amidst all the trouble, Zak Brown’s opprobrium is like salt in the wounds.

Recently, Brown spoke to Sky Sports, and while talking about Sergio Perez, the McLaren boss took a subtle dig at Christian Horner’s condition. Zak Brown said: “They’ve kind of found themselves in a situation,” adding, “They’ve got two teams and young driver programs and they kind of found themselves in the situation where they’ve got one leading the championship and another I think that’s 7th in the Championship.” Brown implied that Red Bull is in a situation where they’ve Max Verstappen leading the championship but Checo Perez is seventh in the same. Was the reminder required? Maybe not, but for Brown, it was necessary!

Brown ended the conversation with a passive blow on the Austrian team, concluding, “Don’t know all that’s going on there but yeah that’s for them to sort out. I’m happy I don’t have driver challenges.” Zak Brown’s closing statement would surely be Christian Horner‘s eyesore. After all, no matter how much he tries to hide the inner conflicts of the team – Red Bull is in a messy spot.

Zak Brown shares a good relationship with his team members

When Zak Brown became the CEO of McLaren, the team was on the verge of falling apart. From 2018 to this day the changes are visible. The journey from a midfield team to a top contender wasn’t easy. But Brown’s determination to change the story of McLaren is producing good results. The most striking trait of the American CEO’s personality is his leadership.

Under pressure, some leaders struggle by lashing out, micromanaging, shifting blame, or making excuses to protect their egos. But Brown is quite the opposite. He owns all their faults and hardly ever blames his driver. More importantly, he is quick at dissolving even the most trivial disputes if they ever show up. And maybe because of these traits of his own, Zak Brown, to some extent, wishes almost all teams on the grid to set an example before the audience.

Moreover, Zak Brown’s nature of being vocal about things that he finds ‘ethically’ incorrect sets him apart. And we know, he won’t keep calm until he’s hit Red Bull and Christian Horner with one of his sarcastic comments. At the same time, his leadership within McLaren and beyond is something worth learning from.

What do you think of Zak Brown’s recent jab at Christian Horner? Share your thoughts in the comments.