McLaren CEO Zak Brown has admitted that his rivalry with Christian Horner got out of hand at times and is hoping that relations with Red Bull will improve under their new boss Laurent Mekies.
The sport is still in shock after Horner was ‘released from operational duties’ three days after the British Grand Prix last month, ending the Englishman’s 20-year tenure at the helm of Red Bull.
Horner and Brown, who raced against each other in Formula Three, had a long-standing antipathy and frequently aimed barbs at each other.
Racing Bulls team boss Mekies was confirmed as Horner’s replacement when it was announced in July that Horner had been relieved of his duties.
‘I’m happy he’s in the role he’s in,’ Brown told The Race. ‘I like Laurent, and I think that’ll be healthy, and maybe we can get back to focusing on competition on the track.
‘While there’s always going to be some political aspects to the sport, I think it’s going to be healthier with Laurent.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has admitted that his rivalry with Christian Horner went too far
Horner (L) and Brown had a long-standing antipathy and frequently aimed barbs at each other
Racing Bulls team boss Mekies was confirmed as Horner’s replacement upon his sacking
‘I’m a fan of Laurent. I’ve known him for a long time, and I think it’ll be good to go racing against Laurent.’
Reflecting on the tense history between McLaren and Red Bull, Brown admitted the relationship had ‘gone too far’.
‘There’s always going to be politicking, and let’s try and shut down their flexi wings and that stuff,’ he said.
‘But when you start getting into frivolous allegations, I think that’s just going too far.
‘If I look up and down pitlane now, I see us fighting each other hard politically, but there being a line that’s not crossed.
‘I think that line got crossed before, and I think it was unhealthy. So I think that we’ll see a little bit of a change for the better.’
Horner, 51, survived accusations of coercive behaviour towards a female colleague last March, having been cleared in two KC-led investigations.
He has always denied the claims and the complainant has left Red Bull to take up a new role in motorsport. Horner is currently taking some time out from the sport.