McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown didn’t hold back when describing the team’s cultural transformation at the Autosport Business Exchange in Miami last Friday. Sitting down with Formula 1 Correspondent Lawrence Barretto during race week of the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, Brown delivered a candid analogy that cut straight to the heart of the matter.
“Our factory is amazing, it kind of looks like Star Wars. I felt we were Darth Vader,” Brown admitted, painting a vivid picture of McLaren’s earlier years. “We were dark, we weren’t very warm, and it was like, let’s go over to the Luke Skywalker side — being warm, and welcome, and inclusive.”
It’s a disarmingly honest confession from the head of one of Formula 1’s most iconic teams, and it says more than meets the eye. For years, McLaren built its identity around clinical excellence — the factory, the culture, the brand, all projecting precision and dominance over warmth. Brown is describing a team that, by his own admission, made people feel like outsiders. In a sport that has historically struggled with accessibility, diversity, and representation, calling yourself Darth Vader feels like a moment of accountability.
But Brown didn’t stop at the analogy. He detailed how McLaren is actively working to change that narrative. The team is the only one on the Formula 1 grid fielding two entries in F1 Academy, the sport’s all-women single-seater series. Ella Lloyd races under the McLaren F1 Academy entry operated by Rodin Motorsport, while Ella Stevens pilots the McLaren Oxagon F1 Academy entry, also run by Rodin Motorsport. Both are members of the McLaren Driver Development Program. Brown joked on stage that the coincidence wasn’t lost on him.
“All our drivers happen to be named Ella — not necessarily by design!” he said with a smile.
The F1 Academy commitment is the most visible expression of a broader strategy. Brown walked through the evolution of McLaren’s scholar program, which started as 60 Scholars — launched to mark the team’s 60th birthday — taking 60 women between the ages of 18 and 23 through a development program. That initiative has since grown, reflecting a shift from Darth Vader’s dark side to Luke Skywalker’s warmth and inclusivity. For fans and gear enthusiasts alike, it’s a reminder that the team’s culture is evolving — and you can wear that pride with every piece of McLaren apparel.