ZAK WHACK FOR SUPERCARS V6

Zak Brown thinks Supercars is making a big mistake by allowing twin-turbo V6s to race alongside V8s – Photo: LAT

By MARK FOGARTY

MCLAREN F1 chief Zak Brown thinks Supercars is making a big mistake by allowing twin-turbo V6s to race alongside V8s.

Brown, who is the minority co-owner in the new Walkinshaw Andretti United triumvirate, is also against Triple Eight’s monopoly on supplying key components to Holden teams.

The UK-based American entrepreneur expressed his “two cents worth” on the state of Supercars following his first trackside involvement with WAU at Albert Park during the F1 Australian Grand Prix.

As well as issuing warnings about a move away from V8s and central supply arrangements, Brown advised Supercars to limit its international aspirations to the near north.

He also gave new Supercars chief executive officer Sean Seamer an initial tick of approval after meeting with him at Albert Park over the weekend.

While full of praise for the racing and presentation of the category, Brown is against the planned introduction of Holden’s twin-turbo V6 alongside the established V8s next year.

“I think technically it would be a mistake to go this talked-about V6 engine,” he said. “Why change to a technology that’s going to cost more money? As soon as you have more money being spent, that’s going to broaden the gap between the haves and the have nots, so I think you want some stability.”

Scott Pye broke through for his first win – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde

Brown observed that the spectacle of the Supercars racing at Albert Park, including Scott Pye’s knife-edge maiden victory – and the team’s first under the WAU banner – in Saturday evening’s wet twilight race, underlined the appeal of the all-V8 field.

“I think they need to tread carefully – this is sport and entertainment,” he said. “That’s somewhere where F1 has gone wrong and needs to fix itself.”

Brown added that Supercars should consider adding F1 KERS-style electric assistance to the V8s rather than alternative turbocharged engine configurations.

“Maybe some hybrid [technology] in the future would be a good technical relevance, but I think – and I have this debate in F1 all the time – it’s less about what’s under the bonnet of the car in the street and [more] about racing,” he said.

“It’s about being competitive, it’s about understanding technologies and how to apply them to a road car as opposed to it being ‘We’re going to take that engine out of that car and drop it into another’.”

Brown’s anti-V6 stance aligns with the reluctance of WAU and the other non-factory Holden teams to dump the proven five-litre GM V8 in favour of the twin-turbo V6, which Triple Eight is developing with GM Racing on behalf of Holden.

The TT V6 will be offered to Holden teams on an annual lease deal, the terms of which have yet to be specified.

Related to Triple Eight’s exclusive arrangement with Holden to develop the TT V6, Brown is concerned by the Brisbane-based squad’s monopoly on supplying ZB Commodore body kits.

“I don’t think that’s the best way for the series, to be distributing [everything] through a factory team,” he declared. “I don’t think it’s fair. I think it gives Triple Eight an unfair advantage because they ultimately get to develop the parts, see the parts, test the parts, learn the information – and then they actually learn from the teams because when we get the parts and have issues, we need to go share with them what our challenges are, but yet that information doesn’t come back our way.

“We need to attract more manufacturers. So I think when manufacturers come into the sport, if they’re just with a team, that’s fine, but if they’re the going to supply other teams in the racing series, then I don’t think you should do that through a factory team.

“So I think they (Supercars) need to fix that because I don’t think that’s right.”

Brown hoped WAU, which in its former guise was the Holden Racing Team for 25 years, would continue with Holden because of its links through HSV, but maintained the team was open to aligning with another manufacturer.

“Absolutely,” he said. “We really like Holden. We have a lot of history with them, but I think some of the chassis regulations maybe need to change to open it up to some other supercars and then getting the messaging right.

“Again, and this is an argument we’re having in F1 – arguing, debate, somewhere between two, probably a bit of both – on what needs to be relevant. To me, it’s more about materials, way of working, training, engineering, ingenuity, as opposed to that actual product sitting there. These are race cars and let’s go racing.”

Brown was vague on the possibility of WAU switching to a Chevrolet Camaro-look racer, given that HSV has a deal with Holden to convert Camaros to right-hand drive.

“I think a Camaro racing in the series would be really cool,” he smiled.

In general, Brown’s first exposure to Supercars at Albert Park left a positive impression.

“The quality of the grid is excellent,” he said. “The teams are excellent, the drivers are excellent.”

Brown was impressed by new Supercars boss Sean Seamer, believing his previous role as a senior executive with global media sales giant MediaCom makes him the right fit for the job.

“I met with Sean and I think he’s going to be a really good CEO for Supercars,” Brown said. “I like his background. I know his former boss at MediaCom very well and he rates him very highly.

“So I think if I look at fan engagement, it’s excellent. I think given Sean’s media background, what he needs to do, which I think he will do, is to make sure that – and F1 needs to do this as well – he migrates Supercars to the type of media that the younger fan wants and the way they like to view the sport.

“So I think Sean will be excellent for that.”

Brown, who will attend the Bathurst 1000 in preference to the clashing F1 Japanese GP plus a couple of other Supercars events this year, is adamant that the sport’s international aspirations should be limited to the likes of the support race program at the Singapore and Chinese GPs.

“I know on the calendar they’ve historically gone outside the Asia-Pacific region a few times, but I don’t think that’s the right thing to do,” he said. “I think to stay in the Asia-Pacific. Make sure you’re strong at home. If we can go to Singapore, if we can go to Vietnam, if we can go to China with F1, I think that’s great, but I think going to Texas like it has in the past, I just think that’s too far away for the fans to follow it from a time zone standpoint and the sponsors.

“So I think let’s continue to be strong in Australia and grow a little further out in Asia-Pacific, but let’s stay in that region.”

Brown’s opinions are important and relevant because before being appointed executive director of McLaren Technology Group – effectively replacing founder Ron Dennis as head of the iconic F1 team – in late 2016, he headed Just Marketing International, the world’s largest motorsport marketing agency.

“I’m learning quickly now,” he said. “That’s my two cents worth on the world of Supercars.”

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