Seven Tenths Of A Second: A behind-the-scenes look at McLaren’s comeback and the lessons in strategy, innovation and trust that fuel Formula 1

by Zak Brown

THE STORY OF MCLAREN'S REMARKABLE RISE TO THE TOP


An enthralling account from from Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing tackling life and leadership in the high-stakes world of Formula 1

--

THE STORY AND SECRETS OF ZAK BROWN, LEADER OF DOUBLE WINNERS OF BOTH THE 2025 CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP & DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP

McLaren Racing’s return to the top has gone hand in hand with a well-earned reputation for team harmony, fairness and loyalty.

Now Zak’s chosen to invite readers in to experience it for themselves, with all the honesty, conviction and good humour he has brought to leading one of the most storied teams in motorsport back to the front of the grid.

Seven Tenths of Second will take readers behind the scenes and into the paddock and boardroom to explore how the team has fought its way back to the top under Zak’s leadership, and shine a light on what it takes to succeed in a sport that constantly pushes the boundaries of technology, innovation and engineering.

Sharing stories and lessons acquired through a life in motorsport, Seven Tenths of a Second will offer unprecedented insights into life at McLaren Racing and beyond.

263 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 20, 2025

Reviews

[Emina · Rating 3 out of 5]

i hate to give an autobiography anything but a 5 bc who am i to judge, but some of the behaviors in the first few chapters i fear were brushed over too quickly?? also, this workaholic mentality is SO exhausting & the way he talked about it was so draining.

[Simone]

A decent read that goes behind the scenes of Maclaren F1 as Zak Brown shares a little bit about his life prior to becoming CEO. He talks about his leadership style and more insights into the mindset of the team. There isn't anything gossip worthy to share, but it was a pretty short read if you're interested in the current Maclaren team. It's written from the mid-2025 season.

I listened to the audiobook, which wasn't narrated by the author, and the accent kept bugging me. It's not my fave F1 book, but also not the worst.

[Peter Mihaere · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book about a tough, determined person and what it takes to succeed in life, leadership, and Formula One.

If you’re looking purely for Formula One content, this book needs to be read with the understanding that Formula One is Zak Brown’s current arena, not the sum of his story. As a Formula One fan since the 1990s, I’m pleased to have this book on my shelf as a representation of the sport—but equally, it deserves its place on my leadership bookshelf.

Zak’s use of present-tense retrospective storytelling gives the book a surprising dimension. It’s refreshing, quite different from the typical biographical format, and it creates a genuine page-turning quality. This was my first experience of this style of writing, and I really liked it.

I can imagine Zak would be a challenging person to work for—not because he’s unfairly tough, but because his energy, pace, and momentum would be hard to match. For those who are wired the same way, however, that environment would be electric. Throughout the book, it’s clear that Zak operates at high speed in both life and leadership. Even the title, Seven Tenths of a Second, evokes that sense of urgency and precision—and once you understand what that moment represents in the context of the 2024 World Constructors’ Championship, it proves to be an entirely apt choice.

I’d recommend this book to anyone wanting to read about a prominent leader operating at the top of their game right now. Seven Tenths of a Second by Zak Brown is a must-read.

[Tessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never really had an opinion on Zak before, but after reading this book, I like him less than before.

Throughout the book he often comes across as a bit of a prick. There are moments where he refers to himself as "badass" when he talks about punching someone so hard he broke their jaw. That story didn’t make him look impressive at all. On the contrary, it made me like him even less.

Another part that really rubbed me the wrong way was when he says “I feel like we’re losing the mentality of the 24/7 workaholic approach of a performance-driven culture.” Yeah… because work/life balance exists, and it’s good for people’s mental health. The book gives the impression that everyone should work as much as he does, and that expectation just sounds unhealthy.

His views on drivers being friends also felt strange. He suggests drivers shouldn’t really be close because they wouldn’t want to overtake each other. That seems ridiculous. Just look at Max and Lando. They seem to be friends and still race each other hard, sometimes even too hard. Friendship clearly doesn’t stop competitive drivers from fighting on track.

The writing style itself is also very simple — at times it genuinely feels like it was written by a child. Structurally, the book is messy too. For example, he opens a chapter talking about Lando’s Miami win in 2024, but then quickly loses the thread, drifting away from the topic and switching back and forth between the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

I have to say, I had no expectations. But the book was a rather frustrating read.

[Em]

I am a massive f1 fan and am very interested in organisational change and culture so this book appealed to me. It was an excellent book. I don’t like rating non-fiction especially memoirs because it is someone’s story. This a mix of a leadership book and memoir. I highly recommend this book.

[Carol Cleary-Schultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting backstory on McLaren's turnaround over the past 5 years, with a few funny/entertaining episodes shared. Probably more than a 3, but less than a 4 rating for sure. Fun and easy to read if you like McLaren and/or F1 though.

[Ashley *Booksbrewsandbarks* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book overall but hated the narrator for the audiobook.

[Georgina Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this insight into Zak Brown and Formula One.

if you're not a Zak Brown fan you probably won't like it...

[Kirsty Adams - Kindle Freak Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seven Tenths of a Second by Zak Brown took me a while to get into, mainly because it’s written in the present tense. Once I got used to it, though, the writing flowed well and became quite immersive. What stood out most was Zak’s drive and tenacity, which made the book fascinating and kept me engaged. Overall, it’s a motivating read that rewards a bit of patience at the start.

[ChloeElizabethReads]

No ratings on memoirs, but this was definitely insightful into how mclaren became a top team again. some things definitely counteract the way the latter half of the 2025 season has played out but i’ll move past it, not everyone is as big of an f1 fan/mclaren fan as me!