CHICAGO -- What does one do after their racing team won the famed Monaco Grand Prix? Go to one of Major League Baseball's most famous ballparks and take some cuts in the cage.
Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing in Formula One and IndyCar, was a guest of Reds pitcher Hunter Greene on Friday before his team played the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Greene is an owner of a McLaren street car and developed a friendship with Brown, who is also friends with Cubs left fielder Ian Happ and the team's chairman, Tom Ricketts.
Brown took batting practice on the field before Friday's game, with pitches coming from Reds first-base coach Collin Cowgill.
“First of all, I’m a big baseball guy," Brown told MLB.com. "Kind of more of a baseball guy than a racing guy. So I’ve been fortunate through racing, a lot of the ballplayers are racing fans. I went to the All-Star Game last year and built some nice relationships. I’ve let them play on the racetrack and they let me play on the field.”
McLaren won the Formula One constructors' championship in 2024 and Brown's team is currently leading in the points race in 2025. McLaren driver Lando Norris won the Monaco race on Sunday. A few hours later, former McLaren F1 reserve driver Alex Palou won the Indianapolis 500 for Chip Ganassi Racing. McLaren IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward finished third.
Brown grew up in Los Angeles, but has been a fan of the Reds and Cubs' rival, the Cardinals, since he was a kid. On Friday, he wore a Reds customized jersey that Greene gave him -- which was among other Reds gear that Greene gifted to Brown -- along with his McLaren hat while hitting in the cage. After the game, Brown was scheduled to be in Detroit for the next IndyCar race.
“I’m buddies with Ian and Hunter and the MLB guys. I like all baseball.”