Zak Brown reveals details about the failed negotiation with Valentino Rossi for the Indianapolis 500
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, had anticipated a “mega” signing for McLaren’s fourth seat at the Indianapolis 500. The mysterious driver would have the final say on their participation in the event. Finally, Valentino Rossi, nine-time motorcycle racing world champion, declined the offer. The seat was filled by Ryan Hunter-Reay, winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 2014, an agreement announced last week.Brown revealed that he had several conversations with Rossi, who “loves and respects the Indianapolis 500”. However, Rossi decided to focus on his current job in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), where he competes with a BMW for Team WRT in the LMGT3 class. Brown has managed to attract attention with his drivers for the Indianapolis 500, including F1 world champion Fernando Alonso, two-time 500 Miles winner Juan Pablo Montoya, and Kyle Larson, two-time NASCAR champion, who raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for McLaren in the last two seasons. Rossi, considered one of the best motorcycle racers in history, is the only road racer to have competed in more than 400 Grand Prix. Seven of his nine world championships were in the 500cc/MotoGP category, and he holds the record for most wins in the premier class (89) and podiums (199). Unable to secure Rossi, Brown turned to Hunter-Reay, an IndyCar veteran with a 500-Mile win and an IndyCar title to his name. Hunter-Reay retired from full-time racing after the 2021 season, but has participated in the Indianapolis 500 in the last three seasons, finishing 11th in 2023. Hunter-Reay has also been a two-time runner-up at Indy. When asked why he chose Hunter-Reay after Rossi was unable to participate, Brown replied: “because he can win”.I spoke with Valentino, he loves the Indianapolis 500, he loves big events, he is interested in racing on ovals. But he is quite focused on the WEC and wants that to be his priority. He recognized the level of commitment required and concluded that he probably couldn’t do the WEC and Indy correctly, so we will keep talking.
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing
