A former professional racing driver is to assume the task of steering the Formula One (F1) team-owner McLaren weeks after veteran boss Ron Dennis was ousted amid a shareholder battle.

Sky News has learnt that Zak Brown has signed a deal to take a senior executive role at the Woking-based company.

Mr Brown had been tipped to land either the McLaren job or a post with F1's parent, which is in the process of being taken over by New York-listed Liberty Media Group.

Sources close to F1's commercial rights-holder said Mr Brown had informed them at the weekend that he had opted to take the McLaren job, and said an announcement was likely to be made as early as Monday.

Mr Brown, an American, previously ran the sports marketing division of Chime Communications, the privately owned media and public relations group.


He is said to have a warm relationship with Mr Dennis, who is understood to have himself broached the idea of Mr Brown taking on a role at McLaren before his departure this month.

Sky News revealed that Mr Dennis had presented a £1.65bn takeover bid from a consortium of Chinese investors to McLaren's board, sparking a furious revolt from his fellow shareholders.

Image: Ron Dennis still owns 25% of McLaren

The Sunday Times reported at the weekend that Mr Dennis was now considering whether to sue Mansour Ojjeh, his long-term business partner, and Mumtalakat, the Bahraini sovereign wealth fund, over his enforced departure.

Mr Dennis continues to own 25% of McLaren and retains a seat on the board, while Mr Ojjeh also owns 25%.

Mumtalakat owns the remaining 50%.

Relations between the joint-owners had deteriorated to such an extent that Mumtalakat last month appointed three further directors to the McLaren board in order to secure a majority for the resolution to force Mr Dennis out.

Legal documents previously reported by Sky News revealed that other McLaren executives had warned that commercial deals worth more than £160m could be jeopardised by Mr Dennis's ousting.

Mr Dennis, who has led the company for 35 years, is on gardening leave until mid-January, making it unclear exactly what role Mr Brown will be appointed to.

It is unclear whether Mr Dennis's shareholding gives him the right to block other board appointments.

When Mr Brown arrives, his in-tray will include a strategy for reviving the financial and on-track performance of McLaren's F1 team, which has endured a barren period for the last few years.

The British outfit goes into this weekend's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix languishing in sixth place in the constructors' standings.

Although its F1 team's performance has been disappointing in recent years, its road-car business is expected to produce a record 4,000 vehicles next year.

Its Applied Technologies Group has led to partnerships with companies such as GlaxoSmithKline and KPMG.

Mr Brown's track record in attracting blue-chip sponsors into F1 means that he will be expected to address the long-term absence of a title sponsor at McLaren.

A prominent figure in motorsport circles‎, he has also attracted a string of heavyweight corporate names into Indycar and Nascar racing in the US, while he is among the most influential motorsport media-owners in the world.

Mr Brown could not be reached for comment, while McLaren declined to comment.