McLaren Automotive has appointed former IndyCar champion Kenny Bräck as its new chief test driver. The 52-year old Swede fills the position left by Chris Goodwin, who left for Aston Martin late last year.
Bräck has 35 years of experience in a variety of motorsport disciplines. Most notably, he won the Indianapolis 500 in 1999, but he has a long history in several American open-wheel race series and has competed in rallycross and historic racing at Goodwood.
He is not new to McLaren road car development, either, as he worked on the dynamic development of the 720S and the Senna as a driver consultant and has been assisting on yet-to-be announced future models.
“It is a great gift to be able to work with your passion and break new boundaries, and to have the opportunity to work with the highly skilled and determined team at McLaren Automotive is just fantastic,” explained Bräck.
“I am driven by a desire to win, to achieve results. For me, the key dynamic traits needed to explore my own limits and those of a vehicle on a race track are predictability and consistency. These elements are also fundamental for a road car to be both safe and satisfying and as a result you’ll find them integral to the McLaren 720S and the McLaren Senna.”
“Recruiting Kenny Brack as our new chief test driver is a real coup for McLaren Automotive and perfectly aligns with our determination to ensure our next generations of luxury sportscars and supercars retain the dynamic excellence for which McLaren is renowned,” commented Dr Jens Ludmann, chief operating officer, McLaren Automotive.
“Kenny’s record as a formidable first-class racing driver – which includes winning an IndyCar Championship and the Indianapolis 500 – speaks for itself, but I believe his talents as a development driver are even more impressive and make him the ideal person to lead the team shaping the way that McLaren cars drive.”
