McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown will represent both the Woking-based team and Williams at the British Grand Prix this season.
In addition to his usual responsibilities, the American will drive Nigel Mansell's FW11B from 1987, part of his own private collection, around Silverstone.
His drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, will continue to vie for the F1 drivers' championship at the famous circuit, whilst Brown will be on track alongside other historic cars, as has become customary at grands prix.
"I'll take this out at the British Grand Prix this year, which I think the fans are gonna absolutely love," the 53-year-old told ESPN when addressing the iconic car as part of a tour of his non-McLaren private collection.
"I'm gonna personally take it out... so I'm gonna drive this [privately] in Spain, as I've never driven it. We've just had it fully restored here. It's been shaken down, it's ready to go.
"And I think the fans are gonna love this around the British Grand Prix, but might be a bit confused [as to] why the McLaren guy is in Williams," he joked.
The FW11B in Brown's possession is also a small part of F1 folklore. It was the chassis Mansell raced at Silverstone that season, fondly remembered for his audacious overtaking move up the inside of his Williams team-mate Nelson Piquet having clawed back almost half a minute on the Brazilian to seal victory.
"This is the car, 1987... won a lot of races. He [Mansell] said this was his favourite car to drive," Brown said.
"This was, if you remember, the very famous British Grand Prix where he was leading, had a tyre puncture, and then he went out and he broke the track record, I think it was 17 laps in a row, and did that famous move on the end of the straight on Nelson Piquet to win the British Grand Prix.
"That was this exact chassis, and I got this when I did a sponsorship deal for Williams," he explained before recreating part of the conversation he had with the Grove-based squad.
"'What can we ever do for you?' [the team asked Brown], it's like: 'You can sell me a car. Can't give me a car, because that wouldn't be right, but you're gonna sell me one.'
"And they were like: 'Which one do you want?' And I'm like: 'That one'," he said, pointing at the FW11B to replicate the interaction."
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