McLaren’s Unforeseen Setback at the 2022 French Grand Prix Sparks Remarkable Formula 1 Transformation
The Unexpected Rise of McLaren in 2023
In a shocking turn of events, the Woking-based squad has emerged as one of the standout teams in the 2023 season. With a mid-season overhaul of their MCL-60 car, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have consistently found themselves battling at the front of the field, vying for podium finishes.
This remarkable leap forward can be attributed to a management shake-up that took place during the previous winter. Andreas Seidl bid farewell to McLaren and joined Sauber, paving the way for Andrea Stella to take charge as team principal. However, according to Zak Brown, who played a crucial role in overseeing these changes at McLaren’s top level, this successful turnaround had its roots planted even earlier – specifically during the previous season.
“For me,” said Brown candidly in an exclusive interview with our source,”the turning point was undoubtedly the French Grand Prix [in 2022]. We were late with our upgrades and unfortunately they proved ineffective.”
Brown explained that it was not only disappointing that their upgrades failed to deliver results but also concerning how leadership responded at that time. Interestingly enough though, this setback coincided with their development plans for the following season’s car.
“That was when we started questioning what was going on,” added Brown thoughtfully. “I entrusted Andrea Stella with identifying areas for improvement, personnel changes and new hires.”
And so began McLaren’s journey towards progress:
“That became our starting point for development,” stated Brown emphatically.
During the 2022 French Grand Prix weekend, McLaren implemented several modifications to their car. These included changes to the sidepod shape, floor design, rear wing endplate and brake ducts. Although these alterations did bring some improvements, Lando Norris expressed his disappointment at that time by saying they weren’t as significant as he had hoped for.
Despite being aware of the need for broader changes within the team and understanding that it would take time to see tangible results on track, Zak Brown revealed that McLaren approached 2023 with cautious optimism. Their launch-spec car may not have been everything they desired initially; however:
“We were confident in our direction,” Brown acknowledged confidently. “We knew we wouldn’t be strong right away.”
This self-awareness prevented any potential frustration from arising if expectations hadn’t been met instantaneously.
“At least our data was accurate,” concluded Brown contemplatively.