McLaren will have a 'much different' car in 2019
- Published on 14 Jan 2019 15:04
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- By: Fergal Walsh
McLaren CEO Zak Brown says that the MCL34 will be a much different car to its disappointing predecessor, the MCL33. McLaren endured a tough 2018 campaign, competing towards the rear of the field.
The car had a fundamental aerodynamic problem and the Woking squad ended the year sixth in the constructors' standings, benefitting from the exclusion of Sahara Force India. However, Brown says that the team is "anticipating a good car" for the new season.
As it attempts to build back towards the front of the field, the American asserts that the development schedule is going according to plan: "We're anticipating a good car. The off-season development has gone according to plan but you ultimately don't know what the competition's been up to and the competition's tough, and getting tougher.
"All the men and women back at McLaren having been working extremely hard to make sure we build a better car than 2018, because I know these guys [Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris] won't want to drive last year's car! We need good feedback from them. This will be a much different car than in 2018."
Last week, McLaren announced that Andreas Seidl had joined as team boss, and will report to Bown during the 2019 season. Brown confirmed that Seidl will manage the F1 team, while he himself will oversee McLaren's worldwide racing platform.
"He's responsible for running the F1 team," stated the American. "My role as CEO is to make sure that McLaren has a competitive platform for whichever form of motor racing we're in.
"Formula 1 is our number 1 priority, so I need to make sure I have all the right people in place with the right resources and guidance. So I think between Andreas, James Key, we've bought back Pat Fry, we did a little bit of restructuring, so I'm very happy with the F1 team that we have in place. They haven't all joined yet, so it's still a work in progress."
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Replies (7)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
I mean, it can hardly be worse, right? Unless its on the level of the Lotus E22, that is..
Coventry Climax
Posts: 624
Name me one team that's convinced otherwise, regarding their new car.
I hope he recognises that the right people at the right places also need the right infrastructure, communications means, budget and say in the matter, otherwise we'll here this same story again next year: "it's still a work in progress".
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Hmm, that could actually be Lotus, to bring them up again. The E22 was a nightmare, so the E23 could hardly be worse, and it turned out to be a pretty solid thing, albeit let down by driver errors. Having Maldonado and Grosjean in the same team kinda does that. So I guess at least I believed them when they said the E23 would be better.
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
"the right people at the right places also need the right infrastructure," Right!? :)
Major Tom
Posts: 152
I kinda believe him - if only because it would be difficult for it to be worse. However it is heartening to see some people who have a proven good record of success at the team at last.
cricho
Posts: 80
Great team that brown is building up again. Not easy to get back up after youve been KO. Hope they can fight for p#4 constructors in 2019.
Harryw
Posts: 107
He isn’t saying it will be much better but much different which doesn’t surprise me. Last years car was a dreadful effort