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McLaren’s Zak Brown has come out saying the team are already excited for the new Formula 1 season. 2018 is a new era for McLaren with Renault becoming their new engine providers after a disappointing three-year spell with Honda. With a respectable first season performance by Stoffel Vandoorne and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso signing a new contract, the preparations are looking very promising for the Woking-based team.
The last time McLaren won a race in F1 was back in November 2012 when Jenson Button finished first at the Brazilian Grand Prix, the final race of the 2012 calendar. The race was also remembered for being Lewis Hamilton’s final appearance in a McLaren car. Since then McLaren has had less success, failing to even finish in the podium spots. However 2018 could see one of F1’s most successful teams regain their glorious status.
Brown praised the working atmosphere back at McLaren’s HQ: "The unbelievable thing about this place is, when you walk the halls, this is a team that has won 20 world championships and everyone is very proud," Brown told Racer Magazine. "I've never been to a place where for so many people their life is McLaren or they wanted to work at McLaren their whole life. I'm not sure many companies have that level of enthusiasm from their employees.”
Many believe McLaren could be competing along with Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull for the front row in the new season and with testing and the reveal of all cars being just around the corner, the executive director and the rest of the team cannot wait.
Brown added: "Morale is great, people are working hard, we're excited. We've got a new livery coming, we've got a new garage coming, we've got a new engine coming, we've got the two drivers we wanted.
"Everyone's working well together. Eric [Boullier] is happy with everything that he has. I asked him the other day 'Anything else you need?' 'Nope, I got what I need.' So everyone is excited and the anticipation is building. I wish Australia was tomorrow. Desire to get back to our winning ways is off the chart. It's really made everyone hungrier and I think that's a good place for the organization to be. A really hungry McLaren, that's a good thing."
Jamie Davies
Grand Prix of Belgium
G. Zhou
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f1fan0101
Posts: 1,804
Disagree. Ron will not come back, there are plenty of others who are fit to lead McLaren