Development mistakes, management changes and a rookie driver. These are the ingredients for a disastrous campaign, however McLaren did the unthinkable.
They turned their season around and set themselves up nicely for a strong campaign in 2024.
The early signs for the 2023 season were not good for McLaren fans. The team were open during the MCL60 reveal that they had made some errors in the development for the 2023 car.
As a result they warned the wider F1 community not to expect much in the early part of the season.
Bad start
It was strange viewing and in some-ways quite refreshing. Gone were the usual corporate spin around the car or wilful ignorance of the situation. McLaren’s new Team Principle Andrea Stella commented on the new car:
“There are some other areas of the cars that we helped by developments in the early stage of the season. So we are happy, not entirely happy, for what is the launch car, but optimistic that it should take a good step soon.”
Andrea Stella on the MCL60 during launch
McLaren were laying the ground work for a painful start to the season, but with cautious optimism that it would lead to longer term success.
The start was indeed painful for McLaren fans. The MCL60, driven by Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, rarely troubling the top 10.
Lando Norris only grabbed 24 points in the first 9 races of the season, with Piastri only managing a mere 5. The MCL60 was bad…very bad.
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McLaren’s car was not the only part of the papaya squad to change during the 2023 season. Prior to the opening race, McLaren were part of the Team Principal merry go round which saw current McLaren Team Principal, Andreas Seidl head to Sauber to become the team’s new CEO.
McLaren decided to promote from within and give the role to Andrea Stella. The Italian joined McLaren in 2015 from Ferrari. During his time at McLaren he had worked from Head of Race Operations to Performance Director. He finally stepped up to the Team Principal role in December 2022.
Change is good, right?
During (and before) the season, McLaren made more changes behind the scenes. It was decided that the team needed to change its management structure, some of it due to the MCL60 being so uncompetitive.
James Key, who was McLaren’s Technical Director was released as part of a management restructure, which also saw Peter Prodromou move to a similar role (Technical Director, Aerodynamics) to lead the whole aero function of the car. David Sanchez is set to return to McLaren from Ferrari as Technical Director, Car Concept and Performance in 2024. Neil Houldey would be promoted into a newly created role of Technical Director, Engineering and Design.
Although some of these roles would not have a direct effect on McLaren in 2023, it was clear that the upper management were not happy with the direction of the team and decided to act sooner rather than later.
Unfortunately for James Key, who arrived from Toro Rosso (nee Alpha Tauri) he was a casualty of early mistakes. Key was a noticeable absentee at the MCL60 launch.
Was this due to the errors in the design and development in the car? It sure looked like it.
McLaren ticked off another massive milestone in 2023. The team announced that their new state-of-the-Art wind tunnel. A major piece of kit for any Formula 1 team as a statement of the future for the team.
McLaren’s new matrix management structure seems somewhat clumsy. With three people now accountable for certain areas of the car, it could lead to a lack of accountability if the 2024 car does not perform as expected. Hopefully McLaren’s CEO, Zak Brown and Andrea Stella will have made it clear what each area they are responsible for.
The British GP and the papaya resurgence
Unfortunately, it would not do much to assist the team in 2023 and will have little effect on the 2024 car.
The return to the front of the grid was solidified at the 2023 British GP, where Lando Norris would take an impressive second place and a place on the podium.
Norris’s teammate, Piastri would take fourth. This would be the second points finish, which would not be halted until the Las Vegas GP, where Lando would crash out early on in the race after the car hit a bump sending him into the wall and out of the GP.
Norris would finish the 2023 campaign in 6th place with 205 points. A campaign that on the face of it was consistent, however there were some minor mistakes. Usually during Qualifying, where the Brit made errors that could have put him on pole.
Consistent but with room for improvement.
The second McLaren was driven by the rookie Oscar Piastri. The young Australian would adapt to Formula 1 extremely well, showing everyone why he won the F3 and F2 Championships in each of his rookie seasons.
Although Pastri would not be quite as consistent as Norris, he settled well in the MCL60, remaining generally on pace with his more experienced teammate, which is more than can be said for Daniel Ricciardo!
Piastri would take the Sprint win in Qatar, ahead of Verstappen and Norris. Undoubtedly a highlight for Oscar and McLaren.
As with McLaren’s investment in a new wind tunnel, Piastri is at McLaren for the foreseeable future. If he builds on a solid 2023 he will be a force within Formula 1 and for Lando Norris.
The future is bright, the future is papaya
McLaren will look back at 2023 with cautious optimism. The team did a great job turning around what could have been a horrible season, recognising the errors during development in pre-season and making the necessary changes quickly.
The team have invested in the future not only with Piastri and Norris but with personnel and back at the McLaren Technology Centre.
It will take time to see if these changes will bring success. One thing is clear though.
If McLaren can string a complete season together they will be a force at the front of the grid for many seasons to come.
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