Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren, has revealed that the team chose not to build up pre-season expectations for the 2023 Formula 1 season due to concerns about the performance of their car. The McLaren MCL60 initially showed signs of being significantly slower than the team had hoped for, leading to a cautious approach.
While the start of a new season typically brings optimism and anticipation, McLaren took a different approach this time. After a strong 2021 season, the team faced challenges in developing the MCL60, and early indications suggested that the car was not meeting their performance targets.
In light of this, Brown believed it would have been “pointless” to create high expectations during the car’s launch, only to disappoint later. Instead, the team opted for transparency, acknowledging their struggles and the need for improvements.
“We knew changes were in the works, and then data was telling us things were going to start looking up in Austria and Silverstone, and they have,” Brown explained. “So, that’s given us a lot of confidence that what we’re seeing in data is correlating to the track, whether that’s good data or bad data.”
The team’s approach appears to have paid off, as McLaren has made significant progress since the early part of the season. The car’s performance has improved, allowing them to compete more effectively with other teams on the grid.
While the 2023 season presented its challenges, Brown is grateful that it did not reach the lows experienced by McLaren in 2017. The team’s ability to adapt and improve demonstrates their resilience and commitment to success in Formula 1.
