McLaren has fallen short of its development targets with the 2023 F1 car, according to CEO Zak Brown.
The team experienced a few hiccups in pre-season testing, with parts needing reinforcement to prevent failures. Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were also not up to pace during testing.
Team principal Andrea Stella revealed at the MCL60 reveal that the launch specification car was not up to par. McLaren is optimistic that upgrades scheduled for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will make up for the deficit.
McLaren has fallen short of its development targets with the 2023 F1 car, according to CEO Zak Brown. The team experienced a few hiccups in pre-season testing, with parts needing reinforcement to prevent failures. Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were also not up to pace during testing.
Launch Spec Car not up to par
Team principal Andrea Stella revealed at the MCL60 reveal that the launch specification car was not up to par. McLaren is optimistic that upgrades scheduled for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will make up for the deficit.
However, despite being behind its desired timeline, the team is not sure where it ranks among the competition.
Brown commented that “it’s hard to know until we get going,” and that McLaren “set some goals for development, which we didn’t hit.” He went on to state that the team is “encouraged by what we see around the corner.”
Piastri Shares his thoughts
New McLaren driver Oscar Piastri said the MCL60 was not a significant improvement from the 2022 MCL36 he tested during the Abu Dhabi test.
He said, “I would say a small step from last year. We know we’ve got a few things in the pipeline for hopefully soon in season. But so far, it’s I think similar to what I remember from my limited experience in a ground-effect car.”
McLaren knows that it needs to make some long-term infrastructure improvements if it wants to move towards the front of the grid.
The team will soon have access to new infrastructure, including a wind tunnel and simulator, later this year. Brown noted that the team needs to accelerate development if it wants to meet its goals, saying, “Our aspirations are to get back to the front.”
The competition is heating up
McLaren is not alone in this race. All teams in F1 have developments lined up for the upcoming season, and they are all hoping to get ahead of their competition.
However, Brown remains optimistic, saying, “We have some good developments coming, but so does every other single team in F1. We need to pick up the pace.”
McLaren has admitted to missing its development targets with the 2023 F1 car, and the team needs to catch up if it wants to achieve its goals.
Despite being behind, the team is optimistic about its upcoming upgrades and remains hopeful that it can regain its position at the front of the grid.
