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McLaren F1 team principal Andrea Stella said the team was focused on optimizing development rather than achieving a specific result in 2024.
After a difficult start to the 2023 season, McLaren made dramatic progress with mid-season machinery upgrades, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both taking nine podiums and leading the team into the constructors’ championship. It overtook the rapidly rising Aston Martin in the championship, pushing it to 4th place.
The turnaround is due to a technical restructuring of Stellar to make better use of the staff already available at McLaren. New jobs and facility improvements are planned from 2024.
There is therefore general optimism that McLaren can make significant progress this year and challenge Ferrari and Mercedes.
But Stella says the team isn’t talking about setting such specific goals, instead focusing on improving processes and development.
“We don’t talk about we want to be second, we want to be first, we want to be third because that’s not even a word we use at McLaren. We don’t talk about it,” Stella said in an interview with Autosport.
“The results will come later. We’re talking about, ‘What do we need to do now in terms of aerodynamic development and mechanical development? How can we improve the interaction with the tires?’
“In the usual areas, if you ask any other team, you’ll get the same answer: How do we execute a project so that we can actually deliver what we want? That’s what we need to focus on.”
“Every day we feel that we are making a little progress. We increase our competence, expand our expertise and ultimately expand our knowledge in all parameters that allow us to be on the right track.”
“And you’ll see how well we did in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.”
In the second half of 2023, McLaren’s MCL60 was often in second place behind the dominant Red Bull RB19.
Asked if Stella needed to change any plans given McLaren’s better-than-expected performance, Stella said: “The plan is very good, but we are here to execute the plan. Instead, we are here to perform.”
“A plan is a good reference, but you have to think about it every day and make adjustments, such as: B. ‘What does this mean for the next step and how much do I need to revise the plan?'”
“Plans can easily lead you into a comfort zone. I try to look at it from a performance perspective. A plan is a tool, not a goal.”
Category: F1 / McLaren F1 team
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