McLaren has been reborn in F1 under the leadership of Zak Brown. When the American stepped into Woking, nothing was working. The team lacked a proper structure and was drifting in the midfield. Furthermore, the team’s facilities were truly outdated and required upgrades, particularly the wind tunnel and simulator. Zak Brown invested heavily to improve the organization, using funds from his own pocket since sponsors were scarce, frightened by a financial return that was anything but adequate.
The atmosphere within the team was far from good, with a small portion of employees on edge, dissatisfied with their professional trajectory. It was a context rife with workplace disputes. Essentially, a team in disarray that had nothing left of its legendary status but its name and history. Many predicted a decline similar to that of Williams until, indeed, the American ownership arrived. In the early years, however, the situation seemed unpromising, as no one was able to provide the right direction.
As a first step, Zak Brown personally strengthened the commercial side. Nonetheless, selling the project of a team based solely on its past was not easy. For this reason, much of the investment focused on the technical side. The goal was to make the car as fast as possible, as better results would naturally attract economic partnerships. To achieve this, key figures were needed—individuals who could bring fresh air and the necessary expertise to foster progress.
It seems only about fifty employees were causing problems. The rest of the workforce was ready to turn the page, shed the rust, and start anew. Progress was not quick: in F1, trajectories do not change overnight. However, as history tells us, everything changed midway through last season. A marked leap in quality was the first step toward a direct climb to the top. After years of struggling, McLaren is now regarded as a reference team in the premier motorsport category. Chapeau.
F1, McLaren: the “unexpected move” that sparked a turnaround
Until a few seasons ago, the idea of putting a technician in charge of team management was not widely considered. Yet slowly but steadily, the premier motorsport category became convinced it was the right move. McLaren had Andreas Seidl, a German, in this role. While his work wasn’t flawed and did contribute to the team’s revival, he was the first to jump ship at the first promising offer—specifically, Audi’s proposal, to which he didn’t hesitate to respond.
Unfortunately, his adventure with the four-ringed giant never truly began, as Seidl was politely encouraged to leave, making way for Mattia Binotto, another technically inclined figure, in his case a former engine specialist. McLaren chose to give full powers to a former race engineer who had worked with Ferrari, overseeing Fernando Alonso. This individual is the Italian Andrea Stella. For Zak Brown, appointing Stella was the most important move for the team. The technician from Orvieto surprised everyone with his ability to lead the team, coupled with his technical expertise.
Andrea Stella’s intellectual honesty triumphed above all else. In 2019, he didn’t feel ready for such a role and worked on himself until he became a true point of reference. Remarkably, Ferrari let him go without recognizing his potential, a tremendous oversight. A figure of his caliber would have been invaluable to the Scuderia. However, Stella likely wouldn’t have enjoyed the freedom granted by Brown at Maranello, which has been a key to his success. Stella’s first step was to reorganize the management level, a crucial move to extract the maximum performance from the team.
Notably, during the presentation of the McLaren MCL60 in February 2023, the former Ferrari man didn’t shy away from the truth. He avoided big promises and embraced a mindset of honesty, recognizing the team’s situation without fear of repercussions. At the start of last season, the car was underwhelming, and Andrea admitted it openly, adding that it would take several months to see results. He was right, as the first major upgrade package arrived in mid-summer.
F1, McLaren: the best is yet to come
That update radically transformed the British car. Promises were kept. McLaren underwent a literal transformation, and the performance improvement on the track showed an incredible learning curve. This progress has propelled the team to such heights that, with three Grands Prix and one Sprint Race remaining in the 2024 F1 season, the historic English team is leading the Constructors’ Championship by 36 points over their historic rivals, Ferrari.
The predictions favor them. It’s undeniable that the papaya-clad F1 team must finish the job and secure the World Championship. Failing to do so would be absurd, given the technical dominance they’ve displayed since the Miami Grand Prix. To conclude this story, it’s worth mentioning an important fact about the future. Brown has stated several times that the team is ahead of where they expected to be. The most optimistic forecasts have been exceeded, and perhaps for this reason, the team has been caught off guard more than once.
Race weekend execution has often been flawed, with many points squandered. This is an undeniable fact. But Zak Brown sees no issue and is optimistic about the future, considering that the current F1 car was developed using the old wind tunnel. For this reason, things can only get better, according to the American. Regardless of how this season ends, the target is now very high. McLaren is clearly intent on starting a winning cycle and returning to its former glory by accumulating World Championship titles. Watch out…
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