McLaren’s progress, Mika Hakkinen proves a good prophet
When Mika Hakkinen predicted in June 2023 that McLaren would reach Red Bull’s level, many thought he was crazy. But opinions started changing by the end of last season when the MCL60 stepped up in performance and even won the Sprint in Qatar with Oscar Piastri. Over a year later, it can be said that the two-time world champion saw far into the future, even being too conservative in his prediction, as the Woking car has been at least on par with the RB20 since Miami and is now the technical benchmark.
Mika Hakkinen’s comments
No crystal ball for the Flying Finn, just plenty of experience gained over ten complete Formula 1 seasons (eight of those with McLaren), enhanced by 20 race wins and two world championships. According to Mika Hakkinen, the key to McLaren’s success lies in maintaining its relationship with Mercedes: “I saw the team achieving consistency with their power unit supplier, staff, and investments, so I expected it, especially since they have two great drivers,” he commented on the Socrates Dergi YouTube channel.
“When I joined McLaren, we had a Ford engine. In 1994, we had a Peugeot engine, and in 1995, a Mercedes engine. At one point, we could have had a Lamborghini engine (the 1994 deal fell through at the last minute). The engine is a core component of a car, and if you change it constantly, you change everything in the car, from aerodynamics, oil cooling, water cooling, electronics, and more. Every time this happened, it slowed down the team’s and car’s development.” – the two-time Formula 1 world champion pointed out after the Mexico City Grand Prix.
“They achieved consistency, and I thought it was the right time, and it would just be a matter of time,” he concluded. “But timing is everything when working with thousands of people and trying to change individuals or roles within the company. Zak Brown and Andrea Stella have done an outstanding job; it was clear that success would follow.” – the former Formula 1 driver concluded.
Leave a Reply