What we learnt from McLaren's surprise livery reveal and season launch
Jan 16, 2024
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McLaren surprises fans with revised livery reveal. McLaren's decision to start 2024 prep without showing the car could be a good thing. Discuss new technical recruits and increased optimism for McLaren this year. CEO Brown against Red Bull's ownership of two F1 teams. Possibility of Norris or Piastri winning in 2024 discussed.
McLaren's decision to reveal their livery without showing the car could be a positive move for their 2024 preparations.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown opposes Red Bull's ownership of two F1 teams and advocates for the outlawing of dual ownership in the future to ensure fairness and competition.
Deep dives
McLaren's Season Launch and Ambitions
McLaren surprised everyone with an early season launch of their new car and livery. Andreas Stadler outlined the team's big ambitions, building on their outstanding turnaround from the previous season. McLaren is confident in their trajectory, with continuous improvements and linear increases in performance. They have bolstered their technical team and are utilizing new simulation tools and wind tunnels to enhance development. While they don't expect to beat Red Bull right away, they are focused on closing the gap. The team aims to address the peakiness and slow corner characteristics of their car, but improvements will take time to filter through. The new car will be revealed on February 14th.
The Dynamic Between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
The driver lineup of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri is one of the most exciting in F1. Piastri's growth and race performances challenge Norris. The team is not concerned about Norris's contract situation, as he is considered a high priority for McLaren. Norris is encouraged to become more consistent and avoid mistakes in qualifying. However, McLaren acknowledges Piastri's potential and the need for Norris to further improve. The team maintains that they want both drivers to succeed and welcomes the competition between them.
Zach Brown's Concerns About Dual Ownership
McLaren CEO Zach Brown expresses concern about the ownership structure of Red Bull, specifically their ownership of two teams. He questions the fairness of this arrangement and worries about potential hidden benefits and collusion between the teams. Brown argues that Formula 1 should move towards outlawing dual ownership in the future to ensure fairness and avoid a situation where teams struggle to distinguish themselves under the budget cap. He believes that Formula 1 should have distinct franchises and avoid any potential advantage and imbalance that dual ownership may create.
Legacy and Future of Dual Ownership
It is acknowledged that Red Bull's dual ownership of two teams contributed significantly to Formula 1 during a challenging period. However, there is a consensus that going forward, Formula 1 should prevent similar ownership structures from developing. While existing setups may be grandfathered in, there is a need for regulations to restrict dual ownership in order to maintain fairness and prevent potential collusion and resource imbalance. Future concorde discussions will likely address this issue as Formula 1 looks to shape its future landscape.
McLaren sprung a surprise for fans on Tuesday with an unexpected reveal of its revised 2024 F1 car livery. So what better time for a catch-up on all things papaya, with Scott Mitchell-Malm and Ben Anderson joining Edd Straw for a wide-ranging chat. They explain why McLaren's decision to kick-start its 2024 preparations without showing a car could actually be a good thing, and, with Scott and Ben having recently spoken with Team Principal Andrea Stella and CEO Zak Brown, provide the latest on where the Woking team is placed heading into another season. Amongst the topics discussed are how McLaren's new technical recruits have settled in, why there's considerably more optimism around the team this year than there was 12 months ago, why Brown is so against Red Bull's ownership of two F1 teams, and the prospect of either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri claiming a maiden victory in 2024.