Zak Brown has transformed McLaren from a mid-field team into a front-runner on the grid. This change, however, also brings a new set of challenges for the racing team. Fortunately, Brown can count on advice from Toto Wolff.
Brown took over the reins at McLaren when the team was in a precarious financial position. Today, the British team has enough sponsors to overhaul its infrastructure and management. According to Brown, every department within McLaren is now “championship-worthy,” and the team can finally provide Lando Norris with the right car.
Stella’s Efforts to Support Norris
Stella is pulling out all the stops to help Norris, acknowledging that minor adjustments are needed here and there.
Norris’ Performance and Expectations
“Norris has always been a fantastic driver. The only thing that took so long was for us to provide him with a car that could win. Now he’s consistently at the front, so I think the expectations are clearly higher,” says Brown. “We know that we have the chance to win every weekend. So that brings a bit more tension, but also higher expectations and more pressure. We’re all enjoying it.”
McLaren’s Strategic Mistakes
Despite McLaren currently being perhaps the most successful team on the grid, the team occasionally makes strategic mistakes. Brown attributes these errors primarily to acclimatization. “I think some of the mistakes we’ve made this year are due to the youthfulness of a team that hasn’t driven at the front as often as it does now,” explains the CEO.
Wolff’s Advice
Brown was warned about these mistakes by Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. “I think Toto very nicely said that you sometimes only learn these things when you’re in the heat of the battle. Now that we’re in the heat of the battle, we’re learning some things along the way, but that’s okay. What I always tell the team is that mistakes are not bad, but you have to learn from them and not make the same one twice. That makes you smarter next time,” concludes Brown.
