- McLaren finished fifth in last year’s Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship, with just one podium finish.
- McLaren is already working on a substantial upgrade package for the MCL60, which it hopes to ready after the opening handful of events.
- Its new wind tunnel is planned to come online by mid-2023, which will have a partial influence on the 2024 car.
McLaren says it is entering 2023 with “realistic” expectations after presenting its new car for the upcoming Formula 1 season, the MCL60.
It has deviated with its usual numbering system to call its new model the MCL60, reflecting the 60th anniversary of the team’s foundation by Bruce McLaren. McLaren finished fifth in last year’s Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship, with a solitary podium finish, after narrowly being beaten by Alpine across a season-long battle.
It has previously outlined that it does not expect to re-emerge as a title contender until 2025—an approach it reiterated during Monday’s launch event at its Technology Centre in Woking.
Its new wind tunnel is planned to come online by mid-2023, which will have a partial influence on the 2024 car, while the financial savings of not renting an external facility will free up funds elsewhere. A new simulator and new manufacturing facility are also due to be implemented shortly.
“I think it’s fair to say that over the course of the season we would like to establish ourselves as part of the top four,” said Andrea Stella, who took on the mantle of team principal after Andreas Seidl departed for Sauber.
“This may mean potentially being the fourth-best car over the course of the season. We are realistic in the very short-term.”
McLaren is already working on a substantial upgrade package for the MCL60, which it hopes to ready after the opening handful of events, meaning it is cautious regarding its early-season prospects.
“There’s good developments already in the pipeline that should land trackside very soon in the season and should allow us to take a decent step forward,” said Stella.
“I think while we are happy with the development of the car in most of the areas, there are some areas, with some really strong directions, which we realized a little late into the development (of the launch car).
“So we will not necessarily be able to capitalize on these directions in the very short term, and that’s why I also talk about the developments coming just after the start of the season.”
Stella says “multiple areas of opportunities” were identified to improve from the MCL36 to the MCL60 and that “pretty much all of them have been addressed.
“I wouldn’t want to be too specific, but certainly they have to do predominantly with the aerodynamics. There are some other areas, such as interaction with the tires, and this was done over the winter.
“We are happy—not entirely happy for what is the launch car—but optimistic that it should take a good step soon.”
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