McLaren CEO Zak Brown says that their new Renault-powered MCL34 marks the start of the process that will see them return to the front of the field.
Former perennial frontrunners McLaren have fallen away from the sharp end of the grid in recent years, mostly due to a disastrous match-up with Honda. However, their switch to Renault power for 2018 showed that the problems the team were suffering weren’t all down to the power unit as the year was only a scant improvement on what had come before.
However, there’s a sense of a new dawn at McLaren for 2019. Fernando Alonso has departed to make way for compatriot Carlos Sainz, while Lando Norris has taken Stoffel Vandoorne’s seat. There are new managers in place in the form of Gil De Ferran & the incoming Andreas Seidl, formerly of the Porsche LMP1 project.
Speaking at the launch of the new 2019 car, CEO Zak Brown says that the entire team are united to stop the rot and reverse their downfall:
“The MCL34 is the result of an immense amount of hard work and dedication throughout our team. We’re all committed, motivated and united in our ambition to return McLaren to competitiveness, and the MCL34 is only the start of this process.
“We have a fresh driver pairing, who together represent the new generation of Formula 1 talent, and are an integral part of the team and our collective effort to advance McLaren forward.
“The McLaren family is not only our people and our drivers, but also our superb partners and wonderful fans. We have a strong community of partners which continues to grow, and an incredible fanbase, who have all remained loyal and supportive throughout our highs and lows, and I’d like to thank them as we head into the 2019 season.
“As ever, we move fearlessly forward.”
