McLaren fell from the top of the Formula 1 ladder in 2013. Since then, they have had flashes of brilliance. But they haven’t been able to maintain their form for long. McLaren and Zak Brown would like to change this trend with their new state-of-the-art wind tunnel. They will hope that they can now build a car that helps Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri fight for wins.
Financial Issues No More
Financial issues hit McLaren pretty hard a few years earlier. This was partly responsible for their slump in Formula 1. However, since Zak Brown has stepped in, he has rebuilt the commercial power of the company.
He has brilliantly leveraged the legacy of the McLaren Formula 1 team. He has also used the marketability of drivers like Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo, and Oscar Piastri.
McLaren currently has more than 40 sponsors in Formula 1 to bolster its finances. The introduction of the cost cap has helped the team as well.
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McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) Upgrades
The wind tunnel is one part of a series of upgrades that McLaren have brought to the MTC. Zak Brown believes all of this will help them fight at the front of Formula 1. However, we may have to wait till 2025 to see the full potential of these upgrades.
Long-standing Partnership with Toyota
For many years now, McLaren were using Toyota’s wind tunnel in Cologne, France. They finally bid goodbye to that location. However, they have kept their partnership going by hiring Ryo Hirakawa, Toyota’s factory driver, as one of their reserve drivers.
Nowhere to Hide
Formula 1 fans may fault McLaren and Zak Brown for blaming their inefficiency on their old technology. Red Bull still use a wind-tunnel from the World War era, and they’ve built a monster of a car for 2 years in a row.
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However, with this new wind tunnel, McLaren will have nowhere to hide. Zak Brown has admitted this as well. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are championship-calibre drivers. If McLaren fumble their development again, they may start looking elsewhere.
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