F1: 'McLaren is Back in the Game’, Says Team Boss Zak Brown After Lando Norris' Podium Finish At British GP

McLaren's first podium result of the 2023 season came in the British Grand Prix, and team chief Zak Brown couldn't contain his glee. In Brown's words, the Woking operation was "nowhere" after the first two flyaway races due to the MCL60's difficult preseason, and it could only hope to score a few points in the next six rounds. Recently, he declared in an interview, "We're back in the game." With the departure of Technical Director James Key and the arrival of new team principal Andrea Stella, all eyes were on the massive improvement package McLaren had planned for Austria. Norris and Oscar Piastri soared to second and third in qualifying at Silverstone because of the upgrades available to their McLarens. They went on to finish second and fourth.

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F1: What did Zak Brown Say?

Brown, discussing McLaren's performance in an interview after the race, stated,  “Given how we started the year in Bahrain and Saudi, where we were nowhere, to be on the podium, to lead the race and be there on pure pace, having two cars there. It’s unfortunate, I feel bad for Oscar, he deserved to be third, but what incredible work all the men and women at McLaren have done.”

More "fantastic racing" is on the horizon, according to Brown, and he thinks championship leader Max Verstappen is "getting less further ahead" as the season progresses.

At the Red Bull Ring in Austria, where the modifications were first introduced with Lando Norris, the British driver excelled by qualifying fourth, placing third in the Sprint Shootout, and finishing fourth in the Grand Prix, however, it was unclear how much of his success could be attributed to the circuit itself.

However, both McLarens were able to take advantage of the Upgrades at Silverstone, allowing Norris and Oscar Piastri to qualify in the top three spots and finish in the top four, with Piastri dropping a position due to the late Safety Car.

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F1: Changes in Woking

After James Key quit in March, CEO Zak Brown and Team Principal Andrea Stella decided to divide Technical Director responsibilities among the three employees.

McLaren was on the verge of breaking after years of steady growth. If they want to stem the haemorrhage and regain the lead, they will need to make major additions like Sanchez to boost their present talent and fight back to the front.

Rob Marshall, who has spent the previous seventeen years with Red Bull Racing and contributed substantially to Red Bull's first triumph, four consecutive double championships from 2010 to 2013, and their most recent victories in 2021 and 2022, is another addition to the British squad.

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