How a change in mindset helped McLaren create an F1 winner

The ongoing difficulties with engine supplier Honda in 2017 led to performance and reliability issues and ended the campaign in ninth place overall for the second time in three years.

His transformation since then has been remarkable, and his 1-2 shock at this year’s Italian Grand Prix has helped him score more points this season than any other campaign in the turbo-hybrid era.

But while much of the credit for resurrecting McLaren as a competitive force rests on the shoulders of bosses Zak Brown and Andreas Seidl, ultimate responsibility for the results rests with the engineering department.

Because without the drivers who have a sufficiently competitive car, there is nothing they could do to bring home the kind of results that are now common.

Responsibility for the auto moves McLaren has taken in recent years rests with technical director James Key, who came to the outfit in 2019.

Since then he has been working hand in hand with team boss Seidl, race director Andrea Stella and operations director Piers Thynne on transforming the team from Woking.

Perhaps most interestingly, the key to the progress that has been made since then is that it wasn’t just about hiring better people to make faster auto parts.

Instead, as Key revealed, the biggest change in car progress has resulted from a change in mindset triggered by a reset triggered by Seidl.

Thinking about the elements he believed helped McLaren produce a winning car, Key stated, “The team was absolutely open to change. It was about things like more integrating our groups.

“Looking at the car as a whole and not the individual functions was something that I saw differently than what I was used to. I felt like it probably didn’t help anyone really understand their role in creating a car.

“So it opened up the process a bit more so that we had one project instead of several projects and we were trying to come together into one.

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

“Also, it was very open about things and blame etc. It wasn’t that they were necessarily an issue when we arrived, but we definitely didn’t want them at all. So people were free to talk and attack topics in a very mature and fashionable way open manner.

“In addition, it was the goal that was definitely missing. We needed a blueprint for what we wanted to achieve.

“And although there were such individual goals in certain areas, it was necessary to bring them together for the benefit of the entire car.

“I think from a cultural point of view there was definitely something to be done there just to try and redefine the way we want to work.”

The deep understanding of McLaren’s competitive landscape at the time led to the conclusion that the team needed a new wind tunnel and simulator – facilities that are now under construction.

And there was no fear of being ready to review the opponent, understanding and accepting areas where the rivals were doing things better.

Key added, “I suppose the process itself was stepping back and looking at what the car’s weaknesses were and where we needed to improve.

“So we did a lot of competitor analysis. We tried to understand exactly what we were good at and what we weren’t good at and why? Is it the methodology? Is it the equipment we have? Is it our knowledge?

“Those were all really basic questions. And then we kind of built it up and set ourselves a very clear goal.”

It is clear to Key that there was no sudden Eureka moment that brought the car a dramatic step forward. Instead, it was the classic marginal gains that are proving so effective in modern F1.

“We tried step by step to address these weaknesses, hold on to our strengths and build a much more comprehensive package. It was a process.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M, 2nd position, takes victory as his team cheers from the pit wall

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

“It’s away from 2019, which started before we got there with the 2019 car, and evolving it to be conducive to a new step and 2020.

“Of course we then had homologation and COVID and other things that interrupted the process a bit, and then in 2021 the same thing again, so to speak. So it was a pretty comprehensive approach.

“I guess there wasn’t one thing you go and think: Right, yes, the transmission has to be different or something. It was more of a big picture car approach that everyone had to understand and then work together.” to solve.

“That is still a work in progress. But now it is definitely working quite well.”

But despite the great strides that have been made since those dark days a few years ago, it doesn’t make sense for the team’s journey to be over.

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It’s a great feeling for Seidl to win again, but the gap to Mercedes and Red Bull still remains that has to be closed.

“For example, if you see the average lap time gap that we still have over the whole year compared to Red Bull / Mercedes, we have a realistic picture of where we are right now,” he explained.

“We know that we still have a good way to go, but at the same time we are of course ambitious. We want to shorten this route.

“We know there are some things that we cannot shorten, such as installing the wind tunnel, which will also be crucial on our journey. But I am very happy with what I have done in terms of the development of the team.

“I am very happy with the way James, Andreas and Piers manage the departments on the technical side, but also in terms of human leadership. For me, this is the key to taking the final steps in the years to come. “