Open letter from Zac Brown – all Formula 1 news 2023

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown summarized the season in an open letter…

Dear McLaren fans,

As CEO of McLaren Racing, I am proud and have a deep sense of responsibility to lead this iconic team. It is a true privilege to lead a team with such a heritage and rich history. The passion and dedication of McLaren fans drives me and everyone in our team to work towards our common goal: success on and off the track.

I am grateful for the opportunity to work with our team leaders – Andrea Stella, Gavin Ward, Ian James and their teams – and the many men and women who work tirelessly on the track and behind the scenes. I am honored to be part of this great team and have the support of some of the best leaders in the sport. The collective efforts of our entire company, including our owners, board members, our great partners and loyal fans, embody the spirit of McLaren Racing and drive us to always move forward.

I would like to thank our millions of fans around the world and reflect on our achievements over the past twelve months.

Even though the start of the Formula 1 season was not easy for us, we remained focused and calm. Andrea Stella and his team refined the car, allowing it to move from the back row to the lead. What’s amazing is that, with the exception of a few management changes, the same people who started the season ensured McLaren finished strongly. We are now working around the clock with the 2024 machine and want to build on this progress.

Next season we face a difficult task: to further reduce the gap with the leaders. All teams are looking for ways to develop cars and increase speed. Our team took on this challenge with determination and dedication.

We have to give credit to Max Verstappen, who has broken many records this year. I doubt we will ever see such dominance again. When Red Bull Racing in Hungary broke McLaren’s 1988 record (winning the 12th Grand Prix in a row), we were also able to stand on the podium and share this achievement, despite the small incident with the Lando trophy!

The competition between the remaining teams has been intense all year, delighting Formula 1 fans around the world. It’s great to see how our former driver and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has proven that age is no barrier to success at 42, scoring six podium finishes in the first eight races.

Mercedes, Ferrari and Aston Martin didn’t make it easy for us, but we fought for victory in every race, every round, leading to a thrilling finale as the final positions in the Constructors’ Championship were determined in the final round of the season. Riders from five different teams reached the podium seven times in one season, again indicating high competition.

At the beginning of the year we set ourselves the goal of consistently competing for the podium and finishing the season no lower than fourth place. We were able to achieve this goal and go from the ninth fastest team to possibly the second fastest team by the end of the year. This is largely the merit of team leader Andrea Stella and his team. Andrea has done an excellent job, not only in the culture he created at McLaren, but also in the way he empowered people. Stella is a driven and inspiring leader.

For me personally, the highlight of the year was our home race at Silverstone, when Lando took the lead at the start, with Oscar close behind. The British fans cheered loudly from the stands – it was incredible. Lando was excellent in 2023, showing great speed and amazing skills. He can often be hard on himself when he makes a mistake, but his seven podium finishes are testament to his speed and determination. His first victory is just around the corner.

I believe we have the strongest driver pair in Formula 1. Oscar surprised many in his debut season and proved he is capable of battling on the front row with drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. It’s a shame he missed the podium at Silverstone due to the safety car, but he did it at Suzuka and then won the sprint in Qatar, proving his exceptional talent. I have no doubt that Oscar will continue to impress as he gains experience with his new contract, which runs until the end of 2026.

Winning the sprint in Qatar was one of the team’s two important achievements in this special year. That weekend our mechanics set a world record; they managed to make a pit stop for Lando in 1.8 seconds. Although it is the riders who receive the most attention from the press and fans, it was a reminder of the intense teamwork that takes place within our organization to ensure we achieve the best results together.

I mention this year as special because we are celebrating 60 years since our founder Bruce McLaren put together this great team. We celebrated this with a number of special events. Despite the bad weather, the Goodwood Festival of Speed ​​was the perfect venue to showcase our rich and successful history.”