McLaren Looking to ‘Make Another Step’ in ‘All Areas’ in 2023 – Andreas Seidl

Andreas Seidl, the outgoing Team Principal of the McLaren F1 Team, says his former team will want to make a step forward during the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season after losing ground last season compared to 2021.

McLaren slipped to fifth in the Constructors’ Championship in 2022, scoring only one podium finish thanks to Lando Norris in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, having taken fourth place in 2021.  They were involved in a season-long battle with the BWT Alpine F1 Team for that fourth place, only to fall short in the final reckoning by fourteen points.

Seidl, who will take up a new position as CEO of the Sauber F1 Team in January, admits McLaren do still have some limitations, such as using a wind tunnel that is not their own, but it is up to the team to overcome those limitations and push forward to develop a better car for 2023.

“The objective is clear also next year, we want to make another step again in all areas of the team,” Seidl is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com prior to his departure from McLaren.

“That’s not just with the car itself, including some of the weaknesses we’ve seen this year, but also with just simply making another step as a team in all aspects.

“At the same time, I have a realistic view on where we are right now as a team. I’m also aware of the limitations we’re still having, mainly on the infrastructure side, especially compared to the teams that are running in front of us. And it’s even teams like Alpine and teams that run behind us at the moment.

“So that means there isn’t necessarily a step forward possible in terms of the constructors’ championship. But, at the same time, we are racers and we wake up in the morning because we want to shortcut the journey we are in and we try to do a better job. That’s the ambition you’re having.

However, despite losing ground in 2022 compared to the year before, Seidl reckons it was still a positive year for McLaren as they were able to learn a lot that will help them rebuild and come back stronger next year.

“For me in the end, also when I look at this season, it feels like a step backwards compared to previous seasons,” Seidl added.   “But I think there were a lot of positives still this year, where we made steps forward as a team. That’s why, in the end, it is still a positive season for us.

“We are on a journey. We know exactly what we have to do in order to make these next steps as a team. At the same time, we know that it takes time.

“But the positive thing is we know all the things that are coming and falling into place are what we need to make this final step in the next few years. And we simply need to make sure that we keep having continuity also in the team, in terms of personnel organisation, because I’m convinced we have all the talents involved that we need.

“It’s simply down to us now to get everything in place and then make it work, and also show that we can do it.”