McLaren does not want to help destabilized teams with early driver change

McLaren will see Carlos Sainz leave for Ferrari in 2021 and Daniel Ricciardo of Renault will take his place. As several drivers have already decided on their place for next year, speculation is surfacing during the season that changes can be made sooner. In the case of McLaren, CEO Zak Brown doesn't see anything in this, he would like to continue with the current line-up until the end of this year.

Getting used to the environment

Should a driver make a switch before then it is beneficial to get used to the new environment. After all, every team is different and if that happens just before the start of the season, it can have some impact on performance. Every process takes time, including getting used to it. For example, if Ferrari presents itself to take over Sainz right now, McLaren won't agree.

"We are happy with our drivers for this year and we are happy with the lineup that the other teams have. I think we have two drivers who are doing well where other teams are struggling with a destabilised garage," Brown explained in conversation with Motorsport.com. That situation with other teams is annoying, but McLaren doesn't care about that.

"I want to continue with the togetherness we have now. If we consider changing that, it could work to the advantage of other teams." In other words, the relationship is turning around, so to speak, and that is anything but favorable for McLaren, who is doing pretty well at the moment.

Future-oriented

By definition, their stable performance now is better than a few years ago when McLaren was nowhere. That starting point is favourable, but Brown foresees more possibilities and specifically from 2022, when the new rules come into force. "Ultimately, our goal is to grab the team that comes first: Mercedes."

"It is encouraging that we can now race against Ferrari because that was not possible last year and before. Even more encouraging is that we are closing the gap and I think 2022, when the reset is for everyone, will be a great opportunity for us." But Brown remains realistic as Renault and Racing Point are formidable opponents.

With the introduction of the budget cap the gap is likely to narrow even further, so McLaren has many teams around them that need attention if they are to continue to compete for great positions in the championship. Brown is at least optimistic about the arrival of this, he concludes: "Everyone starts with a clean slate and that means we are entering a great era in Formula 1."