Zak Brown: “We’ve got one target in mind, to closing the gap to the front"

After finishing third in the 2020 F1 World Championship, CEO Zak Brown says McLaren will continue to push forward towards Red Bull Racing and Mercedes. The McLaren car, which was launched on Monday evening, will be fitted with a Mercedes engine for the first time since 2014. 

Since the team disbanded with Honda after the 2017 season, the Woking-based team have been working themselves up the grid. The has, so far, culminated in the team achieving two podiums and scoring 202 points in the championship last season.

Brown is determined that McLaren will continue this journey to the top. Specifically with the aid of an engine which has won the last seven World Championships. 

“We’re going to keep our eyes on all the competition, I think it would be naive to underestimate any of the competition. It was so close last year so our goal is to close the gap to the front,” Brown said during the McLaren car launch press conference attended by GPblog.  

“We’re not focused on one particular team, or who has got what power unit. We’ve got one target in mind and that is to closing the gap to the front of the field.”

Daniel Ricciardo arrives 

The Mercedes engine is not the only alteration happening for the papaya orange team. Australian Daniel Ricciardo will be making his debut in McLaren colours when pre-season starts in March. 

Ricciardo joins from Renault after finishing 5th in the F1 Drivers’ Championship last time out. When leaving Red Bull in 2018, Ricciardo made it clear he was on the hunt for the World Championship. Brown is confident of securing Ricciardo's services for the long-run in attempt to win a World Championship. 

“In our conversations with him, he’s very excited about joining McLaren and the journey we’re on. As you know, Daniel is someone we went after a couple of years ago and we weren’t able to secure his services,” Brown added. 

“At that time, I was able to make statements that I had yet to deliver on, get a great team principle, and get a great technical director and have the resources that we need. 18 months on that went from statements to factual elements that we could show.

“I think he believes this is his best chance, we haven’t put a time frame on that. He’s going to be with us for many years, I think we’re a team on the rise. He along with Lando will continue to move the team forward,” Brown concluded.