Andreas Seidl and the art of winning back with McLaren (part 2)

First part available here

What are the paths to the track?

If he still refuses to talk about before and after Covid-19, the 44-year-old manager nevertheless warns of the irremediable consequences that could result from a latent war between sporting power and certain large structures.

“What is at stake, he insists, it is nothing less than the loss of stables. And this is why Jean Todt's leadership is important now to achieve this great progress in terms of the capped budget. For this year, the measures already taken (postponement to 2022 of the new regulations, freezing of certain elements on 2020 cars. Editor's note) are good but we need more to forge a healthy and sustainable sport.

It is comforting to see that the decisions already taken and those that will be taken show that everyone understands that we are in a huge crisis and that we must make unprecedented decisions in order to protect all the teams and the F1. Afterwards, it is also normal – and this is the nature of the sport we are in – that there are opportunistic positions in each team.”

Just as important right now is the need to get back into competition and, on this subject, our man admits he doesn't know what to think. “It is impossible to predict, at the moment, when we will be able to return to the circuits, he confesses. It will also depend on the different crisis exit strategies in each country.

The teams depend on the income collected, and therefore on the races contested. We are open to trying new things, new weekend formats. At the same time, it is important not to rush. Too much change too quickly could have perverse effects. More than ever, it is important not to make mistakes, to make the right decisions, because we do not have the right to make mistakes.

Things like meetings shortened to two days, when we are talking about three events in a row, make sense. Also, and this is my point of view, we saw some great races last year and it is not necessarily necessary to destroy everything. For me, the real issue is the too big difference between large and medium structures, and this is something that must be rectified with the new 2022 regulations, with the capped budget which we hope to be well below $175 million currently decided (F1 has decided to lower it to $145 million, Editor’s note).

I hope we come out of this with a stronger F1 than it was before. » An F1 that would have been capable of changing the leaden screed under which it currently finds itself into a golden future. “If we look at our bubble,” he repeats, “if we make the right decisions now, F1 will be able to forge a sustainable future with much better health. »

Keep the momentum

This word “health”, from the famous “Boulevard” of the Woking factory where all the cuts are gathered in the darkest corner of the MTC (McLaren Technology Center. Editor’s note), it is on the lips of all the employees of the famous firm.

“As soon as there was this strong demand for ventilators in the UK, he proudly announces, a few engineers and a handful of production people volunteered to explore the possibilities. Afterwards, we simply became part of this consortium with a few other big brands and names. We have put our entire organization – production, engineering, project management, etc. – together. – moving forward to play our role. Between 100 and 150 people are mobilized with the sole objective of saving lives. »

Once this all-important parenthesis has been closed, once the deconfinement has begun and the factory has reopened, we will have to close ranks to maintain this push, this “momentum” mentioned earlier.

“It's not the most difficult thing, he blurted out while we can see his smile. We are all used to summer “closures” and we will have no trouble getting back into working order. It will have just been longer, but we have procedures in place to quickly get back into rhythm. On the technical side, all the teams identified the weak points of their car during winter testing in Barcelona and tried to rectify them immediately. Between now and the resumption, what will be important is to establish a precise list of elements which will be frozen on the current car for 2020 and 2021.”

A list all the more important for the Woking team as it will change its power unit at the end of the financial year, moving from the power unit Renault to the one of Mercedes.

“While we were supposed to install it in the car meeting the new regulations, we are forced to change plans, He says. The situation is different now, but we are certainly not thinking of delaying this change for a year. The way in which we will be able to integrate the powertrain into the current chassis will be subject to certain restrictions.

We have already agreed with the FIA ​​to settle for the bare minimum required and the institution will ensure that we do not touch anything in the engine environment that could give us more performance. We completely agree with this reinforced control because it is necessary to look on a larger scale.

This freezing of certain elements of the car is essential to ensure maximum savings this season! Really, I hope we make big progress on the capped budget in the coming days. It is understandable that there are different interests at stake, but I can see a common will emerging.” A will to live and an era which will be approached with a new pilot in the person of Daniel Ricciardo, recruited to replace Carlos Sainz leaving for Ferrari for 2021.