McLaren reveal how F1 2023 improvements were made possible

McLaren started the 2023 season with muted expectations after missing development targets over the winter.

However, aggressive mid-season upgrades have seen the team emerge as a leading force, with Lando Norris finishing second at four of the last seven races.

At the Japanese Grand Prix, Norris claimed P2 behind dominant Red Bull's Max Verstappen, while rookie Oscar Piastri secured his first podium in P3.

After the Suzuka race, McLaren principal Andrea Stella admitted the team's improvement of around one second per lap.

Stella credited McLaren's aerodynamics department, led by technical director Peter Prodromou, for finding strong development directions that the entire team unified behind.

In the F1 Nation Podacast Stella said: "They have really found great inspiration as to what the directions to be pursued were and then all united, they went behind this direction."

"And when you have 100 people rowing in the same direction, then incredible things can happen."

He continued: "I think they made it possible and then all teams supported with design, production, logistics and so on.”

Stella highlighted contributions from individuals like deputy technical director Neil Houldey and consultant Gil de Ferran in instigating the initial momentum when McLaren were struggling at the start of the season.

As Stella explained: “So that was the roadmap, if you want. Every team will have this roadmap, so the problem was: how do we make it possible?"

While rejecting notions of "momentum" over the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari, Stella reiterated that the technical direction was key.

In his words: “I would like to praise all the people that have made this possible: Neil Houldey, Peter Prodromou, Piers Thynne, Gil de Ferran, Giuseppe Pesce, Mark Ingham - there’s so many people that have been so instrumental.”