The team will also be hoping to overcome another adversity as former team principal Andreas Seidl decided to switch teams and move to Alfa Romeo. Seidl’s move was more a case of the incoming German automotive Audi luring him away for its F1 operations.
At McLaren, the team will have newcomer Oscar Piastri in his rookie season. The Australian has been touted as a prodigious talent and rated very highly across the paddock. Piastri joins the Woking-based squad after spending a year on the sidelines. Before that, the Australian had won three titles in three years on his way to F1.
He will replace Daniel Ricciardo and partner with Lando Norris in what should be a very young partnership. After spending a year on the backfoot in 2022, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a marked improvement this season from its challenger.
We underachieved in 2022: McLaren driver Lando Norris
In a recent interview, Lando Norris admitted that the Woking-based squad had fallen short of its expectations from the season. 2022 saw the team score a lone podium and slip behind Alpine in the midfield. This was a disappointing step back for the team after the highs of the 2021 F1 season where the team secured a ‘1-2’ finish and a pole position.
Looking back at the season, Norris said:
The Woking-based squad is surely under pressure right now. Andreas Seidl has been replaced by Andrea Stella and that is a big change. The team was looking to make inroads at the front in 2022, so it will be interesting to see what it achieves this season.
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