McLaren snatches senior Aston Martin F1 aerodynamicist amidst their aggressive recruitment push

McLaren is making strategic changes to ensure long-term success.


<strong>McLaren snatches senior Aston Martin F1 aerodynamicist amidst their aggressive recruitment push</strong>

McLaren. Image via Steven Tee.

McLaren has been restless ever since the season started. The team hit rock bottom in the first two races of the season. They want to make changes quickly and get back on their feet. McLaren announced the restructuring of their team recently. It included the departure of their technical director James Key. They also hired David Sanchez, a former Ferarri engineer. he will join the team in 2024. 

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After analyzing the organization’s work over the winter break, McLaren wants to change their aero department. The team’s ambition is to be the leading midfielders, for now. And to match this goal, the team is open to making the changes required. According to Autosport, McLaren is in a closing agreement with about 15 individuals. Some of them have joined the team already, and the rest will serve a gardening leave before they join, like David Sanchez.

Senior staff from top teams like Red Bull, Aston Martin, and Ferrari were the prospects. Aston Martin’s senior aerodynamicist, Mariano Alperin, will join McLaren. He was a key figure who helped transform Aston Martin into a competitive team. Alperin has hands-on experience in F1. He was the head of aerodynamics at Honda from 2006 to 2007. After that, he moved to Sauber ( 2008-2019).

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McLaren hopes to turn things around with their restructuring plan

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MCL60. Image via Speedcafe.

From 2019, Alperin was the chief of aerodynamic technology at Aston Martin. Now he will move to McLaren. The Woking-based outfit has a new technical team as part of its restructuring program. It includes Sanchez, Peter Prodromou, and Neil Houldey, who will head the car concept, aerodynamics, engineering and design. The three will report directly to the McLaren team boss, Andrea Stella

Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren, has spoken about the reason behind the significant changes. “It has been clear to me for some time that our technical development has not moved at a quick enough pace to match our ambition of returning to the front of the grid. I’m pleased that, having completed a full review with Andrea, we are now able to implement the restructuring required to set the wheels in motion to turn this around.”

McLaren looks to capitalize on its wind tunnel and simulator operations over the season. The team firmly believes that there needs to be a change to improve and get to where they want to be. They have a new structure that provides clarity and effectiveness. McLaren will bring upgrades in the upcoming races and work towards enhancing their performance. The team wants to get back to their winning ways.

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