There are two key Formula 1 presentations today. Mercedes has unveiled their W15 machine, which the German constructor hopes to take a step in 2023. However, McLaren was the first to unveil MCL38. This single-seater must follow up on the important development work carried out last season, particularly the technical growth seen post-Austria. Andrea Stella’s team wants to confirm itself at the top of the rankings, hoping to bring the team back to victory soon.
The new McLaren MCL38 presented
The Woking team already revealed their livery some weeks ago. It is a continuation from last season with a mix of Papaya carbon black. There are no surprises from that point of view.
McLaren’s MCL38 presents itself as an evolution of the package that concluded last season in Abu Dhabi. Andrea Stella’s group has strengthened this winter with the arrival of two important figures: Rob Marshall (Red Bull) and David Sanchez (Ferrari).
Their contributions will be especially important for next year’s car. The English team has not considered a technical ‘revolution’, but the ambitions are important. There is a desire to pick up the path from where it left off in 2023 and become a serious contender for victories.
Today will be very important for Zak Brown’s team. Once the MCL38 has been unveiled, the car will immediately make its track debut at Silverstone to hold the first filming day of the season.
200km of action to collect data and verify that all assembly and installation procedures have been carried out correctly. The program is the same that Ferrari is carrying out today in Fiorano, with Carlos Sainz who returned to the wheel of the SF-24 already this morning.
Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will thus be able to enjoy and receive the first sensations of the new single-seater, then awaiting the start of testing in Bahrain next week.
First statements from Zak Brown, Andrea Stella, Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri
Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing:
“It’s fantastic to be able to launch our 2024 car, the MCL38, today at Silverstone. It’s great to see its 2024 livery on track and see the team’s hard work and dedication come together.
“The great thing about the sport is how competitive it is, so we need to stay realistic as each team will have made progress in the off-season. The real test of whether we have made progress in the right direction will be qualifying in Bahrain.
“We are all excited to get back to racing, but we know there is a long season ahead of us and a lot of work still to do to ensure we build on the progress made throughout 2023.
Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1:
“The team is thrilled to present the MCL38 today and see it on track for the first time. Going into this year, we look to build on the momentum of last season, but we are realistic in the knowledge that each team will have made progress and found competitiveness for their 2024 cars.
“Now we have everything in place from an infrastructure, people and culture, so we continue to move forward and build on the work we’ve done to bring us back to the forefront.
“Before we hit the track for competitive sessions, we have a lot of work to do, including putting the MCL38 through its paces during pre-season testing in Bahrain. The team has done a good job over the winter, and we are confident we can get off to a good start.
“But we know we have important tasks at hand before the start of the season. There are numerous innovations on the car, but not all the areas we wanted to address were completed for our car in the launch specification.
“These areas now become the focus of our seasonal development, which is already underway. My thanks go to the entire team, both on track and at the MTC and MRC, for their great efforts in ensuring the car was ready to take to the track today, as well as to our colleagues at Mercedes HPP for their continuous collaboration. We now turn our attention to the long season ahead of us, awaiting the tests in Bahrain next week.”
Lando Norris, Driver, McLaren F1:
“I’m excited to get behind the wheel of the MCL38 and see how it works. The livery looks great on the new car, so it’s fun to be able to hit the track today. I can’t wait to give the car a shake in Bahrain.
“I have full faith in the team that will continue to move forward after the turning point of last season. However, the real test of our progress will come when we put the car through its paces in testing ahead of qualifying and the run-up to the Bahrain Grand Prix.
“Over the last few weeks, I have been back at the MTC working hard on the simulator with my engineering team to ensure we are fully prepared for next week. Thanks to everyone at the track and in the factory for their work that has brought us to this point. I’m excited to get to Bahrain and get back to racing.”
Oscar Piastri, Driver, McLaren F1:
“It’s fantastic to be able to drive the MCL38 on track today for the first time. It’s an important milestone in our development for the year, and I’m excited to see it on track in its new livery.
“We won’t know where we are in terms of competitiveness until we race in Bahrain, but we have prepared to the best of our ability by spending time in the simulator, working closely with everyone who designed, built and the car, ensuring we can start the season well.
I look forward to the next few weeks leading up to a busy year. A huge thank you to the team for everything they have done so far to prepare us for 2024. I’m really excited to start my second season in F1 properly.”
Author: Paolo D’Alessandro
