One phrase uttered by McLaren Formulation 1 crew principal Andrea Stella almost two years in the past issues when contemplating his crew’s announcement of a contract extension for its aerodynamics chief, Peter Prodromou.
“We needed to unleash a really sturdy useful resource that we had internally, and that, for some causes was under-utilised,” Stella mentioned again on the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.
This was simply after McLaren had massively reorganised its technical division and eliminated earlier technical director James Key.
In his subsequent sentence, Stella particularly referenced Prodromou – who he used his basic thorough fashion to name “some of the competent consultants in F1 in relation to aerodynamics” – as being a key beneficiary of the then-major alteration to McLaren’s technical division.
“Unleash” is perhaps one of many many buzzwords of a crowded period, however on the subject of McLaren and Prodromou, it retains arising.
In discussing how he’d seen Stella flip the outcomes tide at McLaren since his elevation to his present job at 2023’s graduation, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown advised this author final yr: “He actually simply restructured with the expertise that we’ve, apart from Rob Marshall [who was signed from Red Bull for 2024] after which after all, another hires.
“However from a high-profile standpoint, it was unleashing Pete Prodromou, who had been not correctly promoted, and letting him run aero.”
Peter Prodromou, Chief Engineer, McLaren
Picture by: Motorsport Photos
McLaren introduced on Tuesday that Prodromou would proceed doing so with a recent multi-year extension of his contract.
His earlier one had him as one among three main figures within the crew’s horizontal technical construction – put in place within the post-Key period and reshuffled when present Alpine government technical director David Sanchez left it after simply three months final yr.
Earlier than it was applied, Stella and Brown got here to really feel that concepts had been considerably stifled and so the set up of the brand new construction adopted what was revealed in Stella’s prolonged assessment into McLaren operations on the very begin of his crew principal tenure.
On the identical time, Brown got here to view Prodromou’s efforts within the crew’s false-dawn revival of 2021 – when McLaren returned to successful methods for the primary time in 9 years after switching from Renault engine energy to Mercedes – as being buried within the credit score earned by then McLaren crew principal Andreas Seidl and Key.
There has since been a notable shift in how McLaren views these sporadic successes earned with Daniel Ricciardo alongside Lando Norris, because it did not kick on initially at the beginning of the present guidelines period.
Lando Norris, McLaren, 2nd place, pours Champagne as Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren, 1st place, prepares a shoey for Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, on the rostrum
Picture by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Photos
Brown would let Seidl stroll to his short-lived time operating Sauber/Audi after which signed off on Key’s axing and the general technical division restructure.
In spite of everything, McLaren’s return to common successful methods was achieved with out the primary fruits from its appreciable funding in main design amenities – its new windtunnel and simulator that had been signed off underneath Seidl – even actually being felt by way of new automotive components.
Tuesday’s announcement should subsequently be considered inside all that context – in addition to how the efforts of McLaren’s present technical construction so efficiently stepped up its outcomes that it ended 2024 as constructors’ champion.
Motorsport.com understands that the recent contract announcement is an extension of McLaren desirous to laud Prodromou’s work, relatively than keep at bay any events at different groups occupied with his companies.
The crew he labored for in between his first McLaren stint beginning in 1991 and his second, since 2014 when he left Crimson Bull, is, proper now adapting to life with out his former boss Adrian Newey, however right here the announcement works handily two-fold underneath its central purpose.
However there’s additionally an extra timing aspect to contemplate right here, as McLaren heads into the 2025 season with the prospect to clinch a primary drivers’ world title since Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and a primary championship double since 1998.
Motorsport.com understands the crew is sticking with its mantra of prioritising the constructors’ prize as a primary purpose, relatively than let any distractions come up for these charged with offering Norris and Oscar Piastri the automotive to realize their very own huge particular person title goals this yr.
Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Group, 1st place, the McLaren crew have fun after securing the Constructors Championship title
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photos
They accomplish that as the one steady drive line-up of the 4 frontrunning squads – with Hamilton settling into life at Ferrari, Liam Lawson now paired with Max Verstappen at Crimson Bull and Andrea Kimi Antonelli beginning life in F1 as Hamilton’s alternative at Mercedes.
All of McLaren’s rivals additionally head into the brand new marketing campaign with higher questions on their automotive efficiency potential contemplating how 2024 performed out – though Ferrari a minimum of can replicate that it’d’ve overwhelmed McLaren had been it not for its mid-season outcomes wobble, alongside how the Woking crew was slower out of the gates versus its Maranello-based rival.
McLaren’s band is simply totally collectively, with Prodromou getting its aero signing fantastically as of late.
That added stability – even additional bolstered with Tuesday’s information – might present a important edge in what will likely be a tricky coming season for automotive improvement planning.
Certainly, it appeared as 2024 ended that groups had been reaching one thing of a improvement ceiling with the present guidelines – therefore the thrilling outcomes convergence – they usually additionally all have to fastidiously steadiness a chase for extra efficiency of their new automobiles with not lacking the important thing design boat of the rule adjustments coming for these being raced in 2026.
It was the response of Seidl and Key to how McLaren at first did not nail the present guidelines that in the end led to Prodromou’s unleashing, which highlights some hazard on that entrance if McLaren had been to fall again from the entrance subsequent yr.
However the recognition at present being shone out highlights how sturdy the bonds are at a well-known F1 organisation that is aware of solely too properly the way it feels to underwhelm when issues go awry.
Learn Additionally:
On this article
Alex Kalinauckas
Formulation 1
McLaren
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