CHANGE COMING AT MCLAREN
From Mclaren’s point of view, keeping Alonso in F1 has to be a very high priority, given how he has flattered their car so far this season.
The team’s claims through 2017 that they had one of the best chassis in F1, and were only being let down by the Honda engine, have proved unfounded this season. Following their switch to Renault engines – with which Red Bull have won two races – Mclaren’s performance is not much different from what it was for much of last year.
As a result, the team’s appeal to other top drivers is limited, and they are unlikely to be able to attract another driver of Alonso’s level.
It has become clear that there are fundamental problems with the set-up of the Mclaren design department, which racing director Eric Boullier had previously said he felt was exactly what was needed. Tim Goss left his position as chief technical officer, chassis, before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and Mclaren are now in the process of a major restructure of their racing team.
Zak Brown, employed as executive director last year primarily with responsibility for commercial matters, has been given a new role as chief executive officer of Mclaren Racing, with direct control over the F1 team. Brown is looking at all senior roles at Mclaren. Likely to be addressed in this review is the team’s apparent need for a technical director of the highest calibre.
An interesting development in the midst of this has been the appointment of Indy 500 winner and two-time Champ Car champion Gil De Ferran to an informal
advisory role. Brown says the Brazilian, who became friendly with Alonso when acting as his driver coach at Indy last year, has been brought on board “as an advisor to help with our young drivers”.
But De Ferran is also there to offer advice on anything he thinks might be worthwhile. “He’s a great racer who knows his way around the garage,” Brown said. “He has so much expertise that can help us improve and we’re open-minded to that.”
Alonso said: “It is good to have him here with maybe a fresh approach or a different point of view of some of the things we are doing here. He is a great guy. At the moment, he is just listening more than talking and trying to understand how the team does everything and how the philosophy of the Mclaren team is at the moment. His contribution maybe is later on or in a couple of months’ time.”
Is that a hint of a potential longer-term future for De Ferran at Mclaren? And if so, what?
The company is believed to be evaluating programmes in both Indycars and World Endurance. But De Ferran also has history in F1 – he was sporting director at Honda’s team from 2005-7.
It depends on what Alonso wants, and he says he will not think about it seriously until the summer break. Mclaren might not be able to provide Alonso the Formula 1 car his talent deserves. But it’s not impossible they could keep him next year, with some kind of deal that allows him to dovetail competing in F1 with another attempt at the Indy 500, as was done in association with Andretti Autosport in 2017.
Either way, interesting changes are coming at one of Formula 1’s most historic teams, even if their exact nature is not yet clear.
“GIL DE FERRAN IS A GREAT GUY. AT THE MOMENT HE IS LISTENING RATHER THAN TALKING. HIS CONTRIBUTION IS MAYBE LATER ON OR IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS
FERNANDO ALONSO