F1 Racing - UK (2020-07)

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GP RACING JULY 2020 47

THE SEIDL FACTOR

Seidl’s decision to join McLaren was announced

in January 2019, and although he didn’t start

work until four months later, once his Porsche

gardening leave was completed, it was still

quite the coup. The 44-year old was set to lead

Porsche’s Formula E team (as he had its ultra-

successful LMP1 squad –to three Le Mans 24

Hours/World Endurance Championship doubles)

and the marque’s motorsport division overall. To

any driver, and Ricciardo will no doubt be well

aware how highly regarded Seidl is by his former

charges, that leadership boosts McLaren.

Since Seidl began his stint as McLaren’s

team principal – a title he requested due to his

fondness for ‘traditional’ racing programme

structures (hispredecessor Eric Boullier was

racing director) – Seidl has been quietly and

efficiently making his mark. Whereas McLaren

was infamous for its complex organisation, which

led to responsibilitiessuch as car design being

shared by several people, Seidl has streamlined

things. His ‘leadership team’ is Key, Andrea Stella

as racing director, Piers Thynne asproduction

director, and Paul James as team manager.

This directional clarity has helped McLaren

implement another important aspect of Seidl’s

method, which is to foster a positive culture that

emphasises togetherness. This applies to the

drivers too, and Sainz’s relationship with Lando

Norris – who will remain as Ricciardo’s team-

mate in 2021 – was a joy tobehold in 2019, and

clearly filtered downthe ranks at McLaren.

Ultimately, Seidl has aproventrack record of

success. BMW Sauber became a race-winning

F1 squadduring his time there as head of track

operations,while BMW immediately won in the

DTM whenhe managedits return as director of

race operations in 2012. This is backed up further

by how keenly Seidl’s departure was felt by

Porsche’s fledgling Formula E outfit.

Brown sees Ricciardo’s arrival as a further

signal of McLaren’sprogress, and says Vettel

was never an option for a direct swap with Sainz.

Former McLaren star Fernando Alonso is also on

the sidelines, but he has long indicated that any

F1 return rests on an immediate race-winning

seat. McLaren isn’t there yet, but in Ricciardo it

has hired ayounger, proven race winner, who will

be ready to take thatchancewhen it comes, and

can in the meantime provide a new reference for

Norris and the rest of the team.

MERCEDES POWER ON

THE HORIZON

From the start of next season, McLaren-

Mercedes will again be an F1 force. It might not

be the successful de facto works operation it

once was, butMcLaren moving back to Stuttgart

power after whatwill be six years away matters

double for Ricciardo.

Mercedes power is still undefeated in the

turbo hybrid era and, thanks to its controversial

settlement with the FIA, Ferrari’s recent

advantage in this area seems to be on the

wane – if indications from a previous lifetime’s

winter testing can be firmly believed right now.

Mercedes’ engines are also generally more

reliable than the current customer Renault units

McLaren is buying, despite the unusually high

rate of attrition seen on theworks car’s units and

at Williams during 2020 pre-season testing.

Ultimately, McLaren lostsome big results

to patchy reliability in 2019, and it’s worth

remembering that Honda’s sketchy record

was a factor in Ricciardo’s decision to jump

ship from Red Bull to Renault in 2018–

a point to where his contact with McLaren

can also be traced.

From McLaren’s perspective, it targeted a

Mercedes reunion as part of its plan to moveup

the grid, which will have given Ricciardo added

confidence. Mercedes also feelsthe new deal is

beneficial. And the reunion is also unaffected

by the regulatory decision to keep the 2020

Andreas Seidl had a great track record even

before joining McLaren and this won’t have

gone unnoticedby the Ricciardo camp

The return of Mercedes enginesto power

McLaren’s F1 chassis from 2021 must also

PICTURES have been a factor in Ricciardo’s thinking

:STEVENTEE

;MARKSUTTON

;STEVEETHERINGTON

GP RACING JULY 2020 47

THE SEIDL FACTOR

Seidl’s decision to join McLaren was announced

in January 2019, and although he didn’t start

work until four months later, once his Porsche

gardening leave was completed, it was still

quite the coup. The 44-year old was set to lead

Porsche’s Formula E team (as he had its ultra-

successful LMP1 squad –to three Le Mans 24

Hours/World Endurance Championship doubles)

and the marque’s motorsport division overall. To

any driver, and Ricciardo will no doubt be well

aware how highly regarded Seidl is by his former

charges, that leadership boosts McLaren.

Since Seidl began his stint as McLaren’s

team principal – a title he requested due to his

fondness for ‘traditional’ racing programme

structures (hispredecessor Eric Boullier was

racing director) – Seidl has been quietly and

efficiently making his mark. Whereas McLaren

was infamous for its complex organisation, which

led to responsibilitiessuch as car design being

shared by several people, Seidl has streamlined

things. His ‘leadership team’ is Key, Andrea Stella

as racing director, Piers Thynne asproduction

director, and Paul James as team manager.

This directional clarity has helped McLaren

implement another important aspect of Seidl’s

method, which is to foster a positive culture that

emphasises togetherness. This applies to the

drivers too, and Sainz’s relationship with Lando

Norris – who will remain as Ricciardo’s team-

mate in 2021 – was a joy tobehold in 2019, and

clearly filtered downthe ranks at McLaren.

Ultimately, Seidl has aproventrack record of

success. BMW Sauber became a race-winning

F1 squadduring his time there as head of track

operations,while BMW immediately won in the

DTM whenhe managedits return as director of

race operations in 2012. This is backed up further

by how keenly Seidl’s departure was felt by

Porsche’s fledgling Formula E outfit.

Brown sees Ricciardo’s arrival as a further

signal of McLaren’sprogress, and says Vettel

was never an option for a direct swap with Sainz.

Former McLaren star Fernando Alonso is also on

the sidelines, but he has long indicated that any

F1 return rests on an immediate race-winning

seat. McLaren isn’t there yet, but in Ricciardo it

has hired ayounger, proven race winner, who will

be ready to take thatchancewhen it comes, and

can in the meantime provide a new reference for

Norris and the rest of the team.

MERCEDES POWER ON

THE HORIZON

From the start of next season, McLaren-

Mercedes will again be an F1 force. It might not

be the successful de facto works operation it

once was, butMcLaren moving back to Stuttgart

power after whatwill be six years away matters

double for Ricciardo.

Mercedes power is still undefeated in the

turbo hybrid era and, thanks to its controversial

settlement with the FIA, Ferrari’s recent

advantage in this area seems to be on the

wane – if indications from a previous lifetime’s

winter testing can be firmly believed right now.

Mercedes’ engines are also generally more

reliable than the current customer Renault units

McLaren is buying, despite the unusually high

rate of attrition seen on theworks car’s units and

at Williams during 2020 pre-season testing.

Ultimately, McLaren lostsome big results

to patchy reliability in 2019, and it’s worth

remembering that Honda’s sketchy record

was a factor in Ricciardo’s decision to jump

ship from Red Bull to Renault in 2018–

a point to where his contact with McLaren

can also be traced.

From McLaren’s perspective, it targeted a

Mercedes reunion as part of its plan to moveup

the grid, which will have given Ricciardo added

confidence. Mercedes also feelsthe new deal is

beneficial. And the reunion is also unaffected

by the regulatory decision to keep the 2020

Andreas Seidl had a great track record even

before joining McLaren and this won’t have

gone unnoticedby the Ricciardo camp

The return of Mercedes enginesto power
McLaren’s F1 chassis from 2021 must also
PICTURES have been a factor in Ricciardo’s thinking

:STEVENTEE

;MARKSUTTON

;STEVEETHERINGTON