Brown: The racing spirit has returned to McLaren

With two new drivers, one a rookie, 2019 was always going to be a tough challenge for everyone at Woking, but Brown smartly freed himself of the time-consuming role of babysitting a superstar by putting Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz in the cars - their mandate: get adjusted to the team and drive as hard as you can.

So far the pair are ticking the right boxes.

The McLaren CEO can also take the kudos for promoting DTM and WEC ace manager Andreas Seidl to run the F1 operation - a brave move which could set a trend. When last did F1 go head-hunting in the WEC as he has done?

And of course, he stuck to his guns and wrenched James Key from the sticky confines of the Red Bull organisation.

These are two key players whose mandate is to get the team back to the front of the grid, with Brown (again very shrewdly) fronting for the team by dealing with the tons of 'fluff' on race weekends that could distract Key and Seidl.

Nevertheless, the impact of the pair will take a while to be fully felt at Woking, Key's input probably only really evident in the 2020 car. Having said that, his current Toro Rosso is not a bad piece of kit. [Ask Adrian Newey...]

Meanwhile, clearly embracing his new role, Seidl is already instilling new energy within the ranks which prompted Auto Motor und Sport, to ask Brown what had changed within the team?

He replied, "A lot of things. The team is doing an excellent job. We don't have the fourth fastest car, more like the sixth fastest, but our pit stops, our strategy, our reliability and our drivers have been very good, while others helped us with their own mistakes."

With McLaren 'Best of the Rest' after seven rounds this season, even ahead of their engine supplier Renault, Brown was quick to dish out credit, "The team and our drivers put us in fourth place because our racing team has taken a step forward."

So what changed since the winter?

"One word: focus," replied Brown. "I told our team manager that I wanted better pitstops this year; that we meet deadlines; that we were the first car on the track for testing. We now have a clear, more traditional F1 structure.

"We have also improved our pitstop equipment and routines. Everyone knows what he has to do, everyone has improved. In recent years, a mentality had crept in: The car is not the best, why must we be the best?

"I pointed to Williams. For the past few years, they haven't had the best car but they were always among the teams with the best pitstops. It depends on attitude and making sure every little thing counts.

"The racing spirit has returned to our organisation. Everyone is keen to get to the racetrack. Before there had been fatigue but now our people feel we are taking a step forward again. Where once we were on a downward spiral we have now reversed that trend and we have to use this momentum."

"Look at Mercedes, they are inspired by this type of positive momentum, that gives them energy. This also works for drivers, when they have a good run, they become stronger and stronger."

With Key and Seidl in place, Brown has his leadership in place, "Andreas is now the boss of the [F1] racing team and he can act independently and do what he thinks is necessary. I think his first impression is that we have great potential and do not need significant changes. This is now his construction site."

https://www.grandprix247.com/2019/06/03/brown-with-seidl-and-key-ive-got-what-i-want/