Ahead of their launch next Monday, McLaren have revealed the name of their 2023 car for the forthcoming season, with it having a hugely symbolic meaning for the Woking-based team.
In honour of the manufacturer’s birth 60 years ago, the team’s 2023 will be known as the ‘MCL60’, with the manufacturer having been founded on September 2, 1963.
The British outfit will be hoping to do founder Bruce McLaren proud in the forthcoming season, as the outfit attempt to return to the top four in the Constructors’ Championship.
2022 wasn’t the best of seasons for McLaren, with the side having struggled to adjust to the new aerodynamic regulations.
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As a result, they slipped to fifth in the standings, meaning they lost the accolade of being the top midfield outfit.
McLaren were, though, the only midfield team to claim a podium last season, with Lando Norris having finished third at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Norris was exceptional last season and arguably fought Alpine for fourth in the standings on his own, with Daniel Ricciardo having suffered a miserable campaign.
As a result, the 33-year-old’s contract for 2023 was terminated, with CEO Zak Brown having brought in 2021 Formula 2 World Champion Oscar Piastri to replace him.
Big things are expected from Piastri, with the Aussie being part of an exclusive group of drivers, to have claimed the F3 and F2 championships in back-to-back seasons.
Whilst he’ll need time to develop and understand how to compete at the pinnacle of motorsport, the hope is that he’ll be able to run closer to Norris than Ricciardo did, increasing the team’s chances of finishing fourth in the standings.
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The team also have a new team principal for 2023, with Andreas Seidl having been poached by Sauber to become their CEO, after Frederic Vasseur moved to Ferrari.
Instead of hiring someone from the outside to replace Seidl, McLaren have instead opted to promote Andrea Stella, something which could work in their favour.
McLaren will be hoping to bounce back from 2022 with their talented driver line-up, with their youth suggesting that the side could be about to build something very special, should a strong package be developed.