(Motorsport) Formula 1 team McLaren Racing launched their 2023 car MCL60 at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking on Monday, which looks quite similar to its predecessor. However, some of the most notable changes include an anniversary season tribute and more black areas which is meant to reduce the weight by removing weight.

The team will feature Lando Norris alongside rookie Oscar Piastri, who were present at the car launch with McLaren chief executive Zak Brown and new team principal Andrea Stella. The team are looking to improve on their disappointing 2022 season where they finished fifth in the Constructors Standings, finishing behind Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and Alpine.

Speaking at the launch, McLaren chief executive Zak Brown said “We are delighted to launch our 2023 Formula One team with Lando and Oscar at the wheel as we celebrate 60 years of McLaren Racing. This year’s driver line-up is extremely exciting as Lando, an intelligent and confident driver with excellent pace, is joined by one of the biggest up-and-coming talents in motorsport with Oscar.

“2022 was a challenging season in our continued effort to push towards the front of the grid, we learnt a lot which has been taken into the off-season as the entire team works hard to prepare for another year. Under the guidance of Andrea Stella, we have an excellent team to spearhead the 2023 season and can look forward to seeing our young driver duo continue to grow their partnership throughout the upcoming campaign.”

Lando Norris has emerged as one of the brightest prospects in Formula 1 and the British racing driver will undoubtedly hope that he can compete for the World Championship in 2023. “The off-season has been good but I’m looking forward to getting back on track and behind the wheel of the MCL60 for the first time,” Norris said.

“The new car looks great, and everyone involved in the build has played an important role. This is my fifth year in F1 and I’m hoping to carry positive momentum into the new season after a year of racing under the new era of regulations. It’s been a good challenge adapting to them and I feel that I’m in a positive position to keep on improving as a driver.

“I think from where we are now, a realistic and successful year would be to still take some big steps forward – we’re ambitious and we still want to do that. But no matter how we start the season, I want to believe it’s going to be better than last year because last year was a very tough start.

“We need to be the team that’s leading the way in the fight to top three teams, and if we can at least end this season around that place where we’re fighting for fourth in the constructors, then I think that’s what we need to be happy with. It’s still ambitious, we have a lot of work to do in order achieve it, but I think that’s a realistic goal. I don’t think you can expect us to be on par with the Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes at this time – we still have a long way to get to that point.”

Oscar Piastri was the 2021 Formula 2 champion and arrived at McLaren after much controversy after rejecting a seat at Alpine. “I’m delighted to get started with McLaren and make my F1 debut this season,” Piastri said. “The off-season has been great for me, and I’ve been working hard to prepare for the upcoming year. The time I’ve spent at the factory and in the sim has been enjoyable and productive, and everyone in the team has been welcoming. I’ve settled in well and I’m now fully focused on getting out on track in Bahrain.”

Speaking at the launch of the MCL60, McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella said “I think it’s fair to say that over the course of the season we would like to establish ourselves as part of the top four. We know realistically that, with the top three teams, this may mean just being the fourth best car over the course of the season. We are realistic in the very short term. There are good developments already in the pipeline trackside that should land trackside very soon – this should allow us to take a decent step forward.

“Assessing our performance last year and looking at competitors, we identified multiple areas of opportunity – the good news is that pretty much all of them have been addressed. I wouldn’t want to be too specific but certainly they are predominantly to do with aerodynamics. There are some areas – such as interactions with the tyres – that we needed to work on – and this was done over the winter.

There are some other areas of the cars that will be helped by developments in the early stage of the season. So we are happy, not entirely happy, for what is the launch car, but optimistic that it should take a good step soon. We also have some more high-level developments ongoing in the team,” he added.

“I would like to remind you of the importance of getting the new wind tunnel, which should come to fruition around mid-year. That should be a step change for many reasons, not only does it improve methodologies. There’s also a new simulator coming. We have a new manufacturing facility, so large investments should come to fruition mid-year and this should be an extra boost in the race to become top four over the season.”

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