Why McLaren’s contract extension of its aero chief matters against instability at F1 rivals

One phrase uttered by McLaren System 1 crew principal Andrea Stella almost two years in the past issues when contemplating his crew’s announcement of a contract extension for its aerodynamics chief, Peter Prodromou.

“We needed to unleash a really sturdy useful resource that we had internally, and that, for some causes was under-utilised,” Stella mentioned again on the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.

This was simply after McLaren had massively reorganised its technical division and eliminated earlier technical director, James Key.

In his subsequent sentence, Stella particularly referenced Prodromou – who he used his traditional thorough model to name “one of the crucial competent specialists in F1 in relation to aerodynamics” – as being a key beneficiary of the then main alteration to McLaren’s technical division.

“Unleash” could be one of many many buzzwords of a crowded period, however on the subject of McLaren and Prodromou, it retains developing.

In discussing how he’d seen Stella flip the outcomes tide at McLaren since his elevation to his present job at 2023’s graduation, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown informed me final yr: “He actually simply restructured with the expertise that we have now, aside from Rob Marshall [who was signed from Red Bull for 2024] after which in fact, another hires.

“However from a high-profile standpoint, it was unleashing Pete Prodromou, who had been not correctly promoted, and letting him run aero.”

McLaren announced on Tuesday that Prodromou would continue doing so with a fresh multi-year extension of his contract.

His earlier one had him as one among three main figures within the crew’s horizontal technical construction – put in place within the post-Key period and reshuffled when the now Alpine government technical director David Sanchez left it after simply three months final yr.

Earlier than it was applied, Stella and Brown got here to really feel that concepts had been considerably stifled and so the set up of the brand new construction adopted what was revealed in Stella’s prolonged evaluate into McLaren operations on the very begin of his crew principal tenure.

On the similar time, Brown got here to view Prodromou’s efforts within the crew’s false-dawn revival of 2021 – when McLaren returned to profitable methods for the primary time in 9 years after switching from Renault engine energy to Mercedes – as being buried within the credit score earned by then McLaren crew principal Andreas Seidl and Key.

There has since been a notable shift in how McLaren views these sporadic successes earned with Daniel Ricciardo alongside Lando Norris, because it did not kick on initially initially of the present guidelines period.

Lando Norris, McLaren, 2nd place, pours Champagne as Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren, 1st place, prepares a shoey for Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, on the rostrum

Picture by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Photographs

Brown would let Seidl stroll to his short-lived time running Sauber/Audi after which signed off on Key’s axing and the general technical division restructure.

In any case, McLaren’s return to common profitable methods was achieved with out the principle fruits from its appreciable funding in main design amenities – its new windtunnel and simulator that have been signed off underneath Seidl – even actually being felt when it comes to new automotive components.

Tuesday’s announcement should subsequently be seen inside all that context – in addition to how the efforts of McLaren’s present technical construction so efficiently stepped up its outcomes that it ended 2024 as constructors’ champions.

Autosport understands that the contemporary contract announcement is an extension of McLaren desirous to laud Prodromou’s work, reasonably than keep off any events at different groups excited about his companies.

The crew he labored for in between his first McLaren stint beginning in 1991 and his second, since 2014 when he left Purple Bull, is, proper now adapting to life without his former boss Adrian Newey, however right here the announcement works handily two-fold underneath its central intention.

However there may be additionally an extra timing component to contemplate right here, as McLaren heads into the 2025 season with the possibility to clinch a primary drivers’ world title since Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and a primary championship double since 1998.

I perceive the crew is sticking with its mantra of prioritising the constructors’ prize as a primary intention, reasonably than let any distractions come up for these charged with offering Norris and Oscar Piastri the automotive to attain their very own large particular person title goals this yr.

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Workforce, 1st place, the McLaren crew rejoice after securing the Constructors Championship title

Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photographs

They accomplish that as the one steady drive line-up of the 4 frontrunning squads – with Hamilton settling into life at Ferrari, Liam Lawson now paired with Max Verstappen at Purple Bull and Andrea Kimi Antonelli beginning life in F1 as Hamilton’s alternative at Mercedes.

All of McLaren’s rivals additionally head into the brand new marketing campaign with larger questions on their automotive efficiency potential contemplating how 2024 performed out, given they ended up sans silverware – though Ferrari no less than can replicate that it’d’ve overwhelmed McLaren have been it not for its mid-season outcomes wobble, alongside how the orange crew was slower out of the gates versus the crimson one.

McLaren’s band is simply totally collectively, with Prodromou getting its aero signing superbly today.

That added stability – even additional bolstered with Tuesday’s information – might present a essential edge in what shall be a tricky coming season for automotive growth planning.

Certainly, it appeared as 2024 ended that groups have been reaching one thing of a growth ceiling with the present guidelines – therefore the thrilling outcomes convergence – they usually additionally all have to fastidiously stability a chase for added efficiency of their new vehicles with not lacking the important thing design boat of the rule modifications coming for these being raced in 2026.

It was the response of Seidl and Key to how McLaren at first did not nail the present guidelines that finally led to Prodromou’s unleashing, which highlights some hazard on that entrance if McLaren have been to fall again from the entrance subsequent yr.

However the recognition at the moment being shone out highlights how sturdy the bonds are at a well-known F1 organisation that is aware of solely too properly the way it feels to underwhelm when issues go awry.