Reinaldo Vega’s Post

And now for something a little different.... I've been a Formula One and especially a McLaren fan for as long as I can remember (I often wear a McLaren hat and/or shirt to work). They have fielded some of the greatest drivers in F1 history, including Hunt, Lauda, Prost, Senna, Hakkinen, Raikkonen, Montoya, Alonso, and Hamilton. They are one of the winningest teams in F1 history, 2nd only to Ferrari. Their last championship, however, was in 2008, which feels like forever ago. Red Bull and Mercedes each dominated the majority of the seasons since then. From a fan's perspective, it looked like the leadership implemented a bloated management structure where no one person was responsible for failure, while also coasting too much on their name and legacy. They eventually hit rock bottom with an engine partnership that did not work out for a multitude of reasons, losing almost all of their sponsors, and having to borrow against their historic car collection to fund the team. The team and technical infrastructure needed a lot of restructuring for any chance of future success. It must have been demoralizing to work there at that time and poor Bruce McLaren was probably rolling in his grave. Zak Brown taking over leadership of the team in 2016 was the equivalent of a phoenix moment. Year after year since then, bit by bit, the team got better. They experimented with different aerodynamicists, technical directors, engine partnerships, and management structures until they found the right combination. Now, in 2024, they have all of the pieces in place. They finally have their in-house wind tunnel. They have great technical leadership with an effective management model. They have a solid engine partner. They have two phenomenal drivers with Piastri and Norris. They have (quite literally) the fastest pit stops in the world. I may be getting ahead of myself, but my betting odds are on McLaren reminding us this year of why they are one of the greatest teams in motorsport history. Race wins are a minimum expectation for 2024. Championship? Hopefully. Tear jerker moments of glory? Most likely. They key lesson here is that you are never down and out until you are dead. Own your mistakes, learn from them, and improve from them. Rarely can you solve big problems overnight, so you have to just persistently chip away at it and never, ever, ever give up.