Zak Brown: Daniel Ricciardo can help McLaren reach “next level” in F1
McLaren boss Zak Brown believe𓃲s Daniꦰel Ricciardo can help take the team to the “next level” in Formula 1.
Seven-timꦛe grand prix winner Ricciardo will join McLaren in 2021 as the Ferrari-bound Carlos Sainz’s replacement after two years at midfield rivals Renault.
McLaren originally held talks with Ricciardo about a potential move during the summer of 2018🍌 as he weighed up his future at Red Bull, but the Australian ultimately favoured a move to Renault because the Frencꩵh squad was more competitive at the time.
McLaren boss Zak Brown believes Daniel Ricci🌳ardo can help 🌄take the team to the “next level” in Formula 1.
Seven-time grand prix win🔥ner Ricciardo will join McLaren in 2021 as the Ferrari-bound Carlos Sainz’s repla꧑cement after two years at midfield rivals Renault.
McLaren originally held talks with Ricciardo about a potentiꦏal move during the summer of 2018 as he weighed up his future at Red Bull, but the Australian ultimately favoured a move to Renault because the French squad was more competitive at the time.
Riccꦍiardo went on to endure a frustrating maiden ๊campaign at Renault as the two team’s fortunes diverged, with McLaren enjoying vast improvements on its way to comfortably securing fourth place in the constructors’ championship.
After t💖urning McLaren down two years ago, Brown reckons Ricciardo is🐠 now convinced of the team’s future prospects. The Woking outfit is looking to continue its recent upward trajectory in 2020 and is set to be further boosted by a return to Mercedes engines next season.
"Getting a grand prix winner like Daniel definitely is a sign we've goiౠng in the right direction - he believes in that,” ꦇMcLaren CEO Brown told Sky Sports F1.
"We went after him a couple of years ago before he made the decision not to join us. I've talked to h෴im about it since and he went 'you were coming off a pretty poor season' - which was putting it politely - 'but also there was a lot of this is what we're going to do to rebuild the team’.
"I hadn't brought in yet Andreas Seidl or James Key or restructured the leadership team. So there were a lot of pro꧟mises and, coming off such a bad season, I could see how he would go 'oh, let's see𓄧 how this plays out’.
"He 𝕴likes how it's played out, I've liked how it's played out,” Brown added. “He's seen the changes we've made, the leadership Andreas has brought, the backing we have from our shareholders, going to the Mercedes engine, we're a team on the move and I think he's going to help get us to the next level.
"If I look back at the history of McLaren, it's been some time since we haven't had either one or two world champions in the team, and not having Grands🌸 Prix winners in the team.
“I think it's definitely a step fo🌸rward for us on our jo🀅urney to have a Grand Prix winner on our team."
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