Brown: 2021 a "very successful year" despite McLaren's drop to fourth
McLaren Formula 1 CEO Zak Brown says 2021 was a "very successful year" for the Woking outfit despite falling to fourth in the constructors' championship behind Ferrari.


McLaren continued its resurgence in 2020 by claiming third in the championship and scoring two podiums with Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz but couldn't hang onto that position in 2021 as Ferrari swung back after several lean years of its own.
But despite dropping a position in the championship, CEO Brown thinks 2021 was still a landmark year for the Woking team, and not just because of Daniel Ricciardo's shock win in Monza, McLaren's first grand prix victory in nine long years.
"This year we wanted to close the gap to the front, and we've done that," Brown said at an end-of-year roundtable.
"We've scored more points per race than we did last year, we had more podiums than last year, we got our great 1-2 at Monza, we had our pole in Russia.
"Unfortunately, we slipped to fourth. I think that shows the nature of how competitive this sport is.
"Pitstops are much, much improved. Everything that we set out at the beginning of the season to continue to get towards the front, we've hit every single one of those KPIs that we set out other than the constructors' championship.
"I think we need to look back on the year and see it as a very successful year and continue to build on that on our journey to hopefully get back to competing for the world championship in a few years' time."

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
Off the track, the team also found stability, the McLaren Group raising £550m of fresh investment over the summer after being hit by severe financial woes during the pandemic.
The equity raise followed a sale and leaseback of its McLaren Technology Centre in Woking and, in late 2020, the sale of 15% of the race team to US sports investment group MSP Sport Capital.
That financial boost allows McLaren to run at F1's budget cap and invest in its ageing infrastructure. A new wind tunnel is one of several planned upgrades currently under construction, although McLaren will only be able to start reaping the benefits of its investment plan on the long term.
"I think we're definitely on track in every aspect," Brown commented. "We've got all the people in place, they're all very much committed and signed up for the long term, whether that's racing car drivers or team principals or engineers or car designers. I'm really happy with our people, which is what is first and foremost important.
"As everyone knows, we had challenges last year financially and those have all been resolved. We're now deploying maximum resources to get caught up on our technical infrastructure and we're running at the budget cap, the wind tunnel is under heavy construction as we speak, we've got new engineering trucks, we've got a new simulator coming. We've got lots of investment, so we're financially very healthy, so that's all behind us.
"And then this year on-track, we just want to continue each year until we have our infrastructure in place, which unfortunately really won't be until the '24 season, because our wind tunnel will be online in another 18 months, and that's when you start developing the '24 car.
"We'll make the best with what we have until '24, when we can say we've got everything that we need."
Related video

Aston Martin reveals launch date for 2022 Formula 1 car
Aston Martin appoints Mike Krack as F1 team principal

Latest news
Why Vasseur isn't wielding the axe on Ferrari's F1 strategy team
As Ferrari reflected on the lost opportunities of the 2022 Formula 1 season, it did not take a genius to understand that strategy had been one of its core weaknesses.
Aitken confirms split with Williams F1 to focus on sportscars
Jack Aitken has confirmed that he and the Williams Formula 1 team have parted ways ahead of the 2023 season as he pursues a career in sportscar racing.
Kubica out of F1 as Orlen moves to AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo lands new sponsor
Former Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team title sponsor Orlen has switched to AlphaTauri in a move that could spell the end of Robert Kubica’s career in grand prix racing.
Vasseur "convinced" Ferrari has everything it needs to win F1 title
New Ferrari Formula 1 boss Fred Vasseur is “convinced” the team has everything it needs to win the championship, and that targeting anything less would be a “lack of ambition.”
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? Luke Smith asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 'holiday' races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week, and though it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted more just why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action.
Why new Williams F1 boss shouldn't avoid 'Mercedes B-team' comparisons
OPINION: Williams has moved to replace the departed Jost Capito by appointing former Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles as its new team principal. But while he has sought to play down the idea of moulding his new squad into a vision of his old one, some overlap is only to be expected and perhaps shouldn't be shied away from
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.