McLaren CEO Zak Brown insists he is “very happy” with the current Renault partnership and sees a reason for optimism in 2019.
Ditching Honda after three failed years at the end of 2017, an expected boost in competitiveness with the French manufacturer couldn’t be sustained this season as chassis problems left McLaren trailing down the grid.
Though the performance of the Renault engine has also been a concern, as it continues to lag some way behind Mercedes and Ferrari, the American chief maintains confidence they are on a good path.
“We’re very happy with Renault,” Brown was quoted by GPFans.com. “We have a very good relationship with them. I got my report on how next year’s power unit is coming along and that’s very encouraging.
“They’ve given us a reliable engine this year and so it’s going well we’re happy with the decision that we’ve made, we’re very happy with Renault.”
His words are very much the opposite of what Renault’s second customer Red Bull often said over the past few seasons, eventually driving the Milton Keynes squad into dropping Renault after 12 years for the Honda units that McLaren had had enough of.
Brown though believes their decision to change supplier could benefit his team as the sole remaining customer.
“I think we’ll benefit from having two teams on the grid next year, so they’ll be focused on ourselves and themselves, and excited to have a long-term future with them,” he stated.
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Also expressing confidence in the team’s future is Carlos Sainz who revealed a presentation by McLaren convinced him to join for 2019.
“When I got here, they made me an explanation and presentation of what happened – so for me, it was very positive to see how there are some clear minds out there, and strong leadership, to see where we are going,” he told Autosport.
“I see they have a very clear picture of what has happened, and why, and the way we need to improve.
“Whether it is going to work or not next year, this we don’t know,” he added. “We know we have a direction, we have an analysis. It is going to take time that is everything I can say.
“But I am happy to be part of this process. I am proud of this team because I think I can be a good help, and I can improve with them altogether.”