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Brown: Alonso is proof McLaren has improved

14:45, 08 Sep 2018

byJake Williams-Smith

Zak Brown believes that Fernando Alonso is proof that McLaren has improved in managing their drivers. Alonso's last stint with the team was embroiled in controversy as he went up against Lewis Hamilton in his rookie season, a partnership that cost the team both world championships.

Speaking earlier in the week to media, Brown used Alonso as an example as to how much McLaren has improved when it comes to drivers and managing them to create a harmonious team environment.

“I think Alonso’s a better example of how McLaren operates today,” Brown told RaceFans.

“Obviously when Fernando was here 10 years ago that relationship didn’t work. And here we are, having a pretty poor three years, and I think you’d all say Fernando, you’ve never seen him with a smile on his face as often as he has had.

That’s because we’re letting him operate in a manner in which I think he enjoys the environment and we get the most out of him.”

Brown also commented on incoming driver Lando Norris, adding that the young Brit would be nurtured in a way the team had failed previously to do with Kevin Magnussen and Stoffel Vandoorne.

“I think each driver’s different. Some respond to you being very difficult to them, others respond because you need an arm around them. I try and create an environment which is unique to each driver and how they operate best. Give them that environment: that’s what we’ve done with Fernando, that’s what we’ll do with Lando.

“He’s very mature for his age in the racing environment. He’s quite relaxed, you don’t see him get nervous, I don’t see any anxiety out of him. The way I saw him do free practice on in Monza, his build-up to that was kind of no different than I’d seen in Formula Three.

"I think he’s got a really good temperament for Formula 1. What that tells me is I don’t think he’ll be rattled easily by adversity which no doubt he will have at some point.”