'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#4 The pairing of Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris was a breath of fresh air
McLaren's pairing of Carlos Sainz Jr. and Lando Norris was a breath of fresh air not only for the team but also for the whole paddock. They were young, vibrant, funny and more importantly, while they did an admirable job, they never took themselves too seriously.
The two drivers came from very different backgrounds. While Sainz already had a few years of experience under his belt, Lando was a fresh-faced prospect making his debut at McLaren.
During their time together (2019 and 2020), while Lando mostly showed glimpses of his amazing talent, Sainz was a consistent, solid performer who secured a much-needed podium for the team in 2019.
During the Alonso era, the team was entirely fixated on him, while the hapless Stoffel Vandoorne remained a mostly neglected entity. With Sainz and Norris, though, McLaren were finally concentrating on both their drivers. And it paid dividends, with both men standing out on the grid for their performance as much as their positive demeanor.
In many ways, the Norris-Sainz partnership was the best thing that happened to McLaren after Alonso's departure and the team was able to claw back lost ground from this point on.
#5 In Zak Brown and Andreas Seidl, McLaren's leadership is more secure
Under the guidance of Andreas Seidl and Zak Brown, the team has been on course to recapture its lost glory.
If there was any doubt about McLaren's commitment to get back to championship-winning form, then it was dispelled by their team principal Andreas Seidl after the team's 1-2 result at Monza. While he understood the magnitude of the result, he also made it clear that the team still had a long way to go when it came to reaching their ultimate goal.
He had no illusions about the fact that Red Bull and Mercedes were still better in all areas, and if McLaren are to reach those lofty heights, then they still have a lot of work to do.
In many ways, it is this mindset that has helped McLaren grow so much over the last few years.
