McLaren says new structure making development faster

The Woking-based squad has undergone a reshuffle supervised by racing director Eric Boullier as it started preparing for its new partnership with engine supplier Honda.

Although McLaren has endured a tough start to the season and is yet to score a point in four races, engineering director Matt Morris says the new structure is already paying dividends.

"We're much more structured in the way we bring new parts to the track," said Morris.

"The rate of progress is much faster, so we don't need to build as many new components, because we know they'll be updated in just a few races' time.

"That speeds up the whole process."

Boullier insists McLaren is a much stronger organisation now, and that is reflecting in the car updates, which he says are much more effective than last year.

"At every level of the company, there is clear leadership," he said.

"We agree the direction we want to pursue, and we bring people with us. The attitude has changed from 'telling' people, to 'asking' people; we've integrated people, and we share opinions and ideas.

"The main outcome of that new approach is that people now have a sense of ownership in the car. And they're more motivated and interested as a result.

"To give you an example, I guess about 50 per cent of the upgrades we brought to the track last year didn't completely work; this year, we've brought that down to about five or 10 per cent."