Peter Prodromou returns to work for McLaren this week following an eight year stint at Red Bull, working alongside chief designer Adrian Newey.
Prodromou played a key role in Red Bull’s dominance after leaving McLaren in 2006 for the Milton Keynes team, but was lured back when he agreed to return last year – though his actual start date wasn’t until this week thanks to Red Bull’s insistence on him seeing out his contract.
Now that he’s back and able to work on next year’s car, he has promised to do everything he can to get McLaren back where it belongs at the very front of the grid.
“It’s fantastic to return to McLaren, and to see a mixture of faces old and new,” he said. “Of course, I have first-hand experience of just what a passionate, focused and capable race team exists within these walls, and I’ve already seen the enthusiasm and positivity that exists to return McLaren to world championship-winning glory.
“I, too, am determined to work flat-out to do everything I can to help initiate a new chapter of success in McLaren’s history.”
Chief operating officer Jonathan Neale says Prodromour’s return is just one part of their recovery plan, but it shows they’re serious about moving forward.
“I’m delighted to welcome Peter back to McLaren,” said Neale. “He joins us at an extremely exciting time: we’re making exciting progress with our new engine partner, and our entire design department has been galvanised and motivated by an ongoing restructure that has really begun to bed-in and deliver results.
“His position as chief engineer will enable him to play to his considerable strengths as a top-flight aerodynamicist and an engineer, and I’m sure he’ll dovetail seamlessly with his fellow engineers. We’re steadily putting everything in place to ensure that McLaren can once again return to its race- and world championship-winning ways.
“We’re under no illusions that we’re yet there, but Peter’s appointment is a very significant one, and is also a very public reminder that we’re adding strength in depth to our organisation all the time.”
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