McLaren chairman Ron Dennis recently admitted his workforce were working weekends in a bid to catch up following a disappointing season, but they went a step further and cancelled much of their Christmas break as well according to operations director Simon Roberts.
The team endured its worst season on record, scoring just 27 points and failing to make – or even come close to – the podium.
Much of that was down to Honda's unreliable and under-powered engine and with the Japanese firm promising major improvements over the winter, McLaren too are keen to make gains their side.
That, and the rescheduled calendar which moved the season opening race and testing forward two weeks, has put all the teams under pressure to be ready in time.
Whilst Sauber have opted to delay the debut of their car, McLaren are pushing ahead with plans to launch on February 21 and that means working overtime to ensure they'll be ready in time.
"We put about eight shifts of work back into the programme over a five-day period [during Christmas]… a fantastic effort," said Roberts. "In total, there were about 110 people involved and we looked after our Christmas workers with a competitive package.
"We had a really good response, and people seemed to enjoy it too. It was a bit weird, not having all the time off, but there was a good spirit in the place. Everyone knew why they were doing it, and it really cleared the decks.
"Most pleasingly, it meant that, once we came back in the New Year, we were back on schedule and it felt like the programme had always been phased that way. It was an incredible effort."
