Racing team McLaren is hoping to penetrate the Chinese Formula One market further after its run at the Shanghai Grand Prix.
Keeping the trend up
According to McLaren CEO Zak Brown, they want to continue the trend that they have started in the Chinese market. Brown added that the market is very important not only for McLaren but also for the entire Formula One industry, CRI reported.
The CEO also said that the prospects for them in China go beyond the race itself, as the country will provide them with business opportunities for their applied technologies business.
Brown said that, while McLaren's Asia-Pacific operations are being managed from Singapore, they have been hiring people to further establish their presence in China. The key, he pointed out, is to bring local representatives into their team.
McLaren was one of the first teams to hone a Chinese driver, getting Ma Qunghua as a test driver. While Ma was never able to get further in the F1 scene, Brown said that the experience has helped them in doing business. He added that he wants to see a full Chinese F1 team in the future as well as more Chinese sponsors.
Bringing in more tech
Brown admitted that they were not able to mount a superb performance during the race in Shanghai, with driver Fernando Alonso having to retire in the later laps. He said that the uncooperative weather during the event has impacted their chances.
But he remains confident that the team would be able to push forward for the next leg in Bahrain. For the first time ever, McLaren is bringing in a portable 3D printer to be used in the pits, The Financial Times reported.
The new equipment will help the team's engineers and mechanics manufacture different plastic components overnight, cutting down production time for these. The parts will allow the team to make more adjustments during the practice runs to better fine-tune the cars before the race.
Traditional manufacture of the parts can often take several days.
McLaren already uses some 3D-printed parts on its cars. The team hopes that the technology will help them improve lap times come race day.