De Ferran: "Understanding McLaren's weaknesses crucial to recovery"

Gil de Ferran believes that understanding where McLaren are weak is vital in making the team competitive again.

McLaren's new sporting director Gil de Ferran believes that he can turn his new team's woes around and is looking for areas where they need to improve.

"The success I had behind the wheel and any success I have as a business man, I think came from really trying to understand where my weaknesses are," de Ferran told Motorsport.com, following the race on Sunday.

"I was not afraid to look in the mirror and say, 'I could have done better here, I could have done better there, what do I need to improve?"

De Ferran's personal track record suggests that he is very clued up on the situation.

He was ChampCar champion (2000, 2001) with Penske and runner-up in IRL (2003) - in the same year that de Ferran won the Indianapolis 500.

De Ferran is formerly of Honda, where he worked as the sporting director (2005-07).

This challenge looks like it could be one of de Ferran's biggest, though.

"This is really the philosophy I'm bringing to my job," de Ferran revealed.

"Originally as an advisor to Zak (Brown, McLaren's CEO), that's how I was looking at things and I'll continue to do this (in my new role) - but with more responsibility."