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McLaren rebound in 2019 changed Ricciardo's sentiment

McLaren boss Zak Brown says the team's productive 2019 season and its defeat of Renault in F1's midfield battle convinced Daniel Ricciardo to change his mind about the Woking-based outfit's prospects and switch his allegiance to the team for 2021.

Ricciardo had initially been courted by McLaren during the summer of 2018 when the Aussie - racing for Red Bull at the time - was weighing his options for the following year.

Ricciardo ultimately declined Browns's offer, believing his interests would be better served by joining forces with Renault, a full works outfit, rather than driving for a team that appeared to struggle to find its footing following a period of massive underperformance.

But twelve months later, the French team was chasing a rejuvenated and competitive McLaren in F1's fierce midfield. By the end of the 2019 campaign, Ricciardo's perception of the papaya squad had significantly changed.

"We went after him a couple of years ago before he made the decision not to join us," Brown told Sky F1.

"I’ve talked to him about it since and he went ‘you were coming off a pretty poor season’ – which was putting it politely – ‘but also there was a lot of this is what we’re going to do to rebuild the team’.

While McLaren's restructuring plans had been put on their rails in July 2018, the team's future still lacked clarity with regard to the organization of several key departments.

"I hadn’t brought in yet Andreas Seidl or James Key or restructured the leadership team.

"So there were a lot of promises and, coming off such a bad season, I could see how he would go ‘oh, let’s see how this plays out’," added Brown.

"He likes how it’s played out. I've liked how it’s played out.

"He’s seen the changes we’ve made, the leadership Andreas has brought, the backing we have from our shareholders, going to the Mercedes engine, we’re a team on the move and I think he’s going to help get us to the next level.

"Getting a grand prix winner like Daniel definitely is a sign we’re going in the right direction."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

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