( CNN ) -- If 2013 was an `` annus horribilis '' for McLaren , then next year provides a double chance of redemption for the motorsport giant -- and Russia will play a key role . By the time Sochi hosts the country 's first Formula One race next October , McLaren bosses will know if the team has been able to bounce back from one of its worst seasons in more than two decades , with major technological changes required due to the sport 's new engine rules for 2014 . But well before then , the British manufacturer 's innovations will have been put to the test at the same seaside resort , as Russia hosts its first Winter Olympics . McLaren is working with the UK team -- specifically skeleton and bobsleigh -- via its applied technologies operation MAT in a bid to help improve GB 's medal chances in February . `` It 's similar work to what we did with the Summer Olympics , concentrating on sports with a greater chance of medals , '' says MAT project manager Caroline Hargrove , who used to work for the McLaren F1 team and created the race simulator which drivers such as Jenson Button use away from grand prix weekends . For a team so synonymous with success -- 182 grand prix victories , eight constructors ' titles and 12 drivers ' championships -- this year has been an undoubtedly unwanted blot on McLaren 's copybook . Button and Sergio Perez -- who has since been replaced by rookie Kevin Magnussen -- were ninth and 11th respectively in the drivers ' standings , with the team a lowly fifth in the constructors ' table , more than 450 points behind dominant Red Bull . But McLaren has previous success at the Olympics , with Team GB winning 30 of its 65 medals at London 2012 in sports with which MAT was involved : canoeing , cycling , rowing and sailing . Half of those were gold . It is a model that clearly works -- MAT also worked with skeleton racer Amy Williams to a lesser degree on her path to Olympic skeleton success at the last Winter Games in Vancouver -- and there is a sense of excitement of another medal haul at Sochi . Brought in by the government-funded agency UK Sport , MAT will focus on the downhill sledding disciplines . `` What we 've done for the other sports , it 's more generic in that we 've done a little bit and still do a few programs with UK Sport , and we ran workshops recently with all the coaches for inspiration looking at other sports , '' Hargrove told CNN . `` In our case , we showed the side of Formula One , and the equipment and technical side of it . '' The work done by MAT varies from use of its dynamic chassis rig -- also known as the shaker rig -- which is used on the development of F1 cars and now skeletons and bobsleds to run the rule over their respective suspensions . Its technology is used to make both the equipment and the kit worn by British athletes , but also in data analysis and how the human body reacts to the skeleton and bobs in question . However , in order to keep an edge on rival teams , the specifics are kept closely guarded . There are also strict rules which restrain MAT 's area of operations . `` We do n't have enormous margins for imagination , '' Hargrove says . `` They prescribe the type of steel and where rubber can be used -- and that 's hardly anywhere . But like in F1 , we are able to use attention to detail to make things as near to perfect and that we assemble things as well as we can . '' The bobsleighs are being tested in France to measure the gains that have been made . `` We can see a tangible time difference that we have made with the bobsleigh , '' Hargroves adds . `` Our measurements are by the millisecond . '' The Olympic projects are relatively small scale compared to MAT 's other business strands , which span from pharmaceutical trials to working with the behemoths of oil and gas . A solitary MAT engineer is working fulltime on each of the skeleton and bobsleigh projects , even testing the equipment themselves on the ice at high speed -- true workplace immersion . At Sochi , MAT will be in direct competition with McLaren 's traditional F1 foe Ferrari , which has been working with the Italian Olympic team -- in particular with the bobsleigh . `` There 's definitely a little bit of rivalry with Ferrari in this , '' says Hargrove . `` You always want competition , it helps to push you on . '' For Hargrove , who was brought up in Montreal , Canada , with a love of winter sports , this project is a perfect fit . And she sees the love of sport as being a key ingredient to her team 's success . `` When I interview people for jobs , one of my questions is are they sports fans , '' she says . `` Sports fans tend to be inherently competitive and that is good for this working environment . It also means if and when you employ them you can bear them in mind for future sporting projects . '' For all MAT 's collective brainpower and tech nous , however , she acknowledges that there is only so much they can do for the competitors . `` It 's all about the athletes , '' she points out . `` If an athlete gets injured , there is nothing the kit will do without the athlete . But we hope to support what we believe is very real potential for medals . `` It 's great working with people that are so driven , especially the coaches who do n't see much of the limelight . '' UK Sport covers MAT 's expenses and time costs -- though otherwise the work is done on a non-profit basis -- and has given open access to its data . However , not all the athletes are 100 % compliant . Kristan Bromley , who runs his own skeleton-making business , is understandably loathe to share details of his intellectual property so he and his partner Shelley Rudman will be without MAT 's backing in terms of their equipment . `` That said , Kristan has still worked with us on other aspects , '' adds Hargrove . In addition , there have been skeptics of what is , on the surface , an alternative approach to the Winter Olympics , and Hargrove relishes that . `` The thing is that we do n't have all the solutions , '' she says . `` But by doing this it generally brings in more lateral thinking to the discussions . '' Research from Infostrada has suggested that Great Britain is set for its most successful Winter Olympics , with a predicted five medals . Should that be the case , that will be in now small part down to MAT , and the world of F1 .
McLaren Applied Technologies working with GB team in quest for Sochi medals . Major targets for MAT are in skeleton and bobsleigh with a crack unit of engineers . Comment: Project leader helped create F1 simulator used by McLaren 's drivers .