The Honda-Mclaren partnership was one of the biggest failures that are remembered in the recent history of F1. The duo that gave so many successes to the Woking team at the time of Senna at the wheel, left terrible results, and a bad reputation to the Japanese engine. Honda and Mclaren separated just a few months ago after three years of headaches and tensioning a rope that broke long ago.
Honda has now joined Toro Rosso, in search of a tranquility that Mclaren did not have. In Woking they want to get to the top as soon as posible, and the Honda engine could not give them what they wanted. In Toro Rosso they may have found the perfect team to improve their development. For his part, Mclaren signed with Renault, but they did it when half of last season had already passed and with the 2018 car already in phase of being designed.
From the design team, they had to manage to adapt the new car, to the different characteristics that the Renault engine has compared to the Honda engine. Tim Goss pointed this out and it was confirmed by the race director of Mclaren, Éric Boullier, who nevertheless feels proud of the work they have achieved: “The design, engineering and aerodynamics departments have done an incredible job of delivering a new car with a new power unit in an extremely short period of time. We never take the easy way or look for a shortcut in the process, and the result is a well-resolved car”, Boullier said.
They know that being up with Mercedes or Ferrari is a difficult task and they are “humble” about it: “We know that it will be difficult to end the hegemony of the cars in front. Moreover, it will be full of experienced teams, with a good budget and a lot to prove. We face the challenge with humility, but we feel well prepared, we have a solid package that we can exploit as the season progresses and we also have two excellent drivers who will make a difference in the races”, Boullier said.
Photo: Reuters