This year has been billed as the start of a new era for McLaren. Gone is Honda, in has come Renault. The team is looking to the future, whilst recognising the past with a stunning Papaya orange and blue livery. Fernando Alonso has spoken of his desire to fight amongst the frontrunners once again and Stoffel Vandoorne surely must be looking towards a first podium in 2018. McLaren has not claimed a podium since Australia 2014 and not won since Brazil 2012. A drivers title has not come their way since 2008, and a constructors championship hasn’t been won since 1998.
Ever since the Honda ere begun, the team has claimed to have the best chassis in the field, and very GPS data has suggested it is at least among the top three on the grid. But we have never seen the true potential of the MP4-30, MP4-31 or the MCL32 as they have all been held back by the powerunit. Since the switch to Renault power, the team has a new dynamic and a new feel. You can sense that the racehorse that has been locked up these last few years is finally going to get its chance to run again. A sleeping giant could be about to stir. And it has too.
Renault may not have produced a world beating powerunit since the start of the V6 turbo hybrid era, and indeed it went through 2015 without a single victory, but it has still won races. Red Bull won three times in 2017. The first came from Daniel Ricciardo in the madness of Baku, a lucky but hard earned win as the Australian came from 10th on the grid. The second was from Max Verstappen in Malaysia, overtaking Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes into turn one and dominating the race. Mexico saw Verstappen again take victory, beating Vettel into the lead at the start and again dominating proceedings. The engine had improved and so had the RB13 chassis. A chassis McLaren felt wasn’t as strong as their own MCL32.
And they must prove it this year. They now have a race winning engine in the back of the car, and an engine that seems to have made solid gains over the winter both in terms of performance and reliability. The team can no longer blame the powerunit. Not realistically. Of course, the Renault may still not be quite on the level of the Mercedes, but it’s good enough for consistent podium challenges from Red Bull and the odd win, and perhaps even a title push from the Milton Keynes team this year. If the MCL33 really is better than the Red Bull and as good as the Mercedes or Ferrari, McLaren must do so. Failure to do that will result in them wishing they had never uttered the words “we have the best chassis on the grid”. Many may see a few podiums is enough. But I don’t think so. I honestly believe McLaren need to win races this season. They don’t need to be title contenders instantly, but they must win. They must be qualifying no lower than 6th and to really prove they’re as good as they claim to be, they have to be knocking on the door of P2 on the grid.
If they do not do this, and lose Alonso and potentially even Vandoorne, they only need to look a few garages up the grid to see what may happen. Williams have not won a title of any kind since 1997 and last won in 2012. They made a big step forward in 2014 and ’15, but the team has never truly recaptured the glory days of the 1990’s and ‘80’s, even factoring in the BMW era. If McLaren don’t want to suffer the same fate, then they must prove this year that it was only Honda holding them back. McLaren must win in 2018. And nothing less will suffice.
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