With the exception of the current leaders in F1, everyone in the sport is hoping for a resurgent McLaren this season.
Since entering Formula One in 1966, McLaren have been one of the most successful teams in F1, winning 12 drivers titles and 182 Grand Prix victories.
But they haven’t won the title since Lewis Hamilton took the championship in 2008 and McLaren haven’t won a race since Hamilton and Jenson Button won back-to-back Grand Prix at the end of the 2012.
In 2013, McLaren announced that they would be swapping their all conquering Mercedes engine for a dream partnership with Honda.
It was a move filled with nostalgia, chasing the success that the two had enjoyed in the 1990’s, but equally, McLaren thought that they couldn’t challenge for regular race wins and titles as a customer team.
From 2015 to 2017, McLaren suffered embarrassment after embarrassment until, the decision was made to ditch Honda and take the Renault engine.
The hope is McLaren can move from the back of the grid, to the front end and challenge the French manufacturers own team as well as Red Bull Racing.
But in winter testing, McLaren suffered a few teething problems and would eventually complete less mileage than Toro Rosso, who inherited the Honda engine from McLaren!
‘There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the car. The issues we have had are under control. Unfortunately we keep discovering small things but that is making us in a strong position for Australia because we are strengthening all the small things.’ Two-Time Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso told Sky Sports.
‘We would like to have done more laps but we are making the car stronger.
‘In terms of the fundamental answers we needed over winter testing we have them.’
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