Paul Jeffrey
Premium
McLaren reveal the new Renault powered MCL33 to the world.
Earlier today the McLaren team revealed the brand new MCL33 Renault to assembled Formula One media, immediately targeting an “aggressive” season of development as they look to return to the winners circle for the first time since Jenson Button took the chequered flag at Brazil in 2013.
Sporting a return to the traditional papaya orange livery run so famously by Bruce McLaren Grand Prix cars of old, the MCL33 makes for a striking looking machine as the British team continue to further distance themselves from the corporate grey image of recent seasons.
Alongside the new and improved livery for 2018 comes the introduction of Renault power in place of the disastrous Honda units, moving McLaren away from a works manufacturer deal for the first time since 2014, but potentially offering a significant increase in performance over the increasingly disappointing output of the Japanese Honda brand.
Already considered to have had one of the better chassis within Formula One these past couple of seasons, the multiple championship winning outfit are confident that 2018 could mark a much needed return to winning ways, something Tim Goss, McLaren’s Chief Technical Officer – Chassis was keen to point at during the launch this morning:
“With last year’s car, we had to commit to certain decisions about architecture based on what we knew at the time,” he explained.
“With a year of track learning behind us, we’ve used that understanding to adjust some architectural decisions. That means we’ve been able to revise all the sorts of things you bake into the chassis at the start of the year.”
Racing Director Eric Boullier was equally optimistic of the task ahead of McLaren in 2018, praising the work undertaken by the outfit over the last few months in preparation for an attack on the front of the grid this year:
“The design, engineering and aerodynamic departments have done an incredible job delivering a new car with a new power unit in an extremely short timeframe,” said the Frenchman.
“We never took the easy route or looked to shortcut a process or a solution; and the result is a car that is neat and well-resolved.
“That said, we are under no illusions that it will be difficult to splinter the hegemony at the front; and that the midfield will be full of well-funded, experienced outfits with plenty to prove.
“We are humble about the challenge ahead, but feel we’ve prepared well, have a solid package that we can build upon and exploit as the season progresses, and have two excellent drivers who will make the difference in races.
“At McLaren, we are all racers – pure and simple. We’re going to come out pushing, and we’re going to be racing as hard as ever.”
“We’re definitely continuing along the same trajectory. For launch, the car will look evolutionary, and we will continue enhancing the MCL33 through testing and the race season."
“We never took the easy route or looked to shortcut a process or a solution; and the result is a car that is neat and well-resolved.
“That said, we are under no illusions that it will be difficult to splinter the hegemony at the front; and that the midfield will be full of well-funded, experienced outfits with plenty to prove.
“We are humble about the challenge ahead, but feel we’ve prepared well, have a solid package that we can build upon and exploit as the season progresses, and have two excellent drivers who will make the difference in races.
“At McLaren, we are all racers – pure and simple. We’re going to come out pushing, and we’re going to be racing as hard as ever.”
“We’re definitely continuing along the same trajectory. For launch, the car will look evolutionary, and we will continue enhancing the MCL33 through testing and the race season."
With a new power unit strapped to the back, a motivated Fernando Alonso and a year of experience behind Stoffel Vandoorne, 2018 should be a big season for the orange car this year.
Formula One car launch dates:
February 14th - Haas Ferrari
February 15th - Williams Mercedes
February 19th - Red Bull Tag Heuer
February 20th - Renault
February 20th - Alfa Romeo Sauber Ferrari
February 22nd - AMG Mercedes
February 22nd - Ferrari
February 23rd - McLaren Renault
February 25th - Toro Rosso Honda
TBC - Force India Mercedes
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Do you like the new MCL33? Let us know in the comments section below!
Also Alonso’s number is #14, Johan Cruijff’s number.
