The Rebirth of McLaren

Mclaren Bosses Believe They Have All of the Ingredients in Place to Get Back to the Sharp End of the Grid This Year, and That Their New Mcl32 Represents the Start of a New Era for the British Manufacturer.
 

- Rob Ladbrook

The Woking team has undergone much upheaval over the winter, with sweeping changes to senior management and middle management, as well as having to design an all-new car to fit the new 2017 technical regulations.

Ron Dennis has been ousted, and American Zak Brown has replaced him as chief executive officer. The team also split with Jost Capito after just a matter of months.

The changes in the boardroom, combined with those made to the new MCL breed of Formula 1 car, have been a breath of fresh air for McLaren, which has struggled since renewing its engine partnership with Honda back in 2015.

McLaren racing director Eric Boullier said the new MCL32, which incorporates the return of McLaren’s famous papaya orange colouring, marked a new beginning for the team.

“There’s a feeling in the factory that we’re about to turn the corner,” said Boullier. “Our relationship with Honda has blossomed and there’s a real sense of comradeship to what we do now. I think we are all very excited about what we can achieve together this year.

“Ultimately, the track will be the proof of the job we’ve done. We don’t make any promises as it could raise unrealistic expectations. But we want to see progress, and keep progressing. If we keep making the progress that we made during 2016, then we will be back where we belong sooner rather than later. I will say that we will win in Formula 1 again.”

All-new MCL

The design of the new MCL32 goes far beyond the new orange, white and black colour scheme, with some key details of the car on show at launch.