Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
The striking MCL33 will contest the 2018 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, and marks the first time in McLaren’s 52-year history that it has run a car powered by Renault engines.
The car will race in a stunning new livery that draws its inspiration directly from the team’s iconic papaya orange and blue colour scheme that McLaren first raced in Formula 1 50 years ago.
The MCL33 will be driven by Spain’s Fernando Alonso, the F1 double world champion entering his fourth consecutive season with McLaren, and his team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne of Belgium, who is starting his second season in Formula 1.
The engineering philosophy of the MCL33 follows the roots established by its predecessor, with data accumulated from the 2017 season feeding a range of improvements. Much of the work on the MCL33 has been around optimising the packaging of the new Renault engine, and the incorporation of the new halo device.
This week the MCL33 is undergoing eight days of pre-season testing at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Alonso said: “My winter has felt somewhat shorter than usual, as I’ve already been in the cockpit for a 24-hour race, and several sports car tests!
“Looking at our new car, I feel incredibly excited – but also apprehensive. I know just how important this car is to the team, and I just hope that it delivers in the way we all want it to.
“If we’re able to develop the key strengths of last year’s chassis and marry it to an improved Renault power unit, then I think we’ll be able to take a step forward. The car certainly looks very neat and well thought-out, and I think the new colour looks really great; really eye-catching.”
Vandoorne described the arrival of the new car as ‘one of the most tense and exciting moments of the season’.
“For everyone at McLaren, this is an important car; we all know exactly how much rests on it being successful, and we’re all extremely keen to see just how well it performs when we start testing it next week,” he added. “From my perspective, I really hope we can start the season with a stable platform that we’re able to develop quickly and easily. It would be great to have a smooth few weeks of winter testing, and to go to Australia feeling confident about the year ahead.”
Bahrain’s Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, executive chairman and executive committee principal, McLaren Group, described the MCL33 as representing ‘a fresh chapter’.
“We may have faced a tricky last few years, but this team has demonstrated time and time again that it emerges stronger from each and every challenge,” he said.
“And, for 2018, it’s not merely the colour of the car that marks the change, there’s a determination and commitment that exists within everyone who works at McLaren, and we’re fighting stronger than ever to return to the front.
“We have strong leadership, hugely experienced and talented people, new partners, and motivated, exciting racers behind the wheel. We are ready to race.”
And the fighting spirit is evident across the camp. Zak Brown, executive director, McLaren Technology Group, explained: “The McLaren team was created by a brave pioneer and has had bravery at its core ever since. Whether it’s been with brave drivers, brave leaders or brave fortune, this team has always fought back.
“And we definitely view 2018 as the year when McLaren will move closer to the front, fighting teams and drivers as we improve our fortunes.
“We have an excellent team, a new engine partner in Renault and a host of fantastic new partnerships: Airgain, CNBC, Dell Technologies, Kimoa and Petrobras have all been welcomed to the McLaren family.
“Our return to a papaya orange livery for this year wasn’t simply an emotional decision - it demonstrates that we are listening to our fans, building deeper engagement with them and the Formula 1 community as a whole.
“We want McLaren to earn respect on and off the track, and this felt like a good starting point. We want to show everyone what makes this team special, whether that’s our fans or our partners – there’s room for more on our journey.”
Beneath the bodywork lies a new power unit with a significantly different philosophy to its predecessor. Eric Boullier, McLaren Racing Director, added: “I think the whole team feels proud of this car.
“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.”
Alonso, unsurprisingly, what with Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund’s connection with McLaren, features as the main poster boy in the promotional material for the season’s second race in Sakhir, with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, behind on either side.
Wouldn’t Mumtalakat and McLaren fans just love that if the podium looks the same on April 8!
