Fernando Alonso says McLaren are aiming for respectability in the third year of their collaboration with Honda.
The team hasn’t finish higher than fifth place since Honda returned as its engine supplier at the beginning of 2015. Its last win came at the end of the 2012 season.
“We still think the start of the season will be a challenge,” said Alonso. “We can’t ignore the fact that we’re still coming from a significant step behind the current front-runners.”
“But I’d like to think we can target the second half of the year as a time when we’ll really be able to start making useful performance steps. The aim is to look respectable this year – and I’d like to think we can achieve that.”
Alonso said the new MCL32, launched by the team today, “appears to be really promising”.
“The new regulations seem to be well thought-out, and the cars look fast and aggressive,” he added.
Alonso’s new team mate Stoffel Vandoorne said “It’s really nice to see a McLaren looking like a proper McLaren.”
“The livery is a great mix of the past and the future: the orange of the 1960s and ’70s, but pushed forwards. I really like it.”
“As for the car itself, it looks great. There are so many beautiful little details – the gills on the nose hangers, the bargeboards, the front wing – it all looks incredibly well finished and thoroughly thought-out.”
Vandoorne will start his first full season of F1 this year having started one race for them in 2016. “This is the moment I’ve been waiting for my whole life,” he said.
“My preparation has been long, intense and meticulous. I’ve spent the winter training ferociously hard, I’m fitter now than I’ve ever been, and I’m raring to get going.”
2017 F1 season
- Sepang pays Haas compensation for Grosjean’s 2017 crash
- Williams revenues rose in 2017 after Bottas deal with Mercedes
- Australian Grand Prix cost government £56 million last year
- “Grand Prix Driver” takes you inside McLaren’s nightmare final year with Honda
- Undisputed champion: 10 titles name Hamilton top driver of 2017
Scribed
24th February 2017, 11:10
Alonso just brimming with enthusiasm.
OOoffff, tend to think that doesn’t bode well.
Todfod (@todfod)
25th February 2017, 4:55
Throughout the winter Alonso was highly motivated and in great spirits. It’s almost like the launch of the Mclaren has broken him. From fighting for wins to ‘looking respectable’. I doubt he would be motivated enough turn a wheel after pre season testing.
Robert (@)
24th February 2017, 11:15
McLaren aim to “look respectable” in 2017…. so they start by painting it to look like a Marussia? It’s a hideous livery!
Understeer (@abdelilah)
24th February 2017, 11:16
The package looks fantastic especially the front nose, I hope it delivers.
UNeedAFinn2Win (@uneedafinn2win)
24th February 2017, 11:19
ok, was NOT expecting that.
Arrows is back ?
Mathew (@martix)
24th February 2017, 11:37
My first thought was about 2007 spyker. Let’s hope they won’t share spyker fate ;)
Damon (@damon)
24th February 2017, 13:06
That Spyker looked awful, both the chassis and even more so the chaotic, messy livery.
This design is opposite to that – coherent and beautiful.
The GTR McLaren F1s used to rock such colour schemes in the late 90s:
http://www.legacydiecast.com/product_images/hpi8268.jpg
Mathew (@martix)
24th February 2017, 23:19
I totally agree with you. I’m not saying that this design is bad or ugly. Even if it looks “spyker-similar” to me, it’s historical and quite pure design. Simple and interesting. I’ll hold my thumbs for them this year.
JCost (@jcost)
24th February 2017, 12:07
That’s old school McLaren, orange is their original color isn’t it?
FLIG (@flig)
24th February 2017, 12:16
True, but though I really like the black and orange combination in general, I think it would have been much prettier in white and orange, which can also be said to be one of their old school colour schemes.
OmarRoncal - Go Seb!!! (@)
24th February 2017, 11:33
Bye Ron.
This is the Mc Virgin Arrows Spyker Honda.
Colors aside, I hope the car delivers for the sake of competition.
JCost (@jcost)
24th February 2017, 12:06
Less black would be better.
BobF1
24th February 2017, 12:22
Beautiful. Best looking car to date. The future is bright and the future is orange. Just needs to be sponsored by Tango now.
JIckx
24th February 2017, 12:30
At a certain moment I was thinking that the white parts on the sidepods were stickers and that the guy from Sky would tear them away and reveal a new title sponsor… don’t know why I was thinking that… naive me !!
Clark Finlay (@ck2000)
24th February 2017, 13:00
It seems very low on sponsor logos that can’t be a good thing for the teams future
Selbbin (@selbbin)
24th February 2017, 13:12
They have an entire tech company and supercar factory along with super rich owners to back up the prize money and heritage payment. McLaren isn’t short on cash. Sponsorship is just a nice bonus.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
24th February 2017, 13:49
Yes, unfortunately McLaren aren’t the only ones. I had noticed the same thing with the Sauber car.
Aldoid
24th February 2017, 19:29
Needs to be more orange… too much black…
Davefrmdownunder
25th February 2017, 0:05
As long as it is fast I don’t care what colour it is painted. It’s beneath the skin that counts, they could always change the paint work mid season. It has happened before. Bring on Melbourne
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
25th February 2017, 2:20
So far the car, alongside the SFI, forgetting the irrelevant cgi Williams is the most sedated design.