McLaren-Honda: The MP4-30 is “a masterpiece” for Ron Dennis
McLaren-Honda has made very aggressive development choices with its MP4-30. But according to Ron Dennis, this extreme approach has allowed the creation of a masterpiece, whose full potential should become apparent after just three Grand Prix.
Obviously, McLaren experienced difficult tests in Jerez. The Woking team is still in the process of taming its MP4-30, the first of the new Honda era. There’s nothing very surprising for Ron Dennis, who asserts that McLaren deliberately designed an extreme car, and therefore one that’s difficult to master.
« In developing the MP4-30, we took a calculated risk », Ron Dennis tells the Corriere Dello Sport. « But we know exactly what we have done and what we can achieve in the future. The car’s chassis is extremely compact, and we had to deal with the consequences of this choice. » From initial observations in Jerez, it appears that the very small engine fits perfectly into the McLaren chassis, similar to the latest Mercedes. This therefore requires acute reliability, particularly in terms of cooling.
The historical team boss is therefore brimming with confidence regarding the potential of his car: « We have achieved a car of very high level, and I must thank Peter Prodromou [chief engineer of McLaren F1] for creating this masterpiece ».
Optimism is also called for regarding the full exploitation of the new MP4-30: « I think we will fully understand the car after three races », concludes Ron Dennis, visibly delighted by the beginnings of the collaboration between McLaren and Honda.
