[62], McLaren used a new engine cover and T-wing design during the Hungarian Grand Prix. Furthermore, the current 2020-spec chassis and gearbox designs will be frozen into 2021 to further limit costs. "[55], Both drivers as well as Technical Director James Key expressed uncertainty regarding the team's performance at the Tuscan Grand Prix given that Formula One cars have never raced at the Mugello Circuit before. A warm welcome to McLaren Houston. [137] At turn two, Sainz ran off the track and "misjudged [his] entry speed around the bollard" trying to re-join the track, causing him to collide with the wall and retire from the race. [26][29], In contrast to the MCL34 and its gloss paintwork, the MCL35 is the first McLaren to be wrapped in vinyl rather than painted, featuring a matte finish and greater use of black in order to reduce the overall weight of the car and reduce the time required to prepare bodywork. [204] Sainz took sixth in the Drivers' Championship, while Norris finished the season in ninth. [115] The race resulted in McLaren's best finish since 2014,[116] and increased their lead for third place in the Constructors' Championship, while Norris would take fifth and Sainz ninth in the Drivers' Championship. Norris damaged the floor of his MCL35 on a kerb and then experienced power issues. [15][16], Compared to the MCL34, the MCL35 had a greater emphasis on the outwash effect – moving air around the tyre rather than over it – and a higher rear rake. [93] During free practice, the team tested a new floor and diffuser compliant with 2021 regulations (less aerodynamic parts and slimmer compared to the 2020 regulations). play. Formula 1 engines are undoubtedly the most crucial part of a Formula 1 car. [90], McLaren installed a new rear wing and rear brake duct at the Belgian Grand Prix,[91][92] as well as using a new bargeboard. [222] Production Director Piers Thynne said that "The number of new parts on the MCL35M is about the same as when we built the MCL35," meaning "essentially, we've been building a new car." [97][98] Sainz would not start the race after an issue with his Renault power unit failed and "destroyed the right exhaust bank" before the race,[99][100][101] resulting in the first non-finish for McLaren in 2020. [57][63][64] McLaren had a poor showing in Hungary compared to the Austrian rounds. McLaren will also have to redesign its rear suspension components for 2021 too, as the new power unit and gearbox combination it will use will have different pick-up points for the wishbones and track rods. [181] Norris would go on to qualify ninth, leaving Sainz in fifteenth. While Mercedes struck back against Red Bull by topping the times at Imola on Friday ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the overall picture remains incredibly close. [46], McLaren used a new floor, diffuser, and brake ducts at the Austrian Grand Prix as well as a tweaked front wing. [191][192] Norris was required to start nineteenth after replacing his internal combustion engine and turbocharger, exceeding his component limits. [20][30][31], Aside from minor upgrades, 2020-specification cars were meant to be kept largely unchanged for the 2021 season in order to limit the financial strain on teams that would be incurred by developing a new car under the already fragile financial conditions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Teams are being forced to carry over their chassis from 2020 … Given that McLaren had already signed a contract to use Mercedes engines in 2021 before the decision to reuse 2020 cars was made, they received special permission – subject to FIA inspection – to modify their chassis to accommodate the new engine. Exclusive McLaren dealership in Houston, TX. [170] Sainz suffered an issue with his power unit's electronics in the first practice session, triggering a virtual safety car and causing him to miss most of the session. Hans Mezger, the Porsche engineer who masterminded the 911's flat six, the 917 and its engine, as well as the TAG McLaren F1 turbo, has died, aged 90 11th June 2020 By Dominic Tobin [84] During the first free practice session, Sainz spun in turn seven and triggered a virtual safety car after damage to his rear wing. However, there are only 4 companies, who supply the engines to the 10 present teams and 20 cars in the sport. ", "McLaren MCL35 tighter bodywork, matte paint has clear benefits – Key", "Key explains the new thinking behind McLaren MCL35", "The car changes that have helped McLaren shine in 2020", "Key: 2020 McLaren features "new concepts" both front and rear", "McLaren Racing supports Formula 1's #WeRaceAsOne campaign", "McLaren reveal updated MCL35 livery for #WeRaceAsOne", "McLaren reveal tweaks to their MCL35 livery", "F1 driver Lando Norris has an amazing rainbow race suit – but apparently it's a 'universal symbol of unity' for coronavirus key workers", "Key explains lighter paint and tighter bodywork on his first McLaren", "FIA will closely monitor McLaren's engine switch", "Ross Brawn Opens Up on the Major Compromise the FIA Made for McLaren", "Seidl Reveals What McLaren Won't be Getting From 2021 Mercedes Switch", "McLaren plan more updates this year due to lack of 'chassis tokens' for 2021", "McLaren can address MCL35 weaknesses despite development cap - Key", "Seidl: Holding on to fourth 'best McLaren can do' in 2020", "Rival teams unhappy with RP20 being 'Mercedes copy, "McLaren worried by challenge from "what appears to be last year's Mercedes, "Sainz: McLaren 'shocked' by performance of MCL35", "McLaren's Carlos Sainz says 'The car feels amazing' after first day of testing with 2020 F1 challenger", "Mclaren F1 Team Boss Delivers a Positive News After Pre-Season Testing", "Confirmed: F1 cancelled at Australian Grand Prix", "Renault confirms it will have no F1 engine upgrades throughout 2020", "Latest Austrian GP technical developments", "Everything you need to know for the Austrian & Styrian Grands Prix", "Three-place grid penalty for Hamilton after qualifying decision review", "McLaren on F1 second row for first time since 2016 at Austrian GP", "Hamilton accepts penalty for Albon clash as he admits he 'can't believe it happened again, "FIA post-race press conference - Austria", "Brazilian GP: Carlos Sainz Claims McLaren's 1st Podium Since 2014 after 'Unbelievable' Race", "2020 Austrian Grand Prix F1 championship points", "Technical Insight: New floors for Ferrari and McLaren for Styrian GP", "Styrian GP: Latest key F1 technical developments", "2020 F1 Styrian Grand Prix qualifying results and grid", "Hamilton dominates Styrian GP amid Ferrari disaster", "2020 F1 World Championship points after Styrian Grand Prix", "Hungarian GP: F1 technical developments direct from the track", "Vettel shines in the rain to top FP2 standings as Hamilton watches on", "McLaren: Hungarian GP qualifying 'more realistic' showing of F1 team's pace", "McLaren F1 Hungarian Grand-Prix race review and quotes - automobilsport.com", "Both Haas F1 drivers handed 10s penalties for F1 Hungarian GP", "2020 F1 World Championship points after Hungarian Grand Prix", "British GP: F1 technical developments direct from the track", "F1 British GP: McLaren trials new aero updates at Silverstone", "British GP: Qualifying team notes - McLaren", "Driver ratings from the British Grand Prix", "Updated F1 World Championship points standings after British GP", "F1 70th Anniversary GP qualifying results, full grid lineup", "Carlos Sainz sacrificed qualifying to save his race", "Carlos Sainz: 'Easy' points thrown away at pitstop", "McLaren give Sainz new chassis in bid to cure cooling problems", "Formula 1: McLaren's Carlos Sainz takes new engine ahead of Spanish GP final practice", "Carlos Sainz feeling cooler after new engine boost", "Spanish Grand Prix Qualifying - Live Blog! [80], At the Spanish Grand Prix, Sainz continued to experience cooling problems on his MCL35 and was issued with a new chassis. [125] McLaren maintained third place in the Constructors' Championship, while Norris would take fourth in the Drivers' Championship as Sainz dropped to eleventh. After the race Piers Thynne, McLaren's production director, stated that the team had "lost significant parts" in the race.[127][128][129]. Rain before the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix promised to spice up the action, and the race certainly delivered on that. The agreement brings McLaren and Mercedes together as customer team and power unit supplier for the first time since 2014. Meanwhile, Norris fell to fifth from fourth in the Drivers' Championship after being overtaken by Charles Leclerc, with Sainz dropped to from tenth to eleventh by Esteban Ocon. [153][154] The team opted to run the MCL35 with the new nose box, delaying the rest of the package to future races. [182] Both McLarens exhibited strong race pace, and Norris would ultimately finish fourth in the race with Sainz fifth, meaning McLaren re-took third in the Constructors' Championship by 17 points after both Racing Point cars retired. [144] Despite installing a new power unit overnight,[149] Norris would run in third before an issue arose with his Renault power unit and dropped several positions until he was forced to retire, triggering a safety car. (Photo: SuperMac1961, Flickr)A 29-year-old British man sold a rare McLaren F1 supercar for $5.5 million, according to media reports. [ 2020 ] Mclaren F1 Team - Renault. The livery is a nice mix of … [10][1] In October 2019 team principal Andreas Seidl stated very little of the MCL34 would be carried over to the MCL35,[11][12] with the aim of the closing the gap to the top three teams to under one second. Formula 1’s latest Imola adventure turned into an expensive trip for many teams due to several crashes throughout the weekend. [140] McLaren stated this was done since Norris was already likely to drop out of the points on the aging tyres, and was thus aiming to take the fastest lap point away from other teams. 6635 posts Page 90 of 443. [67] Norris could only recover to thirteenth after being passed by Charles Leclerc. McLaren F1 technical director James ... How McLaren has revised its MCL35M to fit Mercedes’ F1 engine. [139] Norris pitted during the safety car period, but his hard tyres would not last the entire race distance as hoped; forcing him to pit again and dropping him out of the points. McLaren hat sein Auto für die Formel-1-Saison 2020 vorgestellt. Vergleich Formel-1-Autos 2021 vs. 2020: McLaren 15.02.2021, 19:46 Wie unterscheidet sich der McLaren MCL35M für die Formel-1-Saison 2021 von seinem Vorgängerauto MCL35 aus der Saison 2020? Official McLaren memorabilia > 2019 McLaren have produced an upgraded version of the car, the McLaren MCL35M, for the 2021 championship as the team return to using Mercedes engines. [110] After the yellow and red flags caused by Kevin Magnussen of Haas and Leclerc of Ferrari, the McLarens would restart the race in seventh and eighth. [59] Norris would go on to finish fifth after overtaking both Racing Point drivers on the final lap,[60] while Sainz would finish ninth and set the fastest lap and a new track record in the process. McLaren has become the first team to reveal its Formula 1 car for 2021, as it returns to Mercedes power for the first time in seven years. [50] After Norris lost positions in the opening laps to Hamilton and Alexander Albon, both McLarens ran comfortably in the top ten for the remainder of the race. The updated car made its competitive début at the first race of the season, the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix. McLaren hat im Rahmen eines klassischen "Car-Launchs" in Woking sein neues Auto für die Formel-1-Saison 2020 vorgestellt. Both drivers listed tyre management as their main challenge as Norris and Sainz went on to finish ninth and thirteenth respectively. [194] However, shortly after Sainz's second pitstop, a safety car gave rivals who passed him after his pitstop an advantage over him, limiting his ability to challenge the cars in front of him. [1][13][37][38] In preseason testing however, Racing Point, whose car strongly resembled the 2019 Mercedes car,[39] was very quick compared to the other midfield teams, and caused McLaren to be less than optimistic about their chances to secure fourth place. [217] The MCL35M passed FIA crash tests in December 2020. [17] The MCL35 featured a thinner nose and a more complex bargeboard,[18][19] with more space between the front axle and the sidepods to better meet the cooling requirements of the Renault engine. [165] Sainz would finish seventh and Norris in eighth,[166] with Sainz saying the evasive action required after Red Bull driver Alexander Albon spun in front of him prevented him from attacking during the final few laps. Bruce was a works driver for the British Formula One team Cooper with whom he had won three Grands Prix and come second in the 1960 World Championship. [163] McLaren maintained fourth place in the Constructors' Championship, with Sainz improving to tenth and Norris dropping to seventh in the Drivers' Championship. [195] At the restart, Sainz overtook Bottas to take fourth place, but was disappointed that he did not reach the podium. [51] Norris, running in fifth, was required to close the gap between himself and Hamilton (running in second place) to under five seconds in order to finish in the top three, overtaking Sergio Pérez (who also had a five-second penalty after a pit lane incident involving Norris) and setting his first fastest lap on the last lap of the race in the process, as well as achieving his first ever Formula One podium. [244] McLaren remained third in the Constructors' Championship, with Norris moving up to third in the Drivers' Championship and Ricciardo remaining in seventh.[245]. [78] During the race, Sainz's pitstop was compromised by a wheel gun malfunction. Although the initial season with Renault was poor, McLaren's second year in partnership with them yielded vastly improved fortunes as the team secured fourth in the constructors' championship. Why F1’s top teams are so divided on suspension, Five things we learned from F1's Esports racing. [66] Both Sainz and Norris dropped positions while changing tyres on lap four, being held up by traffic in the pit lane. Welcome to McLaren Houston, a member of indiGO Auto Group. Wanting to compete in the Australasian Tasman Series, Bruce approached his employers, but when team owner Charles Cooper insisted on using 1.5-litre Formula … [123][124] Sainz became the first McLaren race retirement of the 2020 season. [77] Sainz later stated that the team had discovered an overheating issue in third practice, and in order to be able to complete the race the car was required to undergo bodywork changes that in turn compromised his qualifying pace. [76], The following week at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, Norris qualified tenth and Sainz thirteenth, the latter being the first time a McLaren had failed to reach the final part of qualifying in 2020. [183][184][185] Norris overtook Sainz for seventh in the Drivers' Championship. "[214], Due to the restrictions imposed by the FIA's token system for 2021 development, most of the aerodynamic changes for the MCL35M were introduced in the 2021 season. [34] This new gearbox necessitated the extension of the car's wheelbase. [81] When this failed to solve the problem,[82] the power unit on his car was replaced:[83] McLaren later stated the issue had no relation to the chassis. [22][23] Key explained that the suspension geometry of the MCL35 had been redesigned to incorporate developments the team had not been able to implement on the MCL34,[22][24] which include the repositioning of both the upper and lower wishbone elements to influence airflow over the bargeboards and floor. McLaren Racing ist ein britisches Motorsport-Rennteam, das 2021 in der Formel-1-Weltmeisterschaft antritt. [143] The Russian Grand Prix was the team's only point-less race in 2020. Bruce McLaren Motor Racing was founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren. [197] McLaren dropped to fourth in the Constructors' Championship after Racing Point finished first and third, while Sainz took seventh and Albon overtook Norris for eighth in the Drivers' Championship. [95][179] Norris stated he was lacking confidence with the car, alluding to the MCL35's wind sensitivity issues, saying "I didn't feel the most confident throughout today [...] Just because it's quite tricky with the wind, even though it's not very windy. James Key was recruited from Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2019 to replace the outgoing Tim Goss,[9] and was named as the MCL35's lead designer. [56][57] Sainz qualified in third, the best outright qualifying position for McLaren since 2014. [186], Sainz predicted ahead of the Sakhir Grand Prix (also held at Bahrain International Circuit, but on a different layout) that choosing the correct setup – particularly downforce levels – would be challenging. Sainz improved to eighth in the Drivers' Championship. This results in a bulkier engine cover but allows the sidepods to become more tightly packaged. However, gearbox internals were not changed, nor were some suspension components as these were allowed to be carried over from 2020 outside of the 2021 budget cap. The McLaren Motor Show was broadcast live from MTC in Woking at 08:30 GMT / 09:30 CET on Tuesday 3rd March 2020. [207][208], Although taking third in the Constructors' Championship, the MCL35 was rarely the third fastest car on pure pace and was usually outperformed by the Racing Point RP20 and often the Renault R.S.20. Sainz finished tenth, and was later promoted to ninth after Haas driver Kevin Magnussen received a penalty. [155] Despite further issues with wind sensitivity in qualifying,[156] Sainz qualified seventh and Norris eighth. [226], After the conclusion of the 2020 season, Seidl stated he did not believe McLaren could directly compete with Mercedes and Red Bull (who finished first and second in the 2020 Constructors' Championship) in the 2021 season, and that the team would instead work to reduce their pace deficit over multiple seasons. Well aware that McLaren would need to use its 2021 development tokens to fit a new engine, the team made a late-season development push last year says Andreas Seidl.. Ricciardo struggled with tyre temperature[238] and went on to finish seventh. [96] After qualifying, Sainz expressed concern at the possibility of a wet race, stating that the car was set up for lower downforce and that McLaren would be "in trouble" should it rain during the Grand Prix. [47][48] Norris qualified in fourth and was promoted to third after a penalty was given to Lewis Hamilton,[49] while Sainz qualified in eighth. [189] Sainz qualified in eighth, which he said was "the maximum our car could do",[190] while Norris qualified in fifteenth which he attributed to poor out-lap timing and his own error. [52] Sainz finished in fifth after also overtaking Pérez. Despite concerns during pre-season testing over the pace of the Racing Point RP20, McLaren became more confident with the performance of the car, with team principal Andreas Seidl stating the team could fight for third place in the Constructors' Championship. [54] In an article on strategy calls published in 2021, the team said Norris' podium finish was possible because of the "flawless" double-stacked pit stop allowing him to be in position to capitalise on Hamilton's penalty. 2020. [213] Barretto made a similar assessment, saying that the MCL35 allowed its drivers "to get the very best out of it more consistently – something Renault or Racing Point could not replicate. "[211], In a reflection on the 2020 season, McLaren Sporting Director Andrea Stella stated that the car's performance early in the season allowed the team to be "very competitive and at the front of the midfield" but this advantage was not retained over the second half of the season, while Technical Director James Key said "Certain tracks and conditions, particularly in the latter part of the season, have not played to our strengths. [242] In the wet race, team orders were used to allow Norris to pass Ricciardo early in the race after the latter continued to struggle with pace. The McLaren MCL35 is a Formula One car designed under the direction of James Key and constructed by McLaren to compete in the Formula One World Championship. [35] In a post-season statement, Key said that knowing the team would be restricted for development in 2021 "changed our approach when it came to developments this [2020] season. McLaren spent a portion of free practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix continuing tests with their 2021 floor and diffuser. We ended all qualifying sessions and race with, say, all 6 cars in three races. After months of teasing, McLaren has finally revealed its 2020 Formula 1 car entry today ahead of the first week of testing. [126] At the conclusion of this race McLaren had scored in excess of 100 points in nine Grands Prix, much quicker than the 16 races it took in 2019. "[180] During the second part of qualifying, Sainz's rear axle locked as his rear brakes failed, ending his qualifying session early and limiting his choice of tyre compounds for the race. [44], The rear end of the chassis and the gearbox housing were changed significantly, hence McLaren was the only team required to re-homologate their chassis due to the changes in car architecture. [217] These changes were driven by the different layout of the M12 over the E-Tech 20, since the Mercedes engine's turbine and compressor are in different locations:[218] the E-Tech 20 had both the turbine and compressor at the rear of the engine, while the M12 places the compressor at the front and turbine at the rear to allow for a larger and more efficient power unit. This forum contains threads to discuss teams themselves. Max Verstappen got the best launch to win from Lewis Hamilton, but both got away with mistakes that could have had serious consequences, The first in a line of world beaters was designed in a back bedroom and then constructed in a shed. It's predominantly aero-related, with some set-up aspects. [84] This was the first power unit change for an MCL35 in the 2020 season and successfully fixed the issue. [161] Sainz struggled with tyre graining[162] but would finish in sixth, with Norris finishing thirteenth. [26][27][28] The changes were interpreted by some as representing the LGBT+ rainbow flag, but McLaren stated the rainbow represented their support for diversity in general and provided recognition for essential workers rather than any specific cause. In that respect, McLaren may be able to continue with its packaging philosophy into 2021 without too many wholesale changes. How will McLaren accommodate the Mercedes power unit? Norris would go on to finish fourth while Sainz attempted to catch Pierre Gasly in the lead, reducing the gap down to 0.415 seconds on the final lap but Sainz would finish second. [167] McLaren drew level with Racing Point in the Constructors' Championship, but both were overtaken by Renault. Prior the opening round, Renault stated that they would not provide any upgrades to the E-Tech 20 engine. [17] The car also utilised a much slimmer sidepod profile as well as a new front nose design,[20][21] with re-designed brake ducts to increase cooling ability over its predecessor. Currently, the Renault and Honda powered teams prefer to mount some of the cooling components above the engine intake. Since the 1979 French Grand … Sainz dropped to tenth in the Drivers' Championship. We are proud to be part of the McLaren Team and this exciting and innovative brand. McLaren Special Operations (MSO) and our LT marque are each driven by their own bold mission… Now, with the 765LT Strata Theme by MSO, these twin ambitions unite in extraordinary visual form. [85][86] Sainz and Norris would go on to qualify in seventh and eighth respectively,[87][88] but were concerned over the impacts of a high temperature race. After the safety car restart Sainz collided heavily with Antonio Giovinazzi's Alfa Romeo after Giovinazzi collided with the suddenly slowing Williams of Nicholas Latifi and Magnussen, triggering the first red flag of the race. A photo of a McLaren F1 model. [164], Norris and Sainz qualified ninth and tenth respectively at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. [171][172] Norris and Sainz originally qualified eleventh and thirteenth respectively. McLaren will continue with plans to switch to Mercedes power units for 2021, despite chassis designs being frozen for the next Formula 1 season. This was expected to be a problematic scenario for McLaren, who had signed a deal to use Mercedes power plants to coincide with the now-postponed technical changes, but the team has moved to deny any speculation that it would not go ahead with its rekindled partnership with Mercedes. [168] Seidl stated that the team's race was limited by their qualifying position, while Norris said that the team still had competitive pace but were on a run of bad luck.[169]. McLaren launches 2020 F1 car. Wie alle Formel-1-Fahrzeuge des Jahres 2020 ist der McLaren MCL35 ein hinterradangetriebener Monoposto mit einem Monocoque aus kohlenstofffaserverstärktem Kunststoff (CFK).Außer dem Monocoque bestehen auch viele weitere Teile des Fahrzeugs, darunter die Karosserieteile und das Lenkrad aus CFK. [89] The team maintained their fourth place in the standings, with Sainz improving to ninth and Norris falling to seventh. [151] McLaren lost third in the Constructors' Championship to Racing Point, while Norris dropped to sixth in the Drivers' Championship. [53] The result placed McLaren second in the World Constructors' Championship behind Mercedes, with Norris in third and Sainz in fifth in the World Drivers' Championship. [220][221], Key identified two target areas for improvement with the MCL35M: low-speed cornering performance and wind sensitivity, two areas in which the MCL35 struggled. ... 2021 McLaren F1 car and livery revealed. Posted on 24th March 2020, 18:55 Author Keith Collantine Categories 2020 F1 season articles, 2021 F1 season articles, F1 news Tags 2020 f1 season, 2021 f1 season, F1, formula 1, formula one, McLaren, mclaren f1 team. "[44] Comparing the MCL35 to the MCL34, Key said the team had been "only around 50% successful in addressing the [MCL34's] weak spots" but "there's nothing fundamental about the car that is preventing us doing that [improving the car]. [187] McLaren ultimately ran the MCL35 with a lower downforce aerodynamics kit, featuring a "spoon-shaped" rear wing. [199][200] Norris said that he was surprised by the small difference between himself and polesitter Max Verstappen, which was only 0.251 seconds, calling it his best lap of the year. [201] Norris finished fifth and Sainz in sixth, scoring enough points to take third place in the Constructors' Championship,[202][203] McLaren's best finish since the 2012 season. [176] Sainz recovered to fifth and Norris recovered to eighth while the latter also set the fastest lap of the race. [243] Norris finished third after losing second place to Hamilton after an extended battle in the closing laps, while Ricciardo would finish the race in sixth. [86] Despite this, Sainz would finish in sixth and Norris in tenth. The decision also included a freeze on any development of teams' 2020 chassis for next season, prompting speculation McLaren might have to delay its planned switch from Renault to … [225] Key said he was surprised no other team had implemented the workaround, but characterised it as part of a larger aerodynamic concept and did not expect it to be copied or a continuing point of controversy. [131] Sainz reverted to the chassis he had used up until the Spanish Grand Prix after the restart incident at the Tuscan Grand Prix. [108] Sainz would go on to qualify in third and Norris in sixth. [231] Key said that McLaren had not encountered these issues in its own dyno testing. Team principal Andreas Seidl stated that McLaren had been the second-quickest team behind Mercedes and that the team would have finished in second and third had the race been less chaotic. F1 2020 McLaren Manager Career! [232], The MCL35M had its first shakedown on 16 February 2021 in a filming day at Silverstone Circuit. [227][228] Brown said that the more competitive midfield meant McLaren "could find ourselves closer to Mercedes [...] but slipping to fifth in the Championship". [40] Despite this, Carlos Sainz Jr. said that he was "shocked in a good way" by the MCL35's performance compared to its predecessor,[41][42] and the team stated they were happy with the car's pace. [69], At the British Grand Prix, McLaren removed the T-wing and reverted their engine cover design to the pre-Hungarian version, while using a new front wing, rear wing, and floor design. McLaren linked up with Renault in 2018 after its acrimonious split from Honda following a three-year spell of underperformance. [121] Both drivers explained that the MCL35 was highly sensitive to wind, particularly tailwinds, but were happy with the performance of the car compared to the practice sessions. This will be McLaren's second spell with Mercedes, having enjoyed a previous extensive collaboration with the German manufacturer between 1995 and 2014, prior to its ill-fated Honda works deal.