Eric Boullier: “Make the honeymoon last longer”

« I learned about the danger of honeymoons! » If Eric Boullier, competition director of Mclaren racing, logically hopes to benefit from a golden period upon the arrival of the block Renault in the future car of Woking in 2018, the French manager can only keep in mind the unfortunate example of Honda's return in 2015.

The British-Japanese tandem was unable to reconnect with its glorious past, leaving McLaren with no other choice than to change engine manufacturer at the dawn of the next season after three blank years without victories.

« We are currently in a phase of getting to know each other better (with Renault), comments Boullier on the F1 website. We build a relationship. And I'll make the honeymoon last longer than the last one. »

McLaren-Renault in the right car?

Toto wolff, boss of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, or even recently Lewis Hamilton, reigning world champion, mentioned it: the new McLaren-Renault alliance could interfere in the fight for the top positions in 2018.

The British chassis is regularly cited for its qualities, which should not be called into question by the arrival of the French Power Unit. « You have to adapt to the engine concept, but the architecture will remain the same, Boullier is moving forward in this direction.

We have a smart concept, so it won't be a big upset. […] When we look at what we have achieved in terms of the performance of the car, in terms of the chassis, we know that we are back on the podium, at the top.

For me, what we have achieved under difficult circumstances is a huge reward. The other positive point that I have learned from the last three years is that the team is really united now.

We suffered a lot for three years, but at the same time, no one left the team. Everyone agreed that this team would win again.