The 2019 Renault block gives cause for hope for McLaren

The arrival of the engine Renault, replacing the Honda block, was to allow McLaren to find a rank more in line with the history of the team in F1 this year, after three campaigns marked by recurring reliability concerns.

Si Fernando Alonso had started the season with five points finishes, the rest of the championship was much more gloomy for Woking, the Spaniard only finishing in the top 10 five times over the last sixteen meetings.

Worse for Stoffel Vandoorne, forced to retire eight times, before seeing his adventure with McLaren end at the end of the year, to head towards the Formula E, when Alonso will also no longer be involved in F1 in 2019, preferring his program WEC and his participation in the Indianapolis 500.

Despite this unenviable picture, Zak Brown, executive director of McLaren, remains eternally optimistic for the 2019 season, taking into account the progress made by Renault. The Losange team finished 4th in the Manufacturers' standings, and its Power Unit allowed Red Bull to achieve several successes, as for Ricciardo in Monaco or Verstappen in Mexico.

“We are very happy with Renault,” Brown explains on the F1 website. We have a very good relationship with them. I had a report in Abu Dhabi on the progress of next year's Power Unit, which is very encouraging.

They gave us a reliable engine this year, so everything is good. We are happy with the decision we made. […] Next year they will be focused on themselves and us, and we are excited about having a long-term future with them. ".

McLaren will trust Carlos Sainz et Lando Norris in 2019 to try to move up the hierarchy and will be able to count on the continued work of Renault, which will not let up his efforts during this holiday season.