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McLaren's decision to drop the famous 'MP4' tag from its 2017 design puts an abrupt end to a pedigree which started in 1981, when Ron Dennis took over the team. Regardless of the reasons for the name change, it offers an opportunity to remember the most successful McLaren in the MP4 lineage: the 1988 ultra-dominant MP4/4.
Rarely in Formula 1 history were there so many magical ingredients coming together to form such a massively dominant package. From engineering genius to flawless driver prodigy, from mighty engine power and reliability to diligent management, McLaren-Honda raced in a world of its own in 1988, unassailable and unrivaled for every single race of that season, bar one. A record that stands to this day.
