McLaren F1 racing director Eric Boullier says that the team's relationship with engine provider Honda has blossomed, and there's now a real sense of excitement at Woking that the squad is set to turn the corner in 2017.
“Within McLaren-Honda, there’s a tangible feeling of progress, of change," Boullier explained at the launch of the new MCL32 on Friday.
"This year’s rules reset is a valuable opportunity for us," he added. "It will allow us to make progress with what we feel is a well ordered and clearly defined chassis-engine package, and hopefully to narrow the delta between us and the front-running teams."
While the team's new livery was the first thing to catch the eye at the grand unveiling of the new car, Boullier said that the important aspects of the new design would only become apparent when the car hits the track next week for four days of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
“The addition of a striking orange and black paint job reinforces the notion that we’re moving away from what immediately preceded it, but it’s the engineering detail on the MCL32 that really impresses me.
"It’s the result of a huge amount of work from a team that has really developed together over the past few years.
"The chassis is incredibly well realised, the power unit has been significantly developed and, in Fernando [Alonso] and Stoffel [Vandoorne] we have a hugely exciting driver pairing that’s already blending really well.
“Technically, in 2017 man and machine will be pushed to the absolute limit, owing to higher speeds and more severe braking.
“There’s a feeling around the factory that we’re about to turn the corner. Our relationship with Honda has blossomed – there’s a real sense of comradeship to what we do now.
"I think we’re all very excited about what we can achieve together this year," he concluded.
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Eric Boullier, McLaren
