Eric Boullier: “We have the 3rd best chassis”

The men from Woking arrived in Belgium with a significant new evolution of the Honda engine. Although the precise gain is an industrial secret, the team director estimates it can be evaluated at “a few percent.” Considering that the maximum allowed gap between the pole position time and the last in qualifying is only 7%, these “few percent” can therefore represent a significant advancement.

Nevertheless, the circuit’s profile with its long straights was clearly not to the advantage of McLaren’s car. The team therefore chose to install two new engines on each of the cars in order to take the maximum penalties this weekend and not affect the rest of the season. This resulted in a record 105 grid-place penalties accumulated between the two drivers, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso.

These were therefore assured of starting last even before qualifying took place. However, they attempted to achieve the best possible time because it is in the very nature of an F1 team: « Anyway, we knew we wouldn’t make it to Q2. So not driving wouldn’t have saved a set of new tires. And besides, we’re here to participate, not to be so frugal. So we have a moral right to drive. The drivers, that’s all they care about. Moreover, with the number of problems we’ve had this weekend and the little track time, we seize every opportunity to take a lap. »

Since the beginning of the season, the main difficulty the team faces is the combination of its chassis with the package provided by Honda. Thus, the French leader believes that McLaren has a good chassis, but we don’t have the best car, no. I think we are 3rd or 4th. It’s already good because it means we’ve made good progress compared to last year, and Honda is working on its engine. Today, it’s the two together that are not at the top.

These integration difficulties were predictable given the complexity of these hybrid engines. But the leaders at Woking did not necessarily expect to experience something as challenging as what they are currently facing: « No, there were certainly warning signs, but we did not expect this. We knew it would be difficult, that it would be a big challenge because we saw last year with Renault, Ferrari, and Mercedes that it was complicated. But we must recognize that Honda only started working on it two years ago, and it might be a bit early and a bit immature at this level. So no, we did not expect this. »

The symbiosis between the two partners is also not helped by the distance separating them, whether geographically or culturally. Indeed, while Honda has set up an operational base in Milton Keynes, all developments and manufacturing take place in Japan. The perception of time is also different between Anglo-Saxon and Japanese cultures: « Yes, that’s for sure. The Anglo-Saxons particularly excel at mastering Formula 1 processes, and having a Japanese manufacturer building its engines in Japan definitely poses some cultural challenges. But it’s logical: there are already differences among Europeans. So we’ve laid some groundwork, and communication is going well. There’s no problem on that front. »

The other topic of questioning around the team is obviously its driver duo for next year. While it is almost certain that Fernando Alonso will be part of it again next year, many questions are being raised once more about the future of Jenson Button. The situation is all the more tense because Stoffel Vandoorne is currently dominating the GP2 championship and Kevin Magnussen does not see himself going through another season without racing.

Eric Boullier nevertheless wishes not to repeat the same experience as last year, where the drivers were only officially announced on December 11. While Honda will be consulted in the selection process, McLaren retains the final responsibility for the decision: “For next year, I’d like it to be as early as possible. There are parameters to set and deadlines to meet. There is a contract with Jenson and therefore a deadline. So we’ll see at that time.”

From our special correspondent at Spa-Francorchamps