McLaren reveals first Renault engine fire-up for F1 2018

McLaren has successfully fired up its new Renault-powered Formula 1 car for the first time ahead of the 2018 season.

The Woking-based outfit it looking to return to its former glory this year after switching to Renault power units, following a disastrous three-year spell with Honda. A late decision to split from the Japanese manufacturer meant McLaren had to accommodate the new engine into its 2018 car design, threatening to put the team behind schedule.

Lewis Larkam

16 Feb 2018

McLaren reveals first Renault engine fire-up for F1 2018

McLaren has successfully fired up its new Renault-powered Formula 1 car for the first time ahead of the 2018 season.

But ahead of unveiling its new challenger - the MCL33 - next week, McLaren posted a short video on social media of the successful inaugural Renault fire-up at its factory on Friday.

McLaren is confident it will enjoy a significant upturn in fortunes in 2018, with chief engineering officer Matt Morris recently claiming the team is “better prepared” with new supplier Renault than at any point of its partnership with Honda.

Its successful fire-up contrasts greatly with McLaren's situation heading into pre-season last year with Honda, as revealed in Amazon’s recent ‘Grand Prix Driver’ - a documentary which provided unprecedented insight into the extent of the problems the team faced.