McLaren “restless to make progress” – Boullier

2014 F1 season

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New McLaren racing director Eric Boullier says the team have great potential and they are eager to bounce back from their disappointment last year.

“It’s been fascinating to observe and learn how this team operates,” said Boullier, who joined the team from Lotus in January. “I can see so much potential here: the facilities are second-to-none, and the people are hugely motivated. We’re all restless to make progress.”

“Our winter test preparations have been largely trouble-free,” he added. “Our aim with MP4-29 was to deliver a solid and reliable platform, which we can develop throughout the season.”

“In terms of full performance, we’re not there yet, but there’s more to come: not least because there’s a hunger and belief that’s evident throughout the entire McLaren organisation.”

Boullier added he will feel “proud” to arrive in the paddock in McLaren’s team outfit.

“McLaren is a team I’ve always hugely respected – ever since I watched Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost battling in those iconic red and white cars while I was still studying at home in France.

“To be part of the team means so much to me – but I know that we will not be judged on our past, incredible though it is, but on what we can achieve in the present.”

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Image © McLaren/Hoch Zwei

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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14 comments on “McLaren “restless to make progress” – Boullier”

  1. So apparently no team is going to win the 1st. race but they all are going to win the 2nd. or 3rd. race. Talk about managing expectations!

    1. @hohum Yes, the difference is that some say it smiling and others cringing.

  2. I’m almost desperate for McLaren to turn up to Melbourne and be a front-runner again. I would say the same for Ferrari, if they struggled the previous season, because I hate the sight of the big, traditional teams (e.g. Williams) struggling in some way, shape or form. I just don’t think it’s healthy for global audiences to see teams renowned for having a rich history and heritage in Motorsport as a whole, struggle at the pinnacle.

    Mercedes and Williams’ form in pre-season testing suggest it’ll be difficult for them to be at the sharp-end, but could well be during the middle stage of the season, development is going be as crucial and rapid as ever this season, and recent history proves that McLaren are up there with Red Bull as the best for developing a car in-season, and could prove it once more this season.

  3. I’d be glad if Mclaren would bring back black & white livery from Hakkinen days.

    1. It was silver and black

      1. a funky (and very white) lookin’ silver in that case…

        But I want some orange.. Chrome has gotten a bit stale, perhaps with the move from mercedes PSU next year (fingers crossed)

        1. The Hakkinen livery
          Were based on West packaging (Silver & Black)
          Senna/Prost livery
          Were based on Marlboro (White & Red)
          Still with Mercedes so, silver arrows applicable

      2. It was definitely black-white, with silver just in small amounts between black and white.

  4. Our aim with MP4-29 was to deliver a solid and reliable platform, which we can develop throughout the season

    A solid car with scope for development, it sounds like their original justification of MP4-28!

  5. I’m feeling sorry for the employs. Imagine how happy they were, back in 2009, when Dennis announced the news about his retirement and imagine their faces when they found out that he is coming back.

    1. petebaldwin (@)
      10th March 2014, 16:04

      Well it was thier job to prove that they didn’t need Ron in charge but despite managing to design the fastest car on occasions, they haven’t been in the title hunt towards the end of the season.

      Considering McLaren nearly won the Championship in 2007 and did win it in 2008 with Dennis in charge, everything has downhill fairly quickly since he stepped down!

  6. I feel McLaren has probably made the 5th best car again – so no magic improvement, but will be 2nd or 3rd in races because of the Mercedes Power Unite= advantage. Redbull and Renault, and maybe Ferrari have a better car, but the Renault powered cars will be 3 seconds a lap slower from having the quoted 150hp less then the merc runners – and will have no overtaking chances anywhere because of the massive top speed advantage the merc powered cars have, as seen in Bahrain for 8 days of testing.

    1. I think I’ll disagree with you on that one regarding Mclaren.
      They were setting very fast lap times on their first flying laps at the initial tests. I think that car is very fast, possibly even faster than the Williams. The team is just lacking confidence based on their performance last season.

  7. It is NOTHING to do with confidence.
    Mclaren DON`T want to show their hand
    They were using the launch car spec in ALL the testing
    Ron has something in his pocket. Just misdirection,
    your forgetting 1 thing – what the hell is that

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