It’s a neat bit of timing that McLaren, having clinched its first constructors’ crown for 26 years, did so almost exactly a decade after its Formula 1 fortunes nosedived spectacularly. In the team’s leap of faith, while holding hands with Honda after a long break in relations, the two brands ‘did a Thelma and Louise’ – and, once at the bottom, toiled for a bit before deciding that they were better off apart. The decision to split for 2018 was, in glorious retrospect, the best decision that Honda and McLaren made.
The first iteration of a McLaren-Honda partnership was not only overwhelmingly successful, but it was also iconic. Now with a little distance, particularly contextualised by the team’s recent successes, McLaren’s second Honda spell feels like somewhat a forgettable phase that ultimately changed the team’s conservative attitude.
Leave feedback about this