McLaren Set To Bring A Big Update Package For Monaco

Failing to pick up a single point this season, McLaren have so far had a frustrating start to 2017 with reliability problems and an under-powered Honda engine.

Despite failing to score points in the Spanish GP, McLaren Honda looked fairly competitive-Fernando Alonso even managed to make it into Q3. 

A combination of updates including a new front wing, rear wing , floor and bodywork aided Alonso's seventh place.

Honda chief Yusuke Hasegawa hopes that unique characteristic of the circuit that makes it less reliant on outright power can provide McLaren a chance to attack for points.

With Fernando Alonso skipping the Monaco GP to compete in the Indy500, McLaren have brought Jenson Button back for a one-off race return.
Jenson too feels that new updates may be the key to McLaren's success this weekend.

McLaren realising that this is probably their best shot at scoring good points, are keen to ensure a trouble-free weekend.

Racing director Eric Boullier told Motorsport.com about the positive updates (in Spain) and said the second part of the package will debut in Monaco:

We have restructured and rebuilt the team and now it is working and operating very, very well. You can see the results: and our correlation rate is unbelievable.In Spain we brought a new front wing, new bodywork, new floor, and new rear wing and it is correlating 95 percent. And with this year’s new regulations meaning there are big gains every time you work in the wind tunnel or CFD, we see big potential still.So what we had on the car [in Barcelona] was the first part of the package and the second part will be in Monaco. It has allowed us and Fernando to step up into this midfield pack – and this is a fact not fantasy

In other news, McLaren have once again committed themselves to Honda engines for 2018. Despite a rocky few years with Honda, McLaren are keen to keep their head down and try again.

Had McLaren given up on Honda engines and decided to once again put a Mercedes engine in the back of their car, it would go against the very reason they made this move. Besides no team has managed to win with a Mercedes engine other than the Mercedes team.

Financially, Honda was McLaren’s most logical choice considering that fact that Honda pays half of the driver salary bill, provides sponsorship contribution and provides engines for free which would otherwise cost about €17 million

If McLaren do fail to give Alonso a car capable of winning races, they will witness his departure.