29/02/2016
NEWS STORY
Despite a less than convincing opening test, McLaren team boss Eric Boullier remains confident.
Though the opening test merely demonstrated that the Mercedes W07 has frightening reliability, little else of real worth can be read into those first four days. That said, the fact that the McLaren MP4-31 completed just 743 miles - compared to Mercedes 1,952 - suggests the Woking team could be in for another difficult year.
Not so, insists Boullier.
"We can't say any numbers, it's still too early," he told the official F1 website. "But we are making big improvements and making massive progress. And there will be massive progress this year.
"The fact that there is more freedom for the engine manufacturers will have an impact," he continued, "as you are able to change your targets and your timing. I definitely don't want to build any wrong expectations that would be wrong for everybody, including the drivers."
So, is there the possibility that 2015 will come to be seen as a 'blip' and 'they all lived happily ever after'?
"Not really," he admits, "because for that we would have to win the championship! This 'happily ever after' is a bit early days. But it will come!
"As far as McLaren is concerned we've been working very hard on the huge evolution of the car," he continues. "We left no stone unturned. The car from last year has been really stripped down to details and we've tried to correct any weaknesses and it looks positive on the first test analysis. We have really improved the car itself. And we want an engine that matches that."
It's no secret that last year's continued disasters put a strain on the relationship between McLaren and Honda. But how much of a strain?
"Everybody takes failure differently," he responds. "McLaren have a long history in Formula One, so we have the know-how to react in a difficult situation. We've tried to help our partner and in the same way respect the way they go about things. I think in the end both companies took the right decisions and now it's just a question of how long it takes before it delivers.
"You have to break through the system and build up an environment of trust and understanding, and the level of understanding took another step over the winter - which is very good.
"We will probably always have a kind of unbalanced situation between Honda and McLaren in some ways, but one thing completely unifies us: McLaren wants to win tomorrow - and Honda the same. Now it's all about matching each other's expectations. Because it is clear that if you don't have the expected results there are some emotions and some stress behind the scenes. As long as it is constructive it is fine, despite the fact that nobody is happy about where we are."
Whilst they got through that opening year, were the problems to continue, what then?
"The change is here to stay and the new management understands and is happy to re-enforce it the way we want, and that is an indication for me that we are going along the same path. But having said all that, don't get me wrong: the communication between the two companies was always good - it was more about agreeing processes and protocols. We have to converse to the same point - and there we've been a bit in the dark."
Of course, last week Yusuke Hasegawa was appointed to replace Yasuhisa Arai.
"Mr Hasegawa attended the first test and I sat down with him to talk and we discovered the same understanding about what we want to achieve," responds Boullier.
And what's that?
"Winning!" he replies. "Short-term happiness: good progress this season. That 'happily ever after', I am afraid, still has to wait!"