A Renault engine roared off the back of a McLaren F1 car for the first time ever when the Woking outfit fired up their 2018 car and with it kickstarting a new era.
McLaren have emerged from three disappointment packed years with Honda power. The dream of emulating their past achievements of the eighties was shattered as the two organisations parted ways at the end of 2017, both impacted heavily by the three seasons of pain.
Along the way, the winds of change have swept through Woking over the past twelve months, among which is the switch to Renault power in the hope that their star driver Fernando Alonso and his highly rated younger teammate Stoffel Vandoorne can race for podiums and perhaps even victories.
Chief engineering officer Matt Morris gave insight into the difference a year makes, "I think the big difference, speaking with all the guys at Renault, is they have got more experience."
"Those guys on the ground have been doing it for a lot longer than Honda, that is just a fact, and that is what allowed us to get the packaging done so quickly."
"It is just their experience and the same is true in their factory at Viry. It is more mature than Honda. It might not have as many fancy dynos, but they just have more experience."
A big season lies ahead for the sport's second most successful team and one of the most successful F1 engine builders of the past four decades.
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