With the engines coming at the expense of Williams, who had won the previous two Constructors' Championships, a strong 1988 was possible. The car was good enough to finish second in the Constructors' Championship, secure the services of Ayrton Senna and persuade Honda to switch its engine supply deal from Williams to McLaren for the following season.įor 1988 McLaren had secured the use of the 1.5L V6 Honda turbo engines which since late in the 1985 season had been the best engine in Formula One. Prost's win in Portugal was cause for celebration as it was the Frenchman's 28th career win, taking him past the previous record of 27 wins by triple World Champion Jackie Stewart. The Steve Nichols designed McLaren MP4/3- TAG won three races with Alain Prost finishing fourth in the drivers' championship. In 1987 it was becoming increasingly difficult for McLaren to compete with major manufacturer-backed teams using, effectively, a privateer engine financed in-house by TAG and built by Porsche. The Honda-powered MP4/4 is one of the most dominant Formula One cars ever built, winning all but one race and claiming all but one pole position in the 1988 season. The engine's design and development was led by Osamu Goto. Honda had made the Constructors' Championship-winning engines of 19, and for 1988 they switched partners from Williams to McLaren, who had struggled with their dated TAG- Porsche engines. Gordon Murray, as Technical Director, had the role of liaising between the drawing office and production. The design of the car was led by American engineer Steve Nichols, the full responsibility for the design of the chassis having been conferred on him by Ron Dennis. Powered by Honda's RA168E 1.5-litre V6- turbo engine and driven by teammates Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, the car competed during the 1988 Formula One season. The McLaren MP4/4, also known as the McLaren-Honda MP4/4, is one of the most successful Formula One car designs of all time. Honda RA168E, 1,494 cc (91.2 cu in), 80° turbocharged V6 (2.5 Bar limited), mid-engine, longitudinally mounted Osamu Goto (Chief Engine Designer (Honda))ĭouble wishbones, pull/push-rod actuated coil springs and dampersĭouble wishbones, rocker-arm actuated coil springs and dampers Steve Nichols (Chief Designer, Lead Engineer)

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