McLaren boss drops major hint over new car: Colour WILL change
GETTY McLaren will revamp the machinery and the paint job on their 2017 car
Rumours began circulating online last month that the new McLaren Honda, which was decked out in black and red in 2016, could feature bright orange as a main colour. And while Boullier would not be drawn on the exact shade, he admitted at the Pirelli tyre launch in Turin yesterday that there would be a new paint job for the coming season. "You will see a change in the colour," Boullier said.
F1 2017 driver line-up Mon, February 13, 2017 Express Sport brings you the full F1 2017 driver line-up Play slideshow Schlegelmilch Photography 1 of 20 Mercedes - Lewis Hamilton (44)
"Wait a few days and you'll find out." McLaren will launch their car on Friday February 24, just three days before the start of winter testing in Barcelona. The team is under new leadership with Zak Brown having taken over from stalwart Ron Dennis in an executive role.
GETTY Many fans would like to see McLaren return to the colours of the glory days of 1998
Boullier, who joined three years ago from Lotus, was retained despite McLaren’s disappointing recent results - they are without a race win in five years and have not won a Constructors’ Championship since 1998. But the Frenchman appears confident in the performance of the 2017 machine. "For McLaren it's a whole new car and a brand new engine, but we are not starting from scratch because we used past experience to make progress,” Boullier added.
GETTY McLaren F1 driver Fernando Alonso is desperate to return to the top step of the podium
And the 43-year-old is not the only one who believes McLaren will be in the mix in 2017. Retired world champion Nico Rosberg reckons Fernando Alonso, 35, is due a resurgence even though the ex-Mercedes driver still expects his former team to dominate. “Fernando will be on the podium this year or very close to it,” Rosberg told Spanish outlet Diario Sport.