Remembering the McLaren MP4/4 and How It Became the Greatest F1 Car of All Time

In the late 1980s the Formula 1 world was preparing for a new age. The rabid turbocharged engines that defined the decade were going to be banned starting with the 1989 season, which meant that 1988 was more of a transition year for many of the teams.

That wasn’t an option for McLaren, who was determined to bring home the drivers’ and constructors’ titles after missing out on both in 1987. To get back to the top, the Britons made two changes that would prove to be extremely important. First, they managed to convince engine manufacturers Honda to abandon their partnership with Williams, securing the best powerplants in the competition, and then, they signed the talented Ayrton Senna from Lotus on a three-year deal.

Although some teams chose to switch to naturally aspirated units to take advantage of the rule changes which favored them, McLaren and Honda opted to stick with the proven 1.5-liter turbocharged V6.

They had the right talent and the best engine, so the only thing missing was a suitable chassis. The team’s boss, Ron Dennis, along with new technical director Gordon Murray, gave the task of designing one to American engineer Steve Nichols.

Using the 1987 car as a building block and working around the clock, he ended up with an extensively redesigned car. Unlike today’s racecars, the MP4/4 didn’t come with any revolutionary features in terms of aerodynamics, but the enhancements made by Nichols dramatically improved its efficiency over the older MP4/3.

In the meantime, Honda engineers worked on the new RA168-E engine that had to be more powerful yet use less fuel than previous iterations since the 1988 rules imposed a reduction in fuel tank size by 23%. They masterfully delivered, creating a 700 hp piece of engineering art that would become known as the best F1 engine of its era.

It was supplied with a small diameter clutch renowned for its superior heat dissipation and ability to withstand high-end torque, but McLaren needed a compatible gearbox.

With the help of Gordon Murray, they secured the services of Pete Weismann, the man behind some of the most innovative transmissions in the history of motorsport and one of Murray’s ex-colleagues at Brabham.

The final design would prove to be as capable and reliable as the Honda engines and help McLaren dominate the competition.

The team had only four months to design, develop and build the cars, which even with today’s technologies would be nearly impossible. Defying all odds, they completed six units with three distinct aerodynamic configurations in time for the season opener at the Jacarepaguá circuit in Brazil.

During qualifiers in his home country, Ayrton Senna was the fastest, securing the pole position. However, the race got off to a bad start for the legendary driver as the car’s gear selector broke. He was ultimately disqualified after switching to the spare car after the warm-up lap, but his teammate Alain Prost managed to win the race.

In the next ten races, the McLaren MP4/4 became unbeatable, as Senna grabbed seven wins and Prost another three. By this time a fierce rivalry was brewing between the two drivers as Prost was becoming increasingly jealous of Senna’s success.

During the twelfth round of the season held at Monza, the Frenchman had some engine problems, but held on to the second place and did his best to catch Senna who was in the lead. This epic battle went on for 35 laps until Prost’s engine gave up.

To keep the lead, the ambitious Brazilian drove like there was no tomorrow so as the end of the race was approaching, he slowed down to conserve fuel, allowing the two trailing Ferraris of Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto to close the gap. With just two laps remaining, Senna collided with a slower car and was forced to retire, giving Ferrari a 1-2 victory on their home turf.

That was the first and only time McLaren failed to win during the 1988 season. Prost finished was victorious in three of the remaining four races, while Senna crossed the finish line first in Japan, capturing his first title after another epic battle with his bitter teammate. You can relive those awesome moments in the video below posted on YouTube by The Fastlane.

In the final constructors’ standings, the British team came out on top, earning a whopping 199 points, 136 more than runners-up Ferrari.

To this day, the MP4/4 remains the most dominant car in Formula 1 history and many experts see it as the best racing machine ever built. Ferrari’s F2002 and the 2016 Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid would follow in its footsteps in terms of single-season supremacy but neither one managed to replicate the legendary McLaren’s 93.8% win ratio.