McLaren almost back on schedule with 2018 car after engine delay

McLaren has almost recovered the two-week deficit on its 2018 Formula 1 car schedule after delaying its decision on its engine supplier for next season, according to team racing director Eric Boullier.

McLaren confirmed over the Singapore Grand Prix weekend it would be switching to a Renault engine supply for 2018, ending a difficult three-year spell with Honda, who will work solely with Toro Rosso next season.

The delayed decision caused McLaren to fall two weeks behind schedule with its 2018 car, but Boullier confirmed that the team has been working hard to get back on-track, having nearly made up the lost time.

"Maybe we made the decision to change the engine manufacturer two weeks too late for our schedule, but these two weeks have almost been recovered," Boullier told the official F1 website.

"You have to adapt and adjust to the engine layout, but the architecture will remain the same [for 2018].

"We have a clever concept, so it’s not going to be a big drama. Sometimes we are trying not to be stupid!"

Asked if McLaren would have its car ready in time for the first pre-season test in Barcelona in February, Boullier said it was "too early to say that now."

"You push the boundaries to the limit all the time and if you have that constant development in performance – in the wind tunnel, in CFD, whatever – you want to push the limit to the last minute before you start the manufacturing process," he explained.

"You simply want to wait as long as possible to make sure that you’ve derived each and every bit of information and data when you start manufacturing.

"And I can say: so far, so good."