In the first year of joint work (1988), Honda developed the latest turbo engine, while McLaren innovated with a 6-speed gearbox for its MP4/4. In 1989, turbos would be prohibited by regulations. In the season of Formula 1 in alliance for McLaren and Honda, in 1988, Brazilian Ayrton Senna won 8 races, while his teammate, French Prost, Alain, won 7. Senna was the driver's champion, McLaren won the builders' cup and the rest of the cars felt sorry. McLaren scored 199 points, while all the rest of the teams were barely 192 combined.
In 1989 a new generation of engines came to light. Honda developed a V10 at 60º of 3,500 cm3 that gave almost 700 HP. Senna won 6 big prizes, but the champion was his teammate Prost, who won 4 races. In 1990 Senna became McLaren's lead driver, now accompanied by Gerhard Berger. That year they won 10 victories again, 4 for Berger and 6 for champion Senna.
For 1991, Honda developed a new impeller for the MP4/6. It was a 3,500 cm3 V12 with over 700 HP. McLaren's engineering achieved improvements in aerodynamics and suspensions. The result was a fourth consecutive championship for McLaren. Senna won 7 races. Even the Brazilian rider was winning the Japan Grand Prix but preferred to allow his teammate Berger to take the win.
In 1992 McLaren designed and built a new chassis for the MP4/7 model, which Honda last equipped with a new 75º V12 engine with pneumatic valve drive. The team won 5 races, 2 Berger wins and 3 Senna wins. But it did nothing, as they were defeated and were in second place in the builders' championship.
© Adrián Blanco 2005 — Reproduction in whole or in part without explicit consent of the author is prohibited. —