McLaren says adapting its 2018 car to the demands created by the late switch to Renault from Honda was made easier by the French manufacturer's level of Formula One experience.
Having grown tired with Honda's repeated failures, McLaren confirmed its switch to Renault ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix last September. That left the team several weeks behind schedule in the build of its 2018 car, which it had to adapt in order to package an entirely different power unit.
Despite the increased workload immediately after the switch, technical director Tim Goss insists the compromises made were minimal.