BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — McLaren has been competing in Formula One since 1966. Williams has been building its own F-1 cars since 1978. They are the two oldest teams in F-1 after Ferrari, which has been racing in the elite series since 1950.
Williams has won 114 races, 128 poles, nine constructors’ world championships and seven drivers’ world championships. McLaren’s respective numbers in those categories are: 182, 155, eight and 12.
Impressive statistics indeed, but what have you done for me lately? Both teams last won a grand prix in 2012. Williams’ last championship was in 1997 and McLaren’s in 2008.
One of the goals for these two famous, but troubled teams, this year is to beat Haas, the newest F-1 team and in just its fourth season. Haas, meanwhile, has some very lofty goals of its own. All three teams feature new liveries and sponsors.
Williams had a dismal 2018, finishing last in the constructors’ championship. McLaren placed sixth in the standings, but it was 31 points adrift of fifth-place Haas.
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Last year, Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin contributed considerable amounts to Williams’ budget. But they are gone, as is sponsor Martini. The team has a new title sponsor — telecommunications company ROKiT — and a new light blue, white and black paint scheme on the 2019 Williams FW42.
Robert Kubica, making his racing return to F-1 racing after an eight-year absence, will also contribute money from his sponsors in Poland. He teams up with 2018 Formula 2 champion George Russell.
“Our target this year is progress,” said Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams. “We have to show that. In the short-term, we have to be targeting the top four again and work back toward getting on the podium.”
McLaren also has an all-new driver lineup in Carlos Sainz and rookie Lando Norris; new sponsors including BAT, Estrella Galicia 0,0 and Huski Chocolate; and a new hue of the McLaren papaya orange color scheme.
Last year’s McLaren MCL33 was, simply, a bad car, so the team is banking on the 2019 MCL34 being a significant step forward. McLaren is also banking on Renault’s promise of a faster and more reliable power unit.
“Everyone looks to be talking very nicely about that engine,” Sainz said of the new version of the Renault. “I really hope it is what they are talking about, and we have a good surprise in testing and we have that horsepower. Last year, as a Renault driver, we would’ve needed that horsepower to beat Haas more regularly.
“So hopefully it comes, because it would be already a very big step for McLaren. It would be a step for free that would put us already in a much more comfortable place.”
Andreas Seidl, who ran Porsche’s WEC program, assumes his post as the managing director of McLaren’s F-1 team on May 1. Former Toro Rosso technical director James Key will have a similar role at McLaren later this year.
“We are in a rebuilding process and it is going to be a journey,” said McLaren’s CEO Zak Brown.
By contrast, the U.S.-based Haas team has undergone few changes. The driver lineup of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen remains the same. Visually, however, the 2019 VF-19 looks different as the 2018 gray, red and black livery is replaced with the black and gold of new title sponsor Rich Energy.
William Storey, the CEO of the energy drink company, said the goals are to “challenge” Red Bull, in the world of business and on the track. Haas team principal Guenther Steiner said the team has to aim high.
“You have to try hard,” he said. “If you have no target, you never achieve anything. Last year I think we had the fourth fastest car, and we finished fifth. So the next one up (on pace) was Red Bull. We can try. If we achieve it or not, I don’t know, but if you don’t try then for sure you don’t achieve it.”
And that target is very high indeed. Red Bull scored 419 points in the 2018 constructors’ F-1 world championship. Haas earned 93 points. That is a difference of 326 points, which is the equivalent of 13 race wins plus one more point.
The bottom line is that Haas, McLaren and Williams all have a long way to go to get to the top.
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