How 2023 compares to McLaren’s worst starts to a season · RaceFans

McLaren have started a Formula 1 season with victory on 13 occasions, and in a further seven seasons they managed to win by the second race.

But after two grands prix in 2023, the team have finished no higher than 15th and sit last in the constructors’ standings. Have they ever started a season this badly before?

1966

Monaco GP: DNF, Belgian GP: DNS

In McLaren’s first year as a manufacturer team in F1, founder Bruce McLaren raced a single M2B and did not even enter all of that season’s races. The team’s debut came in Monaco, where McLaren put his car tenth on the grid.

He only went nine laps before an oil leak ended his day, but did briefly make it up to sixth place after some thrilling wheel-to-wheel action. His short time in the race was also recorded for the ‘Grand Prix’ film that was released in cinemas later that year.

The next race on the schedule was the Belgian Grand Prix, on the old 14km layout of Spa-Francorchamps. Oil leaks continued to trouble McLaren, who had a different engine in his car, and as he did not have a spare he decided to not start the race after competing in qualifying. Further ‘Grand Prix’ filming meant another machine was painted to look like McLaren’s for the race.

Later, points finishes at the British and United States grands prix meant McLaren finished 16th in the standings. The team’s start to life in F1 was undoubtedly tough, but matter soon improved, and it became a two-car effort by 1968.

1994

Brazilian GP: 2x DNF, Pacific GP: 2x DNF

McLaren’s reliability proved dire after they switched to Peugeot engines in 1994. They did claim three podiums over the first nine races, but also suffered 13 retirements in the same period.

The season started with the team several seconds off the pace, yet it was a top-five contender due to the gaps in the field. Making the most of the margin it had over other teams proved difficult, though. Mika Hakkinen’s engine gave up after 13 laps in the season-opening Brazilian Grand Prix, while Martin Brundle’s race ended when he was collected by a three-car crash that had taken place behind him involving Eddie Irvine, Jos Verstappen and Eric Bernard.

McLaren were comfortably inside the top 10 over each session in the next event at the TI Aida circuit in Japan. But fourth and sixth on the grid was converted into another double retirement in the race. Hakkinen made it into second place after punting Ayrton Senna at the start, then resisted the…