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McLaren reveal the MP4-30 for 2015 as team aim to return to winner's circle with Honda

Team describe new car as "thoroughly refined evolution" of MP4-29 with more improvements to come; But Alonso and Button aware team face challenge to catch rivals as Honda engine beds in

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McLaren-Honda give a sneak peek to their new car for 2015.

McLaren have launched the MP4-30, the team’s first car to be powered by Honda since 1992.

The car, which will be driven by McLaren’s all-champion pairing of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, is arguably the most eagerly anticipated and intriguing 2015 challenger following Honda’s return to F1 after a seven-year absence.

While speculation had suggested that McLaren might completely overhaul their silver livery to mark the start of their second Honda era, the team have opted for an evolutionary rather than revolutionary colour scheme with red streaks added either side of the nosecone and black to the bottom half of the chassis.

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As far as the MP4-30 design itself is concerned, the team have described the car as a "thoroughly refined evolution of last year’s McLaren" with slimmed rear-end packaging – particularly around the gearbox – and a more elegant nose to comply with the revised regulations for 2015.

McLaren, however, have made clear that they see the new car in its current guise as a "foundation" from which to build with it "offering up a number of new exploratory development paths...to pursue during the season, and on into next year". The highly-rated Peter Prodromou only arrived at Woking from rivals Red Bull last September, although his presence was already being felt with aerodynamic improvements in the closing weeks of last season.

In a 12-month period of immense upheaval in personnel at McLaren, Alonso's return eight years on from his acrimonious single season at the team remains by far the most high-profile arrival. The Spaniard, having quit Ferrari to go in search of an elusive third drivers' title, is though aware that McLaren's reunion with Honda isn't going to deliver the goods immediately.

“Of course, we’re prepared for a steep learning curve. Our first target will be to learn the maximum from the car at the pre-season tests, understand the package, and extract as much performance as possible," Alonso, who will give the MP4-30 its track debut at Jerez on Sunday, said.

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"That won’t be easy or trouble-free, but we’re ready for that. Why? Because our key focus will be on development. Historically, McLaren has already been characterised by its ability to bring updates to the car quickly, and develop a strong package. It’s going to be a real privilege to be the first person to drive the new McLaren-Honda MP4-30 at Jerez, and I can’t wait to begin what I’m certain will be a very exciting new chapter in my career. I’m as motivated now as I was when I was given my first opportunity at the wheel of an F1 car."

After being made to wait on a contract renewal until the final weeks of 2014, the newly-married Button partners fellow title winner Alonso in a vastly experienced and formidable-looking line-up. The 35-year-old says he has been buoyed by the determination of the workforce at McLaren's Woking HQ.

The McLaren MP4-30

"It’s been interesting to spend time in the factory during the past few weeks: you can really sense a feeling of reignited optimism and positivity around the building," Button said. 

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"I’ve never seen such motivation amongst the guys – we’re all massively keen to get going in Jerez and to work hard on developing our new car. But we’re under no illusion that it will be easy – there’s a huge challenge ahead of us to try to pull back the gap to our rivals."

Having failed to win a race for two seasons and slipped to fifth place in the Constructors' Championship, the presence of a bespoke 2015 target was however consipiciously absent from McLaren's launch content with chairman Ron Dennis simply saying "I’m positive that, together, we’ll get to where we want to be: winning Grands Prix and eventually World Championships as McLaren-Honda".

The revived partnership certainly has a lot to live up to if they are to emulate even half of what they achieved in tandem first time round.

In the four seasons between 1988 and 1991, the fabled union claimed all eight titles as they tyrannised the rest of the field. Just as pertinently, McLaren have secured just a solitary team title since the partnership split 23 years ago.

The McLaren MP4-30

After an ill-fated spell as a fully-fledged team, Honda left F1 in 2008 but were persuaded to return by the sport’s embrace of ‘greener’ technology and have constructed a purpose-built facility in Sakura City in Japan to produce their first turbocharged V6 engine. The FIA have permitted Honda to make a limited number of revisions to their engine after originally excluding the newcomers from a loophole which will permit the field’s other engine providers – Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes – to continue developing their V6s through 2015.

The exclusive provision of Honda power confers on McLaren the status of a ‘works team’ – a rank which the team have hailed as being a prerequisite for their ambition of landing their first title since Lewis Hamilton won the Drivers’ Championship in 2008. “No grand prix team is going to win a World Championship in the future unless it is the dominant recipient of an engine manufacturer’s efforts,” Dennis told Sky F1. 

The Sky Sports F1 Online team will be providing live commentary of all three winter tests, starting in Jerez on February 1, with live updates from trackside also on Sky Sports News HQ.

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