By Parminio
October 23 2002

To start a new season in Formula1 with a car you were using the year before is not an unknown practice. In fact, Ferrari did it this season with success. That was however, with a car that was already faster than the rest of the field. McLaren are starting the season with what will be a "D" spec of the MP4-17. The bad news is that the 4-17 is already slower than Williams and Ferrari...and the fact that reliablility was STILL an issue at years end. The good news....well, let's face it, it's pretty hard to find good news. That said, the MP4-18 is due to make it's first appearance at Imola...much the same as Ferrari had originally planned for the 2002. Under a bit of pressure, they moved their unvieling to Brazil. Only time will tell if McLaren do the same. The reason for the delay is rumoured to be the Mercedes engine once again. For the last two years, Illmore has failed to produce the powerful, reliable power plants that it has in the past. This new engine/gearbox combo is supposed to be a "quantum leap" for McLaren...who are in desperate need of one. With a new engineering director and strong moves by Mercedes Benz to take a controlling interest in the Illmore facility, it does give one hope that McLaren-Mercedes have got their act together and are headed in the right direction.