McLaren MP4/4: The launch of a legend

As pre-season hype is consigned to the bin, it's worth recalling that, around this time 30 years ago, one of the greatest F1 cars ever turned a wheel for the first time and the outside world knew next to nothing about it. And those who did -- Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and the McLaren -- were thrilled to bits with what they found.

The 1988 season did not get under way until the Brazilian Grand Prix on April 4. This being the final year before a complete switch to 3.5-litre normally aspirated engines, season previews suggested a swingeing fuel capacity reduction to 150 litres would ensure a limp swansong for the turbo, never mind the fact that McLaren were switching from the TAG-turbo to the…