When Mercades signed for McLaren in 1994 just before the European Grand Prix great things were expected, a manufacture was on board and again and after 2 years with under powered engines of the Ford Cosworth which McLaren got at second priority to Benetton something that somewhat irked Ron Dennis and the Peugeot in their debut season had some spectacular moments for all the wrong reasons the sight of a detonating Mclaren Peugeot at Silverstone springs to mind.
So with Mika Hakkinen retained and Nigel Mansell on board the 1995 season was full of promise and the words coming from the drivers and everyone seemed to be saying the same, at the launch Nigel saying "Well I'm sure if people come and look it (the car) from the side it looks even more impressive than the front and I'm sure Mika will agree if it goes as quick as it looks people will have to watch out." Err well Nigel before you said that you ought to have checked if you could fit in the car before saying those kind words because Nigel missed the first 2 races of the season, and Mark Blundell had to take his seat and after the 2 races Nigel left the team.
Mansell was a strange signing for McLaren as it was known Ron Dennis and Nigel never saw eye to eye, but Marlboro wanted a World champion and as Alain Prost wouldn't commit Ron was forced into signing Mansell. It should also be noted that Mercades didn't want a leading driver as it was only their second season back in F1 and Mercades first with McLaren. McLaren also attempted to sign Michael Schumacher for the 1995 season but tied to a contract with Benetton he stayed there and then signed for Ferrari.
During the 1995 and 1996 season both Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard led a couple of races and a total of 30 laps the most being 19 at the San Marino Grand Prix of 1996, when David Coulthard led got a flying start and led until the first pit stops. During these 2 seasons Ron Dennis was putting in place a plan and strategy for domination in F1, he continued the driver partnership of Hakkinen and Coulthard, which still to this day continues to be the most longest serving driver partnership in F1, signing ace design guru, Adrian Newey and when Phillip Morris sponsor Marlboro stepped away from McLaren after 22 years together and 7 world titles to align themselves with Ferrari that German Tobacco brand West was signed.
1997 got off to a great start with a win in Australia by David Coulthard, although it has to be said Jacques Villeneuve going off at the first corner did help matters and Heinz-Harold Frentzen's Williams brakes exploding with 3 laps to go. The season progressed well and signs of promise showed when leading and despite a precautionary pit stop Coulthard could have won the Canadian Grand Prix and Hakkinen could have won the British Grand Prix although an engine problem put paid to that. Higher qualifying results followed and when Adrian Newey joined in August 1997, to the end of the season McLaren began to show and lay the foundations for the next 3 years. Victory's in Monza and then Hakkinen winning the final race of the season despite Coulthard and Villeneuve letting him through won the European Grand Prix in the season finale. Progress was proved with McLaren leading 128 laps and finishing 4th in the constructors championship and just 4 points of Benetton who just 2 seasons before were double world champions. The horror sight though for Mercades during 1997 reliability of the engine especially at the Nurbergring where a comfortable 1-2 was on the cards before both engines spectacularly exploded on the pit straight.
1998 saw the final piece of the jigsaw with the arrival of new tyre supplier Bridgestone. McLaren hit the ground running in 1998 and despite the controversy of a rear brake pedal something Williams and Jordan decided to develop and copy but after protests from rival teams at the Brazilian Grand Prix the system had to be removed, removed or not however it didn't stop the Magnificent McLaren Mercades, who scored 2 1-2 finishes on the bounce. A gearbox problem for Hakkinen caused a retirement for him, although Coulthard took his first and only win of the season. Another text book 1-2 at the Spanish Grand Prix and then Hakkinen won the Monaco Grand Prix although Coulthard retired due to a blown engine in the tunnel. Canada saw both McLarens retire and and again Coulthard was part engine related due to the throttle. In France Hakkinen finished 3rd and Coulthard 6th after his fuel filler wouldn't fit on the car. Ferrari scoring a 1-2 it was game on for the title. In the wet of Silverstone in July Hakkinen finished 2nd again to Schumacher before McLaren came back with convincing 1-2 finshes in Austria and Germany. After a tactical masterclass by Ferrari, Coulthard finished 2nd to Schumacher and Hakkinen finished 6th. In the wet again of Spa McLaren scored no points before yet another engine failure at Monza stopped for Coulthard. In the end though 1-3 finishes saw Mclaren Mercades win the 1998 Drivers and Constructors Championships in style the first for McLaren since 1991. In 1998 McLaren led a total of 699 laps, this was also the only time during the partnership the team won the constructors title.
In Part 2 we will look at 1999-2002.
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