South African engineer Gordon Murray, the mastermind behind the successful Brabham cars with which Piquet won his first two world titles, was already working with McLaren in 1987 as a consultant for the development of Steve Nichols' MP4/3. During that time, he tried to implement concepts he had previously used in 1986 while still at Brabham. In fact, the 1988 car was redesigned with the aim of further lowering the waistline and center of gravity, resulting in a sleek and cleanly styled vehicle. The project was still overseen by Steve Nichols and Bob Bell, with Gordon Murray now taking on the role of technical director, and the resulting car was the new McLaren MP4/4.
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| McLAREN MP4/4, Alain Prost Adelaide, Australian GP 1988 |
Starting from this season, Honda supplied the RA168E 80° V6 turbo engines to the Woking team, following Porsche’s withdrawal. The Japanese manufacturer's ability to produce a lower engine than its predecessors allowed Murray to refine the concept of an aerodynamically extreme car, reducing the frontal section by 10% compared to a conventional single-seater. The very low waistline and extremely slim nose significantly reduced drag, offering advantages in terms of both speed and fuel consumption, and allowed more airflow to reach the rear wing, increasing downforce and consequently traction and cornering speed. The MP4/4 recorded a top speed of 333 km/h (2 km/h more than the Ferrari F1 87/88C), but even more impressive was its cornering speed, far superior to that of all the 1988 competitors.
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| McLAREN MP4/4, Ayrton Senna Monza, Italian GP 1988 |
The aerodynamics of the sidepods were also revised, with the radiator blowouts relocated to the sides instead of above, further lowering the car's profile, helped also by the reduction in fuel tank capacity from 195 to 155 liters. However, these solutions forced both drivers, returning Alain Prost and newcomer Ayrton Senna, to drive in an almost reclined rather than seated position. As a result, the MP4/4’s chassis was designed from scratch, despite the new regulations requiring the pedal box to be placed behind the front axle for newly built chassis. Apart from Ferrari, the MP4/4 was the only car developed in close collaboration with the engine supplier and specifically designed to house the Honda turbo V6.
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| McLAREN MP4/4, Ayrton Senna Paul Ricard, French GP 1988 |
The gearbox, developed jointly with McLaren, was a longitudinally mounted six-speed plus reverse Weissmann unit, and the suspension featured a pull-rod configuration at the front and a push-rod setup at the rear, a rather unconventional solution at the time, adopted to raise the half-shafts so as not to compromise the operating angles of the joints, given the very low chassis. An active suspension system was also tested during pre-season, but never used in races due to reliability concerns. The MP4/4 was so far ahead of its rivals that it required virtually no development over the season, apart from the removal of the turbine air intakes, which were thought to generate vortices that disrupted airflow over the rear wing. The Honda biturbo engine was already the most powerful on the grid, producing around 650 hp, even after a complete redesign by Japanese engineers aimed at dramatically reducing fuel consumption and improving mid-range power delivery, in response to the boost pressure limit being lowered from 4.0 to 2.5 bar.
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| McLAREN MP4/4, Ayrton Senna Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1988 |
The McLaren MP4/4 remains one of the most effective and dominant Formula 1 cars in history, and its superiority was so overwhelming that the two drivers essentially raced in a league of their own. The results speak for themselves: out of 16 races, the MP4/4 claimed 15 pole positions, won 15 times (only failing to do so at Monza, where Senna crashed after a collision with a backmarker), finished first and second on the podium 10 times, and recorded the fastest lap in 10 races. McLaren amassed a record-breaking 199 points in the constructors’ standings and secured the drivers' title with Senna, who, despite scoring 94 points to Prost’s 105, was crowned World Champion thanks to the dropped scores rule, which only counted the best 11 results.
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