For the 1978 season, the McLaren team lined up with the now outdated M26. Despite updates made by Gordon Coppuck, the original designer, the car showed its age and proved inferior to the revolutionary ground-effect Lotus 79 and the powerful Ferraris, as well as the Brabhams powered by Alfa Romeo. The lead driver remained the Englishman James Hunt, the 1976 world champion, whose performance was affected by a lack of the competitive "hunger" he had shown earlier in his career. Alongside him was the young and talented Frenchman Patrick Tambay, who was hindered by an uncompetitive car.
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| McLAREN M26, James Hunt Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1978 |
The creative flair of Coppuck, the British team's technical director under the leadership of Teddy Mayer, seemed to have run dry. The 1978 M26 was merely an updated version of the 1977 car, which was now obsolete compared to the aerodynamic advancements of the competition. From the very first races, the M26 proved uncompetitive: after scoring points in Argentina, the start of the season was a disaster, marked by frequent retirements and back-of-the-grid finishes.
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| McLAREN M26, Patrick Tambay Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1978 |
Midway through the season, Coppuck attempted to recover lost ground by partially redesigning the car to improve its ground effect. The underbody and suspension were modified, and small front and rear wings were added, but the improvements were insufficient. Meanwhile, the McLaren M27 project, initially conceived as a conventional car, was abandoned as it was unsuitable for the new aerodynamic demands.
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| McLAREN M26, Bruno Giacomelli Brands Hatch, British GP 1978 |
During the season, McLaren occasionally entered a third official car for Bruno Giacomelli, while a fourth M26 was sold to the private Liggett Group/B&S Fabrications team, with American Brett Lunger behind the wheel. Lunger took part in nine World Championship Grands Prix and several Formula Aurora races but failed to achieve significant results.
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| McLAREN M26, Brett Lunger Brands Hatch, British GP 1978 |
McLaren’s 1978 season was disappointing: the official M26 cars scored only 15 points, with a single podium finish by Hunt in the British Grand Prix. The team finished eighth in the Constructors' Championship, marking one of the most difficult seasons in its history.
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