McLaren-Renault targets race win in 2018

Eric Boullier thinks McLaren can make a swift return to the top step of the podium.

The British team is splitting with Honda after three years deep in the midfield, but boss Boullier thinks Renault power is McLaren’s ticket to success as soon as 2018.

"For 2018, our goal is to fight for third place in the constructors’ championship," the Frenchman is quoted by the Spanish sports daily Marca.

"But I hope we can do more than this and get a win after so many years.

"I will not start to create false expectations or put hope in our fans that we cannot fulfil, but I believe that we will at least win a race (next year)," Boullier added.

He said McLaren can be confident of achieving that because its proficiency in building good F1 cars has never faltered.

"We have always been in the top three, but we were far from that position in the last three years," he said.

"So we are going with Renault to have a better engine and get back to those top positions."