Steve Nichols: engineering domination with McLaren

F1 Beyond The Grid

karenellenbevan

Leisure, Sports News, News, Sports, Automotive

4.7 • 5.3K Ratings

🗓️ 20 April 2022

⏱️ 94 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Creator of an iconic F1 car, with an inside view of a ferocious racing rivalry: Steve Nichols has witnessed some extraordinary things. The American engineer designed the McLaren MP4/4, the car which stormed to 15 wins in 16 races in 1988. He tells Tom Clarkson the story of the MP4/4’s creation and what made it so fast. Working closely with Ayrton Senna as his race engineer, Steve felt the tension between the Brazilian and his teammate Alain Prost as they fought for the title in the car Steve had designed for them. He also tells the story of how and why he left McLaren and followed Prost to Ferrari, a difficult period which included another famous clash with Senna.

Related episodes from the BTG archive:
Alain Prost
Mika Hakkinen
David Coulthard
Julian Jakobi - on managing Senna and Prost

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The all new Honda HLV Hybrid is a very good looking car.
0:04.4	So here we are on the radio where its clean lines can't distract from its other qualities
0:10.4	like its spacious interior, advanced safety features, a standard, connectivity, oh hang on.
0:16.7	Are some of you searching online for a picture of it?
0:19.2	Okay, it's gorgeous but you know what?
0:21.6	Go to a showroom, see it in person, maybe even test drive it.
0:25.7	It's not all about looks.
0:27.9	Honda, the power of dreams.
0:31.1	Senna did his first run, five laps of study came in and he just sat there, silent in the car.
0:37.6	He just looked stunned and he just said this car is going to be effing quick.
0:44.8	Domination, that's what Steve Nichols engineered for McLaren in 1988.
0:51.1	Steve designed a rocket, a red and white wonder car called the MP44.
0:58.8	In 16 races it took 15 wins, 10 of them, one two finishes.
1:04.3	At the second race of that season at Imola, the McLaren finished a lap ahead of everyone else.
1:10.9	That's a lap ahead of the driver in third place.
1:14.0	In qualifying, the car took 15 pole positions, often several seconds ahead of the next fastest cars.
1:22.3	It was domination on a level which had never been seen before in Formula 1 and hasn't been seen since.
1:32.8	Welcome everybody to F1 Beyond the Grid with me Tom Clarkson and legendary designer Steve Nichols.
1:39.6	The MP44 was so much better than the other cars in the field and Steve can tell us its secrets.
1:46.7	When one team's car is that strong, only that team's drivers have a chance of winning the world title.
1:53.0	Team mates become championship rivals and in 1988,
1:57.6	Ayrton Senna and Alam Prost fought a ferocious campaign against each other.
	...

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