TREMAYNE: Four decades ago McLaren arrived at Zandvoort on the brink of a new era – is history about to repeat itself?

Formula 1 race teams have neither the time nor the inclination to reminisce; the next race is always the most important. But for those of us whose job it is to look back as well as record the present (and now and then try to guestimate the future), there’s an air of familiarity about McLaren’s status this weekend in Zandvoort that takes me back to the 1984 race at the Dutch circuit.

That weekend saw the Woking team score another one-two on their way to their first World Championships in 10 years – the first titles of the Ron Dennis era.