All Blacks make a pit stop at McLaren HQ

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It was a meeting between the humanoids of sports world and the metal and rubber beast of the racing track. The invincible All Blacks rugby team, which are cruising ahead of the rest on the field on top gear for quite some time and are set for a high-voltage contest against England this weekend, took a pit stop at the headquarters of the McLaren Formula One team at their Woking, Surrey headquarters.

It was a sort of homecoming for the two-time rugby world champions from New Zealand as the Formula One team was founded by compatriot Bruce McLaren, a former driver, engineer, race-car designer and inventor.

The All Blacks, fresh from winning their test against a dogged Japan side, got a chance to unwind themselves at McLaren team's headquarters ahead of the much-anticipated clash in Twickenham, southwest London.

After getting a tour around the former Formula One world champion team's hallowed headquarters, the indomitable side from New Zealand was split into teams for a pit stop challenge.

Britain's Prince William (2nd left) is shown Formula One racing cars previously used by Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna in the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, UK, September 12, 2017. /VCG Photo

Each team had to change a tire on a Formula One machine in the quickest possible time and the likes of Aaron Smith, Nathan Harris, Joe Moody, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Liam Squire and Angus Ta'avao who were up to the challenge with Coles and Smith winning bragging rights.

However, for McLaren, it's been a lean season so far with the team languishing at a lowly-sixth place in the 2018 Formula One Constructors' standings with a meagre 62 points and a whopping 523 points adrift of their championship leaders and their erstwhile partners Mercedes.

The two McLaren drivers, former world champion Fernando Alonso of Spain and Belgium's Stoffel Vandoorne, are currently 10th and 16th in the drivers' championship standing respectively after the completion of 19th race in the 21-race calendar.

The two drivers weren't around at the team hub as they are gearing up for this Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix, the penultimate race of the season.

Incidentally, McLaren haven't won the constructor's title since 1998 and the drivers' title since 2008 with the current world champion, Lewis Hamilton.

On the other hand, the All Blacks haven't had a flat tire this season except the disastrous home defeat against the Springboks and the All Blacks are hoping to go at full throttle against the English side on Sunday.