Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I te marama o Hanuere 1977, i kii a Lunger kua hainatia e ia ki a BS Fabrications, he roopu whakataetae Ingarihi, me te kaihanga o nga waahanga motuka whakataetae. I whakauruhia e ia he McLaren M23, te motuka ano i whakahaerehia e James Hunt i a ia i wikitoria i te 1976 Formula One World Championship. I tana whakataetae tuatahi o te wa, ka mutu a Lunger i te 14th i te 1977 South African Grand Prix e rere ana i te Poutu-Ford. I te wiki i mua i te whakataetae ka ngaro i a ia tētahi wira o muri matau, ā, ka hinga. He wiki te roa i hangaia ai e tana kapa te waka mai i te whenua ki runga. I te wā o te tohu, e toru ngā huringa i whakaritea i mua i te hinganga o tētahi pūkaha o tana waka. Ko te tikanga o tēnei ko Lunger i tīmata i te whakataetae i muri. I tohu a Lunger i tana Poutu-te-rangi i te rarangi 11, te 21 o nga waahi tiimata mo te 1977 United States Grand Prix West. Kaore ia i oti i te whakataetae i muri i tana tukinga i te huringa tuawha. I whakahaerehia e ia he McLaren ki te mutunga o te 19 o nga waahi i te 1977 German Grand Prix i Hockenheim. I tohu a Lunger i te 17 i Zeltweg mo te 1977 Austrian Grand Prix. I eke ia ki te 1 meneti, 41.40 hēkona. I noho ia ki te tūranga tuaiwa i Zandvoort i te
Ko te 1977 Dutch Grand Prix. Ko tōna McLaren e rua ngā poro i muri i te toa a Lauda. Ko Lunger te tekau, e rua nga huringa i muri, i te 1977 United States Grand Prix.