Mclaren unveiled their 2010 spec car for the 2010 F1 season today.After beating their arch rivals Ferrari by a single point in 2009, Mclaren will be looking forward to maintain the momentum they achieved in the later half of the 2009 season. Codenamed MP4-25, the new vehicle was unveiled at their sponsor Vodafone’s UK headquarters. Mclaren will be aiming for the title this season, more so because of the fact that the last 2 seasons’ world champions will be driving Mclarens.
Reigning world champion Jenson Button has also brought back the No1 tag to Mclaren after a year’s absence. The first thing you notice about the MP4-25 is the engine cover which looks completely different to the one on the Ferrari. With the ban on in-race refueling, cars have become wider and longer to accomodate a larger fuel tank. The 25 also received a thorough aerodynamic overhaul like the Ferrari. Power comes from a subtly improved Mercedes-Benz FO 108X V8 engine.
“I’m incredibly proud to be standing here today knowing I’ll be carrying the number one for the whole season: that’s a great responsibility but also a great honour,” said Button. “It’s something I’m relishing. From the very first day of testing, I’ll be working with the team to learn about the car and to develop it ahead of the first race. I’ve said it before: the pace of development in those opening tests could well determine the outcome of the championship.”
“I’ve seen just how much effort and attention has gone into making this car what it is,” commented Hamilton. “We’ve been pushing like crazy to find the performance and the result is something that looks very special and very uncompromising. Both Jenson and I are world champions, and we both want to add to the team’s incredible winning legacy.
“I think a strong driver line-up will be very important this year as there are a lot of very competitive teams and drivers – and the stronger we can be, the better chance we’ll have of winning races. We all understand that. Obviously, I want to win the drivers’ world championship, that’s clear. But, just as important, I want to help the team win the constructors’ world championship. I think it’s set to be a great year for Formula 1 – it should be brilliant.”
For the first time since 1989 when Mclaren ran Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, they have had an all world champions line-up and marks the first time in Formula One history that the sport’s two most recent world champions have been partnered together.
Members of the design team who contributed to the development of MP4-25 can also trace their involvement back through seven of the team’s 12 drivers’ world championships, five of the team’s eight constructors’ world championships and 112 of the team’s 164 Grand Prix victories.
“At Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, we’ve demonstrated that strength in depth is the best approach to take in Formula One,” said team principal Martin Whitmarsh. “The group of engineers, designers and strategists we’ve assembled demonstrates how much can be achieved by a very focused team operating at the very limit of their abilities.
“In Jenson, we saw a champion driver hungry for more success. We’ve already seen those qualities in Lewis, too. I’m convinced that we have one of the very strongest driver line-ups in Formula One, and that both Jenson and Lewis are committed to working together to enhance the team’s prospects in what promises to be a fiercely competitive season.”
Like most of their rivals, McLaren begin pre-season testing at the Spain’s Valencia circuit on Monday.
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