McLaren unveils 2010 F1 car: the McLaren MP4-25 

Written by David on January 29th, 2010 at 1:46 pmLast Update: February 10th, 2010 at 1:21 pm

McLaren Mercedes MP4-25The McLaren Mercedes F1 team unveiled today at Vodafone UK’s headquarters in Newbury their 2010 F1 single seater, the MP4-25. The MP4-25 looks noticeably different from last year’s race-winning MP4-24.

The new single seater features a radical aerodynamic overhaul and a significantly larger fuel tank to take full advantage of this year’s new regulations, and its design team is confident it has explored every possible avenue to maximise the car’s performance.

Horsepower once again comes from our friends in Stuttgart. Mercedes-Benz’s FO 108X V8 subtly improves upon an engine that has become the benchmark in Formula 1, winning the last two drivers’ world championships.

McLaren MP4-25 side view

The team kicks off its 2010 campaign with a stunning driver pairing: 2009 world champion Jenson Button and 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton. It is the first time since 1989 – when it ran Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna – that the team has fielded a joint-world champion driver line-up, and marks the first time in Formula 1 history that the sport’s two most recent world champions have been partnered together.

However, the driver line-up represents only a fraction of the team’s remarkable strength in depth. Members of the design team who contributed to the development of MP4-25 can also trace their involvement back through an incredible 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.

“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. It’s something I’m relishing,” said during the launch reigning world champion Jenson Button. “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 got a great team around me, and I already feel very at home here. I just can’t wait to get in the car and start driving again. It really can’t come soon enough!”

Hamilton and Button unveiling the MP4-25

“I’ve seen just how much effort and attention has gone into making this car what it is. We’ve been pushing like crazy to find the performance and the result is something that looks very special and very uncompromising,” said Lewis Hamilton. “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,” he added. “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.”

MP4-25 front

“At Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, we’ve demonstrated that strength in depth is the best approach to take in Formula 1,” explained McLaren Mercedes 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 1, 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.”

McLaren-Mercedes MP4-25 Technical Specifications:

  • Chassis: McLaren moulded carbon fibre composite incorporating front and side impact structures.
  • Front suspension: Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pushrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
  • Rear suspension: Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pushrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
  • Suspension dampers: Koni
  • Electronics: McLaren Electronic Systems control units incorporating electronics for chassis, engine and data acquisition. McLaren Electronic Systems also supplies the electronic dashboard, alternator voltage control, sensors, data analysis and telemetry systems
  • Bodywork: Carbonfibre composite. Separate engine cover, sidepods and floor. Structural nose with intergral front wing.
    Paint solutions provided by AkzoNobel Car Refinishes using Sikkens Products
  • Tyres: Bridgestone Potenza
  • Radio: Kenwood
  • Race wheels: Enkei
  • Brake calipers: Akebono
  • Brake master cylinders: Akebono
  • Batteries: GS Yuasa Corporation
  • Steering: McLaren power-assisted
  • Instruments: McLaren Electronic Systems

Engine:

  • Type: Mercedes-Benz FO 108X
  • Capacity: 2.4 litres
  • Cylinders: 8
  • Maximum rpm: 18,000
  • Bank angle: 90°
  • Piston bore maximum: 98mm
  • Number of valves: 32
  • Fuel: ExxonMobil High Performance Unleaded (5.75% bio fuel)
  • Spark plugs: NGK racing spark plugs specially designed for Mercedes-Benz F1 engine
  • Lubricants: Mobil 1 – for higher performance, lower friction and better wear resistance
  • Weight: 95kg (minimum FIA regulation weight)

Transmission:

  • Gearbox: McLaren-moulded carbonfibre composite. Integral rear impact structure
  • Gears: Seven forward and one reverse
  • Gear selection: McLaren seamless shift, hand-operated fly-by-wire
  • Clutch: Carbon/carbon, hand-operated fly-by-wire

Images © McLaren Mercedes

No comments yet. Be the first.


Leave a Reply