The 2014 McLaren Formula One car has officially been unveiled. The of recent origin, turbocharged MP4-29 will be piloted by former world champion Jenson Button and Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen. The 2014 F1 form is set to be a challenging the same for McLaren, as it attempts to boast back from its first winless taint since 2006 and its first imbue without a podium since 1980.
“I consider we can bounce back, yes. I conceive last year was tough for quite of us, but it was definitely a pious learning year,” McLaren driver Jenson Button uttered during a Twitter session earlier today. 2014 strength be an even bigger learning year, however.
The new MP4-29 sports more interesting changes as part of the repaired technical regulations for this season. Of beat, we’ve written at length about the addition of turbocharged, 1.6-liter V6 engines on the side of this season, but we haven’t discussed manifold of the other changes. Eight-flourish transmissions replace last season’s seven-accelerate cogswappers, while cars now have a greatest rate of fuel flow for 2014. The KERS combination of parts to form a whole is more powerful as well, up from 80 horsepower to 160 hp, during the time that the aerodynamics have also seen more tweaks (ahem, the nose).
“We’ve in no degree had such significant new regulations before; reacting to them, and managing those changes, under which circumstances still pushing the performance limits, has been one extremely tough job,” said Jonathan Neale, McLaren’s thrifty director. The drivers are aware of the general the changes will have, as well.
When asked whether it would be reliability or speed that was going to get championships, Button highlighted just how essentially different this year will be. “Yes – specifically in the first few races, at what place I think you’ll be dexterous to gain a lot of points admitting that you have a reliable car. F1 athwart the last few years has be proper for very reliable – I think we’re going back to early 2000s now in terms of trustworthiness levels,” Button said.
We have a base gallery of images of the strange MP4-29 up top – arrive a good look at that uncommon nose – and we’ve included a hug release from McLaren below. You can also head over to the McLaren F1 Twitter boy-servant to get a recap of the trial/answer session with Jenson Button. As unceasingly, we’d like to know the sort of you think about McLaren’s hall for this season’s championship. Have your presume in Comments.
Related Gallery2014 McLaren MP4-29
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McLaren Mercedes reveals its 2014 challenger: the MP4-29
Ready instead of formula 1′s steepest-ever attainments curve: McLaren reveals ITS 2014 challenger – the MP4-29
2014: Formula 1 begins its reinvention
Gone are normally aspirated engines – a Formula 1 mainstay instead of a quarter of a century; in their seat come 1.6-litre V6 might-units, which sophisticatedly integrate turbo-charging and turbo-compounding, combustible matter-flow restrictions, and a powerful strength recovery system.
These new regulations desire enable teams to harness both orally transmitted internal combustion and electrical energies. They farther underline Formula 1′s relevance like a pioneer of future roadcar technologies, stand in the place of the biggest and most dynamic modify to the sport since its commencement in 1950, and are duly destined to re-build grand prix racing.
McLaren, too, faces a end of dynamic change: the organisation has not merely embraced the extreme technical and strategic challenges posed through . the new regulations, it has simultaneously been extending and developing ahead of even bigger and besides exciting future partnerships.
MP4-29: a frozen snapshot of close development
We have responded to the foiling of our 2013 season by pragmatically framing our approach to the technical challenge. The repaired MP4-29, revealed today, is a satisfied and calculated response to the fresh regulations.
But it is very plenteous a frozen snapshot of the design team’s precipice development curve, and, as such, a engine that will potentially undergo more technical vary throughout a single season than any other car in McLaren’s lengthy and illustrious history.
The challenge during 2014 is to build-in as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but performance and reliability – something that can no longer be taken for granted given the macerate technical challenge ahead.
And that is entirely being of the kind which it should be: for this give relish to will be Formula 1′s steepest-at all times learning curve.
It is also a time of transition. Our final season with our instrument partner, Mercedes-Benz, will be our 20th in company, before we begin an exciting novel journey with Honda from 2015.
Our drivers: the spotless blend of styles
Jenson Button, the 2009 Formula 1 World Champion, literary works for his fifth season at McLaren. For 2014, his continued, level-headedness and innate ability to peruse the behaviour of a racing car leave be a powerful asset to our engineers, designers and analysts.
Kevin Magnussen arrives in Formula 1 through a stunning record in Renault Word Series 3.5, main prix racing’s feeder series, and, crucially, no preconceptions. Having already devoted hundreds of hours to refining and developing our 2014 car in the McLaren simulator, his yearning and commitment will sync perfectly through Jenson’s experience, providing us through a perfectly balanced driver pairing.
Powering the mart with world-beating expertise
McLaren is governing the evolution of sports partnerships. The largeness of the McLaren Group’s actual trial and expertise presents a wealth of opportunities during the term of innovative technical integration with our partners, that can have an impact way on the farther side of the racetrack.
Whether it be broad engagement with ExxonMobil to develop renovated lubricant technology, which can help McLaren Mercedes cars forward the grand prix circuit, and in the end improve the efficiency of consumer cars; developing new lightweight coatings with AkzoNobel; or moving closely with SAP to develop and tool innovative data analytics techniques, our act with partners goes way beyond the sort of can be described as sports sponsorship.
Our strategic firm with GSK is now also in its third part year and is breaking new acres from manufacturing to pharmaceutical R&D.
Race technology is helping to improve the elocution of experimental trials into new medicines. Working through GSK we are using telemetry systems, which are inspired by the way we counsellor our cars, to collect real-time given conditions about the recovery of patients seizure part in drug trials. These are at each early stage, but in future it’s hoped that conscious able to take a constant current of reliable information about a calm could significantly enhance the already firm process of drug evaluation.
Our commitment to innovation and creativity does not hindrance with technology projects, but extends to the implementation of marketing campaigns through and on behalf of our partners. Santander freshly announced a renewal of their major eight-year partnership with us, and this reflects the continued collision that our creative marketing campaigns be able to have.
The depth of trust and particular we enjoy with our partners has allowed us to impart record-breaking relationships with the likes of Hugo Boss (33 years), TAG Heuer (29 years), Kenwood (24 years), ExxonMobil and Mercedes-Benz (20 years) and SAP (16 years), Johnnie Walker and Hilton (nine years).
JONATHAN NEALE – Managing monitor, McLaren Racing
Formula 1 in 2014 is every one of about managing change – how is McLaren going relating to that?
“We’ve never had such significant new regulations before; reacting to them, and thrifty those changes, while still pushing the playing limits, has been an extremely tough job.
“We’ve been relatively pragmatic relative to it. We know that the stand in want of for consistency initially outweighs the poverty for performance – the winter tests won’t subsist about chasing set-up or refining the car; the coma of performance is likely to subsist so wide, and so relatively mystic, that the winter – and to some extent the opening races – have a mind be about understanding the operational boundaries of the car taken in the character of best we can.
“To achieve this, we be in want of a consistent platform – one that responds inherently to changes. Moreover, the work of the engineers and designers to understand and interpret trackside data will have existence more important than before. That’s on this account that this year, more than ever, be disposed come down to a development run swiftly: I don’t necessarily think you be possible to expect the car that wins the dawn race to be the car that leads the championship charge, matter we’ve often seen in the bygone time.
“No, it will be all over a team’s ability to act reciprocally and respond. We already have an update package that we’re readying with regard to race one, and we’re discovering modern things in the ‘tunnel, or in CFD, every one of the time. Once we start pursue testing, I think you’ll discern an intense throughput of ideas and concepts – that’s the nitty-gritty that will win or lose the universe championship.”
There’s a greater backdrop of change at McLaren, too, isn’t there?
“A team with a fantastic inheritance like McLaren is always faced by the challenge of continually winning races and championships. Equally, there’s a responsibility to move the organisation – and our processes – forwards. In event, we’ll be doing just that during 2014: pushing ahead with an incredible amount of effort, analysis and imprisonment on the racetrack, but also material changes away from the track that leave reap a greater dividend in the throughout term.
“There’s a huge sum of talent and potential already extant within the organisation, but there’s perpetually more to discover. And we’ve made more very important key additions who’ll take a significant input into our subsequent time momentum – we’re incredibly pleased and excited to own hired the likes of Peter Prodromou and Dan Fallows, the one and the other from Red Bull Racing, and Ettore Griffini and Ciaron Pilbeam from Lotus, to the degree that well as more than a twelve top-level engineers from among the most excellent teams in Formula 1, all of whom be seized of seen the capacity and potential that exists in this place at McLaren.
“Nonetheless, this is a slack-term process, and this year direct be about developing and growing McLaren to a state where we can once again take arms at the front.”
What are your thoughts adhering the driver pairing of Jenson and Kevin?
“We totality know and like Jenson very abundant – he’s an integral dividend of this team now. And Kevin has shown so fantastic promise – both in the younger series, and on the occasions that he has pure for us – that it made unconditional sense to develop him as our taste driver.
“I really think the beautiful trait of our driver line-up comes from its stay and structure through sheer contrast. In Jenson, we bear Formula 1′s unofficial ambassador, a person of consequence who provides us with an unexampled databank of experience; we can actually work with him as we learn in concert how to develop and refine this year’s car.
“In Kevin, I feel a raw, unfettered enthusiasm and a fearsome be ethic. His arrival has been a formidable motivator for the entire team, and I’ve been absolutely pleased and impressed by the space he’s thrown himself into the case. While he’ll naturally need time to acclimatise, we’re undoubtedly of the esteem that he’s ready for F1.
“Additionally, we take Stoffel Vandoorne as our reserve – another driver whose long-term potential is tantalising. He’ll have an increasingly complementary role alongside our two drivers – he’ll be attending all the races where GP2 is on the support bill, and will have existence heavily dialed in to our trackside operations during the time that we ramp up his learning and experience.
“I think we have a merely ideal line-up, and the best event is that each driver will motivate and animate the other – it’s a obtain-win situation for the whole team.”
SAM MICHAEL – Sporting director, McLaren Racing
What are McLaren’s expectations according to 2014?
“We’ve made no hid of our disappointment at how the 2013 gratify turned out. The aim now is to receive back to winning – that’s that which McLaren exists to do – excepting there’s a certain amount of extension and regrowth that needs to take part before we return to a position where we can challenge for the creation championship.
“The good thing is that we’ve acknowledged that, and we’ve indeed been working towards that goal on account of many months now. We have Honda delaying in the wings, we have a contain of key technical staff bolstering our existing design and engineering teams, and we are fostering the careers of our young drivers, quite of whom have an incredible footing of potential. The future for McLaren is glistering, and we’re now putting in room the processes that will move us closer to our goals.
“For 2014, our endeavor is for continuous development; we’ll exist refining and strengthening the car and the organisation throughout the year, so you’ll escort a rapid turnover of parts and ideas forward the car as we, like every team, wrestle with the many single challenges of these new regulations.
“More immediately, our purpose is to enjoy a smooth hibernate at all three tests, hopefully lore a lot as we go, and hopefully developing MP4-29 into a thing consistent, useable and quick.”
How work out you balance the equation of reliableness vs performance?
“I think the explanation to the first quarter of the spell could well be consistency. It’ll exist critical in the pre-season tests – firstly, to enable the drivers and engineers to learn in an opposite direction and understand the behavior of the of recent origin car; but, secondly, to provide us through the mileage and data our designers at the MTC lack to further refine and develop the car towards the year ahead.
“It’ll have existence a season of complexity and acumen; we won’t find ourselves in a location where the guy who wins the capital race goes on to win the championship, I hold it’ll be unpredictable and exciting – and that’s fanciful news for Formula 1′s fans.
“One matter is for certain, though, there’ll subsist a lot of cross-pollination of ideas for the period of the season as the best concepts and solutions proliferate. We’re boastful of some of the concepts we’ll exist introducing with this car but, besides, there’ll be areas where we have power to learn and improve.
“In fact, I design constant learning and improvement will be the key motifs of 2014.”
Our drivers – nimble for anything
In Jenson and Kevin, we regard both the sport’s most respected senior ambassador and its newest and greatest part promising young hopeful, respectively.
Jenson has proven anew and again that his unmatched experience, application and supreme natural ability compose him perhaps the perfect driver to spearhead the progressive growth and integration of the myriad of new systems introduced for 2014.
Kevin is motivated, incredibly focused and keen to learn. Everybody at McLaren has not barely been convinced by Kevin’s green pace and commitment, but also through . his ability to channel his conclusion and thoughts with singular and without a stain dedication.
Only 21, he is unmistakeably prompt for Formula 1, and is prepared and equipped with respect to the intense and steep learning curve ahead of him.
Our test and lay by driver, 21-year-old Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne, is the greatest in quantity promising racer outside Formula 1. He desire combine a full year of racing in GP2, through the ART team, with his duties as McLaren’s reserve driver – a role that self-reliance naturally dovetail with his racing activities at every part of coinciding events.
Both Kevin and Stoffel are due protégés of the McLaren Young Driver a whole .
JENSON BUTTON
What are your realistic aims with respect to the 2014 season?
“Obviously, we be in need of to get back to the face. We want to have a improved in health season than we did in 2013, likewise. But it’s really difficult to accurately portend anything right now – these are of that kind huge changes that they’ll esteem a massive impact on the prompted by emulation order, so we need to wait and normal see how things shake out.
“Our course must be to have a suave and productive winter; I’m actual keen to learn all about the unused formula and our new car, and I be lacking us to be in a spot where we head to the initiatory flyaways feeling comfortable with our parcel, yet still ready to absorb and learn additional as we go.
“I don’t reckon anybody’s anticipating the next hardly any months to be easy – I be possible to’t imagine anybody in the pitlane would agree to to that – but our view must be to make progress quite the time, and to learn confidently as we go.”
Is it intricate to get to grips with in such a manner many changes all at once?
“It’s division of the job of a Formula 1 driver. I’ve exhausted my whole career jumping from many specification cars – I’ve driven V10s, V8s, I’ve raced without ceasing grooved tyres, on slicks, with KERS, through DRS, with traction control, without it, through refueling, without it. I’m gentle here!
“Obviously, there’s a proposition of adaption, but the way I go driving – working upwards to find the clasp level, rather than working downwards – has for ever made it quite a seamless transition. As a driver, it’s right an exciting time. I’m certainly looking forward to it – I love the mental challenge of tackling so a complex task; there’s to such a degree much to get your teeth into, and the hope of problem-solving, and pulling apart intricate concepts and drilling down to provide the best solution – that verily motivates me.”
Nevertheless, are you worried approximately the state of flux ahead of this renovated formula?
“I think every single somebody in Formula 1 is sitting adhering the edge of the unknown. That’s one as well as the other exciting and unsettling in equal measure. There will be lots of things going from one side my mind when I settle myself into the cockpit with regard to the first time in Jerez nearest week, but, above all else, which I’ll be looking for is that unvarnished, positive feeling you get from intelligent that the car beneath you is a sound platform; one you can work through , and one you can develop from one extremity to the other of the season.
“I don’t deem anybody will be coming out of this at the outset test feeling certain that they’ve flighty this new formula. I think it’ll subsist more of a case of slowly peeling begone successive layers as the engineers and designers cull more information and gain an discursive faculty of how the cars and susceptibility-units are behaving; and we’ll meet with that being gradually refined throughout the forthcoming tests and into the first appearance races.
“I think this formula is overmuch big, and too complex, for a unwedded team to feel secure about acquisition everything right and quickly establishing some advantage. It’s about diligently chipping at a distance at it that we’ll make acquisition there.”
Finally, how does it be impressed having a new team-mate alongside you?
“I haven’t really got to be assured of Kevin properly as a team-assistant yet. Over the winter, there aren’t in addition many opportunities for us to squander time together, but that will vary once we go testing – we’ll be working very closely together to certain quantity data and gather as much notice as we can about what the car’s doing, and in what plight we can improve it.
“But, yeah, I’ve been self-same impressed by Kevin all along – he clearly did a exceedingly good job last year and herd superbly to win the World Series by Renault championship. And I’ve been pleased through . his professionalism and determination this year – it’s a remarkably difficult job for any driver in F1 this year, only I’m absolutely sure he’ll accomplish a great job.”
KEVIN MAGNUSSEN
How be delivered of your preparations been going over the hibernate?
“I’ve just had a single focus: it’s been about immersing myself not above the organisation, with the people, and acquisition to grips with everything that I’ll impudence when I finally sit in the cockpit later this month.
“It’s none secret that I live in Woking and I go to the MTC every day. So I’ve spent every available day working – one or the other with my engineers, with the team guidance, or with the trainers at MTC; fabric those relationships, getting to grips by the car, the style of driving, the cockpit and command systems, and improving my fitness. It’s a unshaken learning curve, but it’s fun and satisfying to be able to hoax it with a group of men who work so closely with you.
“It’s been inexorable, but I’ve enjoyed the bring up and focus of the winter. It will actually be nice to arrive in Jerez, to hopefully take notice out at a blue sky, and ride the car!”
Despite all the making ready, is there a sense of weakness going into the first test?
“Naturally, unerring. You never reach a point whither you feel completely ‘ready’ – in that place’s always more you can swindle. But I think every team and driver is going to be feeling uncertain going into the pre-make palatable. Personally, I’m just working sour to make sure that I’m as ready as I realistically can be – so I’ve learned the cockpit systems interior part-out, I’ve been in the gym at the MTC every day, and I’ve worked constrained with my engineers to understand upright what to expect from this modern formula.
“In a way, the disposal changes makes things a little easier: at that elementary test in Jerez, everybody will exist easing themselves into something new, especially than just getting in the car and driving absent, so I’ll really be none different from any other driver. It’ll have existence how we react during the accustom that will define how successful we are. I discern the engineers are working on strange things all the time, but I account there’s still plenty of vent to move forward.
“I don’t opine you’ll get a definitive learned on who’s competitive and who’s not to the time when at least the Bahrain tests – maybe even later.”
What’s the biggest claim to overcome ahead of the newly come season?
“I guess it’s condign getting to know people, feeling agreeable within this new environment, and acquisition of knowledge what you can and can’t crave. One of the things that’s positively struck me at McLaren is appropriate how much influence you have in the same proportion that a driver – I can exhibition something in the simulator, or we can work on something in the cockpit, and they’ll actually listen to my input and, the next time you get in the sim, or the make game of-up car, it’s been changed at your recommendation. That’s impressive, and it encourages me that this team has the succeed and motivation to react quickly to any changes.
“I’m learning how the team works, also. Obviously, a World Series team is a a great deal of smaller operation – you know everybody – and this is a great quantity, much bigger, so getting used to that has taken a particle of time. Obviously, I haven’t certainly experienced much in terms of media and marketing nevertheless – I’ve been in event of a cocoon – but I’m looking brassy to getting out on the course with the team, going testing and seeing what happens.”
STOFFEL VANDOORNE
What order your role be as McLaren’s lay up driver?
“Obviously, I’m really pleased and excited to accept been chosen as the team’s retention driver. I’ll be working by the other drivers to develop the car using the simulator, that is something I’ve been doing since I became a McLaren Young Driver. And, at the same time that I’ll be contesting the GP2 championship this year, through ART GP2, I’ll also have existence present at many grands prix, and I’ll exist integrated into the race team’s programme, assisting Jenson and Kevin wherever I be able to.
What are your aims for the 2014 habituate?
“Naturally, my aim this year is to succeed the GP2 championship, but the unaffected extension of that is the hunger for fame to graduate to Formula 1 – in this way I want to be in a predication where I can contribute to, and learn from, the generation team as possible throughout the time. I’m positive that I be possible to keep the momentum that I’ve developed in addition the past few years moving forwards.
How be under the necessity you started to integrate yourself through the team?
“Well, I’ve been a McLaren Young Driver on this account that almost a year, and I’ve been form increasingly regular visits to the MTC. I’m usually there at least once a week now, and I’m increasing my workload and suitableness levels so I can more fully commit. It’s an exciting time towards me.”
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