Category: McLaren

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McLaren

Don’t believe everything you read

McLaren P1 Nurbrurging lap time

You may read around the interwebz that the McLaren P1 hypercar has set a blistering Nürburgring lap time of 6 minutes 33.26 seconds.

If it were true that would be an astonishing time. And who knows, perhaps it may well be the case. Certainly, the P1 and its remarkable 908hp petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain will be bloody quick. But that quick?

Anyway, to explain the graphic you see above, which is official and it is from McLaren China. However, it’s not a claimed lap time for the P1 around the Ring. Rather, McLaren explained to Jalopnik that:

The image in question was included on a slide which was part of a mood board to inspire the design team for the McLaren P1™, and not the engineers, who are working to a target time of ‘merely’ sub-7 minutes.

Nürburgring lap times are all a bit of theatre in any case, there’s no guidelines or official sanctioning body to verify the times claimed by manufacturers. As a result the holder of the fastest production car around the Nordschleife provides some good pub debate but not much more.

At the moment the title of fastest production/street legal car around the Green Hell is claimed by the V8 powered Radical SR8LM (6:48), which was set in 2009.

In 2010 a non-street legal Pagani Zonda R lapped the Ring in 6:47.50.

The fastest ever time set on the Nordschleife is acknowledged as Stefan Bellof’s 6:11 lap set during qualifying for the 1983 1000km race. He was driving a Porsche 956. It’s still the only recorded lap to have an average speed of over 200km/h.

[Source: Jalopnik]

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Formula 1 McLaren Mercedes-Benz

Paddy Lowe to join Mercedes in two weeks

Paddy Lowe

Earlier this year one of Formula 1’s worst kept secrets was confirmed when Paddy Lowe was despatched by McLaren to perfect his bonsai skills after he had the temerity to sign a new contract with Mercedes. McLaren were determined to stick to their guns and make Lowe sit out his contract and deny his move to Mercedes until after the 2013 F1 season.

Pleasingly, for the sanity of all concerned, word has come through from Mercedes that Lowe will be joining them officially on 3 June.

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Formula 1 Honda McLaren

Reliving the McLaren-Honda glory days

McLaren-Honda

With the confirmation of Honda’s return to Formula 1, we bring you a handful of images from the previous McLaren-Honda partnership where they enjoyed great success together.

In the years 1988–92 McLaren-Honda started 80 grands prix. They were on pole 53 times and won 44 races. A total of eight world championships were collected as well. One for Alain Prost (1989), three for Ayrton Senna (1988, 1990, 1991) and four constructors’ titles for the team (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991).

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Formula 1 Honda McLaren

2015 McLaren-Honda partnership confirmed

McLaren-Honda MP4-4

The widely tipped news that Honda would return to Formula 1 to reunite with McLaren in 2015 has been confirmed today.

Honda left F1 at the end of the 2008 season with little success at the time and global financial pressures forcing their hand. It’s great to see them back in F1 and they’ll be hoping their glory days with McLaren, when Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna seemingly won races at will, can be rekindled.

No contract length has been given in the official press releases below, other than to say this is a “multi-year deal”.

Takanobu Ito, President and CEO of Honda said the switch to 1.6 litre turbocharged V6 engines, coming into place next year, has attracted Honda’s return: “We have the greatest respect for the FIA’s decision to introduce these new regulations that are both highly challenging but also attractive to manufacturers that pursue environmental technologies and to Formula One Group, which has developed F1 into a high value, top car racing category supported by enthusiastic fans.

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren Group CEO, is also keen to reignite the flame both companies have enjoyed in the past: “The names of McLaren and Honda are synonymous with success in Formula 1, and, for everyone who works for both companies, the weight of our past achievements together lies heavily on our shoulders. But it’s a mark of the ambition and resolve we both share that we want once again to take McLaren-Honda to the very pinnacle of Formula 1 success. Together we have a great legacy – and we’re utterly committed to maintaining it.

Whitmarsh also commented briefly on McLaren’s relationship with Mercedes-Benz, which will continue in 2014: “It’s appropriate to recognise that until the end of 2014 we’ll maintain a full commitment to our existing and long-standing partner, Mercedes-Benz, for which we retain the utmost respect and with whom we intend to continue to work diligently and professionally.”

Full statements from McLaren and Honda can be read after the break. There’s a video from today’s announcement too, with Martin Whitmarsh’s speech taking place about 5:44 into the 12 minute clip.

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Formula 1 Honda McLaren

McLaren-Honda 2015 announcement imminent

Ayrton Senna, 1991 Belgian GP

The rumours of a McLaren–Honda reunification aren’t new, but an official announcement could be made as soon as today.

Japanese media have increased their coverage of Honda’s return to F1 in recent days and it’s expected Chief Executive Takanobu will release a statement confirming a new deal with McLaren to commence in 2015, one year after the introduction of the new 1.6 litre V6 turbocharged engine regulations.

An unnamed source said: “That incubator aspect of the sport makes Honda’s participation worthwhile.”

McLaren has an engine deal with Mercedes-Benz that is locked in place until the end of next season. With Mercedes likely to field engines for a number of customer teams in 2014 there should be no issues with supplying McLaren even if a new deal with Honda is confirmed.

[Source: Reuters F1 | Pic: Cahier Archive]

UPDATE: Honda’s confirmation been announced. We’ll bring their official press release when we can.

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2013 Spanish Grand Prix in pictures

2013 Spanish Grand Prix

Here’s your photographic refresher of what went down at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix. As usual there’s an excellent assortment of images, there’s 97 in all, starting with a sea of Maranello red.

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McLaren

McLaren P1 excels on ice

McLaren P1

McLaren is milking the launch of its P1 hypercar with great success. Already the car has premiered twice at the Paris (in concept form) and Geneva motor shows. And now, for our viewing pleasure, they’re showing a development mule being thrashed on a frozen lake in the Arctic Circle.

They say the P1 will be “the best driver’s car in the world on road and track.” To support that aim McLaren reckons the P1 will be the fastest ever production car around the Top Gear test track and it will be able to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife in less than 7 minutes.

And, after watching this new video and its accompanying wallpaper-friendly images, we think you’ll agree the P1 actually looks half decent as well.

We’ll be seeing more of the P1 when at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (11–14 July). We just wish we were one of the lucky 375 folk to get their very own 916PS hybrid hypercar to play with.

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2013 Bahrain Grand Prix in pictures

2013 Bahrain Grand Prix

A little later than usual here’s your pictorial reminder of the 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix. There’s 87 pics to fill your racing boots this week. Be sure to check back in after the Spanish Grand Prix for more wallpaper-friendly F1 pics in a few weeks.

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McLaren

VIDEO: Murray Walker makes electrifying comeback

Murray Walker

Murray Walker is a Formula 1 legend. Not for what he did on the track, but for the way he brought the excitement and action of the sport into our lounge rooms for over 20 years. Showing he hasn’t lost any of his verve the 89-year-old returns to the microphone in this light hearted clip for McLaren Automotive.

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2013 Chinese Grand Prix in pictures

2013 Chinese Grand Prix

Before we head off to Tasmania for a week to follow the close knit tarmac rally community here’s 93 photos from the Chinese Grand Prix. We hope you like them!

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McLaren Motorsports

Craig Baird sets Highlands NZ lap record

Craig Baird sets Highlands Motorsport Park lap record

New Zealand has a brand new motorsport facility, it’s called the Highlands Motorsport Park. Self-described as “an exclusive members-only facility”, it’s ideally placed around 50km away from Queenstown on the South Island.

Highlands will be used for its first major event when it hosts Round 6 of the 2013 Australian GT championship in November.

The grand opening of the track was held over Easter and Craig Baird was on hand in a McLaren MP4-12C GT3 to set the first official lap record. You can watch video of that, and more, after the break.

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Caterham F1 in pictures Ferrari Lotus McLaren Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Toro Rosso

2013 Malaysian Grand Prix in pictures

2013 Malaysian Grand Prix

So, the Malaysian Grand Prix, you may have heard about it. It’s a perfect snapshot of how the mainstream media in Australia handles Mark Webber.

Last week the local media tore shreds from Mark after his woeful start, which, funnily enough, ended up not being entirely his fault. Now, the media is lauding him as some sort of saint-in-waiting who has been dealt an unimaginable injustice by that devil in disguise named Sebastian Vettel.

It’s also an excellent example of how quickly the media world can force things to spiral things out of control; we’ll go into a bit that later.

Anyway, enough banter, here’s the pics from Sepang. We hope you like them.

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