- McLaren MP4/1
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McLaren MP4, McLaren MP4B,
McLaren MP4/1C, McLaren MP4/1E
McLaren MP4 (MP4/1), competed in the 1981 Formula One seasonCategory Formula One Constructor McLaren Designer(s) John Barnard Technical specifications Chassis Carbon fibre monocoque Engine 1981-1983: mid-engine, longitudinally mounted, Cosworth DFY, 2,993 cc (182.6 cu in), NA, 90º V8
1983: mid-engine, longitudinally mounted, TAG Porsche PO1, 1,499 cc (91.5 cu in), turbo, 90° V6,Transmission McLaren / Hewland FGA 400 5-speed manual Competition history Notable entrants Marlboro McLaren International Notable drivers 7. John Watson
8.Andrea de Cesaris
8.Niki Lauda
Debut 1981 Monaco Grand Prix Races Wins Poles Fastest laps 43 6 0 4 The McLaren MP4/1 (initially known as the MP4) was a Formula One racing car produced by the McLaren team. It was used during the 1981, 1982 and 1983 seasons. It was the first Formula One car to use a carbon fibre composite monocoque, a concept which is now ubiquitous.
The MP4 was the first car to be built following the merger of the McLaren team and Ron Dennis' Project 4 team, as the car's name (short for "Marlboro Project 4")[1] indicates.
Contents
Design and construction
The main engineer for the MP4 was John Barnard. The chassis itself was built by McLaren using carbon supplied by Hercules Aerospace (U.S.A.) and quickly revolutionised car design in Formula One with new levels of rigidity and driver protection and its Carbon-Fibre-Composite (CFC) construction, a first in Formula One. Within months the design had been copied by many of McLaren's rivals.
The car was originally powered by a Ford Cosworth engine but later switched to a TAG Porsche engine.
Hercules Aerospace keeps the car of Watson which was destroyed in the 1981 Italian Grand Prix and shows it off to visitors after allowing them to view footage of the accident, highlighting how it was possible for him to survive in a carbon fibre car.[2]
Racing
John Watson and Andrea de Cesaris drove for the 1981 season with Niki Lauda replacing de Cesaris for the 1982 and 1983 seasons. In 1982, the MP4B nearly brought Watson to the World Championship, but he finished third behind Keke Rosberg and Didier Pironi, with 39 points. In that same year however, it did take second in the Constructors' Championship, collecting 69 points. For the 1983 season, the car was then updated into the MP4/1C, and the season started well with a 1–2 finish for the MP4/1C at the 1983 United States Grand Prix West, in which Watson won from 22nd on the grid – the farthest back on the grid a driver has won from in Formula One – and Lauda finished second from 23rd despite suffering from a worsening leg cramp. During the 1983 season, McLaren worked with Techniques d'Avant Garde and Porsche to develop a turbocharged V6 engine and the MP4/1D was the test mule; and then later in the season at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort the Cosworth-powered MP4/1C was replaced by the TAG-powered MP4/1E, which was essentially also a test mule that competed in only 4 races; it was competitive but did not win any races. In total, the MP4/1 brought McLaren 6 wins, 11 other podium finishes and a total of 131 points.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year Entrant Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Points WCC 1981 Marlboro McLaren International Cosworth DFV
V8 NAM USW BRA ARG SMR BEL MON ESP FRA GBR GER AUT NED ITA CAN CPL 28 6th John Watson Ret 10 7 Ret 3 2 1 6 6 Ret Ret 2 7 Andrea de Cesaris Ret Ret 11 Ret Ret 8 DNS 7 Ret 12 1982 Marlboro McLaren International Cosworth DFV
V8 NAM RSA BRA USW SMR BEL MON DET CAN NED GBR FRA GER AUT SUI ITA CPL 69 2nd John Watson 6 2 6 1 Ret 1 3 9 Ret Ret Ret 9 13 4 2 Niki Lauda 4 Ret 1 DSQ Ret Ret Ret 4 1 8 DNS 5 3 Ret Ret 1983 Marlboro McLaren International Cosworth DFV
V8 NA
TAG Porsche
V6 tcM BRA USW FRA SMR MON BEL DET CAN GBR GER AUT NED ITA EUR RSA 34 5th John Watson Ret 1 Ret 5 DNQ Ret 3 6 9 5 9 3 Ret Ret DSQ Niki Lauda 3 2 Ret Ret DNQ Ret Ret Ret 6 DSQ 6 Ret Ret Ret 11 Stefan Bellof WD References
McLaren
Founder: Bruce McLaren
McLaren Group: Ron Dennis (15%) | TAG Group (15%) | Mumtalakat (30%) | Daimler AG (11%)
Current personnel: Martin Whitmarsh | Paddy Lowe | Neil Oatley
Former personnel: John Barnard | Gordon Coppuck | Pat Fry | Norbert Haug | Robin Herd | Neil Martin | Teddy Mayer | Gordon Murray | Adrian Newey | Steve Nichols | Jo Ramirez | Nicholas Tombazis
Race drivers: 3.Lewis Hamilton | 4.
Jenson Button
Test drivers:
Gary Paffett |
Pedro de la Rosa
World Champions:Emerson Fittipaldi |
Lewis Hamilton |
James Hunt |
Mika Häkkinen |
Niki Lauda |
Alain Prost |
Ayrton Senna
Cars
Formula One: M2B | M4B | M5A | M7A | M7B | M7C | M7D | M9A | M14A | M14D | M19A | M19C | M23 | M26 | M28 | M29 | M29F | M30 | MP4 (MP4/1) | MP4B (MP4/1B) | MP4/1C | MP4/1E | MP4/2 | MP4/2B | MP4/2C | MP4/3 | MP4/4 | MP4/5 | MP4/5B | MP4/6 | MP4/6B | MP4/7A | MP4/8 | MP4/9 | MP4/10 | MP4/10B | MP4/10C | MP4/11 | MP4/11B | MP4/12 | MP4/13 | MP4/14 | MP4/15 | MP4-16 | MP4-17 | MP4-17D | MP4-18 | MP4-19 | MP4-19B | MP4-20 | MP4-21 | MP4-22 | MP4-23 | MP4-24 | MP4-25 | MP4-26
Formula Two: M4A | M21
Sports cars: Zerex Special | M1A | M1B | M1C | M6A | M6B | M6GT | M8A | M8B | M8C | M8D | M8E | M8F | M8FP | M12 | M20 | F1 GTR
USAC/IndyCar: M15 | M16A | M16B | M16C | M16C/D | M16E | M24
F5000/Libre: M3 | M10A | M10B | M18 | M22 | M25
Development cars: M2A
Road cars: F1 | F1 LM | SLR (for Mercedes-Benz) | MP4-12C | 799
Engines: M838TCars that competed in the 1981 Formula One season Williams FW07B • Williams FW07C • Brabham BT49C • Renault RE20B • Renault RE30 • Ligier JS17 • Ferrari 126CK • McLaren M29C • McLaren M29F • McLaren MP4 (MP4/1) • Lotus 81 • Lotus 87 • Lotus 88 • Lotus 88B • Tyrrell 010 • Tyrrell 011 • Alfa Romeo 179B/179C/179D • Arrows A3 • Ensign N180B • Theodore TY01 • ATS D4 • ATS HGS • Fittipaldi F8C • Osella FA1B • Osella FA1C • March 811 • Toleman TG181Cars that competed in the 1982 Formula One season Ferrari 126C2 • McLaren MP4B • Renault RE30B • Williams FW07D • Williams FW08 • Lotus 87B • Lotus 91 • Tyrrell 011 • Brabham BT49D • Brabham BT50 • Ligier JS17/JS17B • Ligier JS19 • Alfa Romeo 179D • Alfa Romeo 182/182B • Arrows A3 • Arrows A4 • Arrows A5 • ATS D5 • Osella FA1C • Osella FA1D • Fittipaldi F8D • Fittipaldi F9 • March 821 • Theodore TY01 • Theodore TY02 • Toleman TG181C • Toleman TG183 • Ensign N180B • Ensign N181Cars that competed in the 1983 Formula One season Ferrari 126C2B · Ferrari 126C3 · Renault RE30C · Renault RE40 · Brabham BT52/BT52B · Williams FW08C · Williams FW09 · McLaren MP4/1C · McLaren MP4/1E · Alfa Romeo 183T · Tyrrell 011 · Tyrrell 012 · Lotus 92 · Lotus 93T · Lotus 94T · Toleman TG183B · Arrows A6 · Theodore N183 · Osella FA1D · Spirit 201/201C · RAM 01 · Ligier JS21 · ATS D6Categories:- 1981 Formula One season cars
- 1982 Formula One season cars
- 1983 Formula One season cars
- McLaren Formula One cars
- Formula One stubs
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