McLaren

Full name	Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
Base	Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom
Team principal/s	Ron Dennis Martin Whitmarsh
Technical Directors	Paddy Lowe Neil Oatley[1]
Race drivers	22. Vodafone is a Mobile network operator headquartered in Berkshire, England, UK. Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Ron Dennis CBE (born June 1, 1947) is the Chairman, CEO and 15% owner of the McLaren Group. Martin Whitmarsh (born April 29 1958) is the CEO of the McLaren Formula One team Paddy Lowe (born April 8 1962) is the Engineering Director of the McLaren Formula One racing team Neil Oatley (born June 12 1954) is currently Executive Director of Engineering for the McLaren Formula One team Lewis Hamilton 23. Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born Stevenage, 7 January 1985 Heikki Kovalainen
Test drivers	41. Heikki Johannes Kovalainen (born October 19, 1981 in Suomussalmi, Finland) is a racing driver. Pedro de la Rosa 41. Pedro Martínez de la Rosa (born February 24 1971 in Barcelona, Spain) is a Spanish Formula One driver currently Gary Paffett
Chassis	McLaren MP4-23
Engine	Mercedes-Benz FO 108V
Tyres	Bridgestone
Formula One World Championship Career
Debut	1966 Monaco Grand Prix
Latest race	2008 Canadian Grand Prix
Races competed	637
Constructors' Championships	8 (1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998)
Drivers' Championships	11 (1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999)
Race victories	158
Pole positions	134
Fastest laps	136[2]
2007 position	Excluded[3]

McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937–1970), is a Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, UK. Gary Paffett (born March 24 1981 in Bromley) is a British Racing driver and a test driver for Formula One team The McLaren MP4-23 is Vodafone McLaren - Mercedes ' Formula One Car for the 2008 Formula One season. Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines Ltd (previously known as Mercedes-Ilmor) is an English -based Formula One engine manufacturer owned by Mercedes-Benz ( is a Japanese Rubber conglomerate founded in 1931 by in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan The 1966 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Circuit de Monaco on May 22, 1966. The 2008 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 8 June, 2008 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montréal Canada By season The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA) to the most successful Formula One The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole In motorsport, the fastest lap is the quickest lap run during a race Pre-season testing Pre-season testing began in November 2006 at the Circuit de Catalunya, with ten of the eleven teams participating in the test sessions Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Early life As an eleven year old McLaren contracted a disease in his hip which left his left leg shorter than the right Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and Canadian-American Challenge Cup. The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, and historically known simply as "The 500" is an American The Canadian-American Challenge Cup or Can-Am, was an SCCA / CASC Sports car racing series from 1966 to 1974 The current team was formed by the merger of Bruce McLaren Motor Racing with Project Four Racing in 1981. The team is managed by Ron Dennis and is part of McLaren Racing, a member of the McLaren Group. Ron Dennis CBE (born June 1, 1947) is the Chairman, CEO and 15% owner of the McLaren Group. The McLaren Group, based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking in the United Kingdom, is a group of companies created by Ron Dennis Engines are supplied by McLaren shareholder Mercedes-Benz through Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines. Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines Ltd (previously known as Mercedes-Ilmor) is an English -based Formula One engine manufacturer owned by Mercedes-Benz

McLaren is one of the most successful teams in Formula One, having won over 150 races, 11 Drivers' Championships and 8 Constructors' Championships. Autosport judges McLaren to have "bigger, more sophisticated" technical resources than any other team and a resultant higher development rate throughout a season. However it states that "operationally it is not as slick [as Ferrari], and this typically shows during moments of high stress. Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing In such moments it's a team with a tendency to rely too much on its vast technical databank and not enough on the intuition of a single person making the call. "^[4]

Racing History

1960s

A McLaren M1A sports car of 1964, the first McLaren racing car.

Bruce McLaren Motor Racing was founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren,^[5] initially as a builder of sports cars. Early life As an eleven year old McLaren contracted a disease in his hip which left his left leg shorter than the right The Kiwi made the team’s Grand Prix debut at the 1966 Monaco race. Kiwi is the nickname used internationally for people from New Zealand, as well as being a relatively common self-reference The 1966 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Circuit de Monaco on May 22, 1966. ^[5] However, Bruce’s race was rather short-lived due to a terminal oil leak on the car. The 1966 programme was hampered by a poor choice of engines—Bruce had selected a short-stroke version of the 4. 2 litre Ford Indy engine, which generated a lot of noise but very little power and was big and bulky. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, and historically known simply as "The 500" is an American Ironically, Jack Brabham had adopted a Repco-developed engine based on a similar Oldsmobile block to the one Bruce was using in his early sports cars and his team took the 1966 and 1967 world championships. Sir John Arthur "Jack" Brabham, AO, OBE (born April 2 1926) is an Australian former racing driver who was Formula One Repco is an Australian engineering company Its name is derived from 'Replacement Parts Company' referring to one of its major lines of work Oldsmobile was a brand of Automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors.

Bruce McLaren driving the McLaren M7C at the Nürburgring in 1969. Early life As an eleven year old McLaren contracted a disease in his hip which left his left leg shorter than the right The Nürburgring, known as simply " The Ring " by enthusiasts is a Motorsport Race track in Nürburg, Germany.

Bruce abandoned the Ford in favour of a woefully underpowered but at least reliable Serenissima V8 (a descendant of the old ATS V8) to score the team's first point. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following Scuderia Serenissima was a successful Auto racing team in the early 1960s In 1967 he initially turned to a slightly enlarged M4 Formula Two car powered by a 2. The 1967 Formula One season included the 18th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 2, 1967, and ended on Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, was a type of Formula racing. 0 litre BRM V8 before building a similar but slightly larger car called the M5 for the BRM V12. "BRM" redirects here For other uses please see BRM (disambiguation. This was quick but had reliability problems and Bruce soon decided that the team had to adopt the Cosworth DFV engine. Cosworth is an Automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing (motorsport The DFV was an Engine produced by Cosworth originally for Formula One motor racing

Original McLaren kiwi logo; a New Zealand icon. KIWI (1029 FM, "Radio Lobo" is a commercial Radio station located in McFarland California, broadcasting to the Bakersfield California New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island

In 1966 and 1967 the team raced only one car in the Championship with Bruce behind the wheel. The 1966 Formula One season included the 17th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on May 22, 1966, and ended on October The 1967 Formula One season included the 18th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 2, 1967, and ended on In addition to his Grand Prix duties, Bruce contested the Can Am Championship that year and, alongside team mate Denny Hulme, the pair won five out of the season’s six races. The Canadian-American Challenge Cup or Can-Am, was an SCCA / CASC Sports car racing series from 1966 to 1974 Denis Clive "Denny" Hulme OBE ( 18 June 1936 &ndash 4 October 1992) was a New Zealand car racer the 1967

Bruce McLaren, the team principal from 1966 to 1970 in 1966

In 1968 with the Cosworth powered M7 the team consisted of two drivers including reigning Formula One World Champion Denny Hulme who also drove for McLaren in Can Am that year. Early life As an eleven year old McLaren contracted a disease in his hip which left his left leg shorter than the right The 1968 Formula One season included the 19th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 1, 1968, and ended on Bruce won the non-championship Race of Champions, at the Brands Hatch circuit, then the Belgian Grand Prix was the scene of the team's first Championship win. See also Race of Champions, International Race of Champions The Race of Champions was a non-championship Formula One motor race held at the Brands Hatch is a Motor racing circuit in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland it hosted 12 runnings of the The 1968 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Spa-Francorchamps on June 9, 1968. Hulme won the Italian Grand Prix and Canadian Grand Prix later in the year. The 1968 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 8, 1968. Results from the 1968 Formula One Canadian Grand Prix held at Circuit Mont-Tremblant on September 22, 1968.

A further three podium finishes followed for Bruce in 1969, but the team's fifth win had to wait until the last race of the 1969 championship when Hulme won the Mexican Grand Prix. The 1969 Formula One season included the 20th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on March 1, 1969, and ended on Results from the 1969 Formula One Mexican Grand Prix held at Mexico City on October 19, 1969. In Can Am the McLaren team won all eleven races. Bruce McLaren won six races, Hulme five, and Bruce won the driver's championship.

1970s

The McLaren M19C, with its distinctive Yardley sponsorship. Yardley of London is a traditional British Cosmetics brand and is one of the oldest in the world

Emerson Fittipaldi in a M23 at the 1974 British Grand Prix. Emerson Fittipaldi (born December 12, 1946 in São Paulo, Brazil) is a highly successful Brazilian automobile racing driver winning world championships The McLaren M23 was a Formula 1 car designed by Gordon Coppuck with input from John Barnard. Results from the 1974 Formula One British Grand Prix held at Brands Hatch on July 20, 1974.

The M26 was used from 1977 to 1979, but was not as successful as its predecessor. The McLaren M26 was a Formula One car designed by Gordon Coppuck to replace the ageing McLaren M23 model The 1977 Formula One season included the 28th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 9, 1977, and ended on The 1979 Formula One season included the 30th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 21, 1979, and ended on

As a team, McLaren had a disastrous beginning to the decade. The team entered the Indianapolis 500 for the first time but Hulme was severely burned on the hands in an incident in practice. The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, and historically known simply as "The 500" is an American Peter Revson replaced Hulme but retired from the race. Peter Jeffrey Revlon (renamed Revson) ( February 27, 1939 - March 22, 1974 aged) was a racecar driver from United States Bruce's business partner Teddy Mayer took over effective control of the team. Edward Everett "Teddy" Mayer (born September 8, 1935) is an American motor racing team manager who has enjoyed success in several categories of racing including

On 2 June 1970 Bruce McLaren was killed in a crash at Goodwood while testing the new M8D Can Am car. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Goodwood Circuit is a historic venue for both 2- and 4-wheeled motorsport in the UK While travelling at 170 mph (270 km/h), a fastener for the rear bodywork failed and the entire rear piece detached from the car. The car spun into a concrete marshal post and McLaren was killed instantly. Twelve days after Bruce McLaren's death Dan Gurney won the opening Can Am race of 1970 at Mosport for McLaren. Daniel Sexton Gurney (born April 13, 1931) is an American racing driver race car constructor and team owner Mosport International Raceway (formerly Mosport Park) is a multi-track facility located north of Bowmanville Ontario. The McLaren M8D won nine of the ten races in 1970 and Hulme won the championship. In 1971 the team saw off the challenge of 1969 World Champion Jackie Stewart in the Lola T260, winning eight races, with Peter Revson taking the title. For other people of this name see Jackie Stewart (disambiguation.

McLaren went winless in Formula 1 in 1970 and 1971, years dominated by Jochen Rindt and Jackie Stewart respectively. The 1970 Formula One season included the 21st FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on March 7, 1970, and ended on The 1971 Formula One season included the 22nd FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on March 6, 1971, and ended on Karl Jochen Rindt ( April 18, 1942 - September 5, 1970) was a German - Austrian racing driver Hulme took the team's first F1 win since Bruce's death in the 1972 South African Grand Prix with the M19C. The 1972 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Kyalami on March 4, 1972 Classification Hulme also won three Can Am races in 1972 but the McLaren M20 was defeated by the Porsche 917/10s of Mark Donohue and George Follmer. The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Mark Neary Donohue Jr ( March 18, 1937 - August 19, 1975) was an American Racecar driver known for his ability to set George Follmer (born January 27, 1934) is a retired American race car driver and one of the most successful road racers of the 1970s McLaren decided to abandon the Can Am series at the end of 1972, focussing solely on Formula One and USAC. The original Can Am series itself ceased at the end of 1974, with McLaren by far the most successful constructor with 43 wins.

In USAC competition Peter Revson had won pole position for the 1971 Indianapolis 500 in a McLaren M16. The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole The M16 introduced to USAC competition the concept of mounting the car's engine entirely ahead of the rear axle, rather than partly over it, as was the standard at the time. The car also wore prominent front and rear wings, another practice not common in American racing. Revson finished second in 1971, and Mark Donohue won the '500' in 1972 driving a McLaren-Offenhauser run by Roger Penske. Roger Penske (born February 20, 1937 in Shaker Heights Ohio) is the owner of the automobile racing team Penske Racing, the Penske

The McLaren M23, designed by Gordon Coppuck, was the team's new car for the 1973 Formula One season. The McLaren M23 was a Formula 1 car designed by Gordon Coppuck with input from John Barnard. The 1973 Formula One season included the 24th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 28, 1973, and ended on It was described by Coppuck as being essentially the front of an M16 and the back of an M19. It was a wedge-shaped car following the same concept as the Lotus 72 but with more conventional suspension and up to date aerodynamics. The Lotus 72 was a Formula One car designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe of Lotus for the 1970 Formula One season. Hulme won with it in Sweden and Revson took the only Grand Prix wins of his career in Britain and Canada. The 1973 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Scandinavian Raceway on June 17, 1973. The 1973 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Silverstone on July 14, 1973. The 1973 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Mosport Park on September 23, 1973. At Indianapolis, Johnny Rutherford took pole position in the "works" M16C. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway Indiana (an Enclave of Indianapolis) in the United States, is the home of the

In 1974 Emerson Fittipaldi joined McLaren, now under the direction of Teddy Mayer, from Lotus to become their lead driver. The 1974 Formula One season included the 25th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 13, 1974, and ended on Emerson Fittipaldi (born December 12, 1946 in São Paulo, Brazil) is a highly successful Brazilian automobile racing driver winning world championships Edward Everett "Teddy" Mayer (born September 8, 1935) is an American motor racing team manager who has enjoyed success in several categories of racing including The team achieved their first Formula One World Constructors' and World Drivers' Championship (with Fittipaldi) and their first Indianapolis 500 win (with Johnny Rutherford). By season The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA) to the most successful Formula One The year also saw Yardley cosmetics replaced as Formula One sponsor by Marlboro cigarettes (although one Yardley car was run by an ostensibly separate team for the year alongside the two Marlboro entries), a deal that was to last until 1997. Yardley of London is a traditional British Cosmetics brand and is one of the oldest in the world Marlboro is a brand of Cigarette made by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the US and by Philip Morris International (now separate The 1997 Formula One season was the 48th FIA Formula One World Championship season 1975 was a less successful year for the team. The 1975 Formula One season included the 26th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 12, 1975, and ended on Fittipaldi was second in the championship behind Niki Lauda. Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda (born February 22, 1949 in Vienna) is an Austrian Aviator, Entrepreneur Jochen Mass took his sole GP win in Spain, and Rutherford was second at Indianapolis. Jochen Mass (born September 30, 1946 in Dorfen, Bavaria) is a former Racing driver from Germany. At the end of 1975 Fittipaldi left McLaren to join his brother's Fittipaldi/Copersucar team. Origins Wilson Fittipaldi was a midfield Pay driver with Brabham in Formula One in 1972 and 1973

The Drivers' Championship would come McLaren's way again in 1976 with Fittipaldi's replacement, James Hunt beating Niki Lauda by a single point. The 1976 Formula One season included the 27th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 25, 1976, and ended on James Simon Wallis Hunt ( 29 August 1947 &ndash 15 June 1993) was a British racing driver from England who won the Meanwhile Johnny Rutherford scored McLaren's second Indianapolis 500 victory, with the team becoming the first team to twice accomplish both feats in the same year. Hunt won three times in F1 in 1977, but these would prove to be McLaren's last GP wins of the decade. The M23's replacement, the M26 was a troublesome car, and subsequent models were even less successful. The McLaren M23 was a Formula 1 car designed by Gordon Coppuck with input from John Barnard. The McLaren M26 was a Formula One car designed by Gordon Coppuck to replace the ageing McLaren M23 model McLaren ended their American involvement at the end of the 1979 CART season after increasingly poor returns from the series. Champ Car, was the name for a class and specification of cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades primarily for use in the Indianapolis

1980s and early 1990s dominance

The current McLaren F1 team resulted from a merger of the McLaren team and Ron Dennis' personal Formula 2 team, called Project Four Racing, in 1980. Ron Dennis CBE (born June 1, 1947) is the Chairman, CEO and 15% owner of the McLaren Group. Project Four was also backed by Marlboro, and had designer John Barnard and an innovative carbon-fibre F1 chassis design but no money and inadequate facilities for F1; McLaren had the facilities but were at the end of a long losing streak. John Barnard (born 1946 is a Race car designer and is currently Technical Director for the Team KR Moto GP team John Hogan, a Philip Morris executive, forced McLaren chairman Teddy Mayer to accept the merger with Dennis' team. John Hogan is a name shared by several notable men John Hogan (North Carolina (1745&ndash1810 American Revolutionary War soldier and politician Edward Everett "Teddy" Mayer (born September 8, 1935) is an American motor racing team manager who has enjoyed success in several categories of racing including This was in effect a reverse takeover with the Formula One constructor becoming McLaren International. Reverse takeover (reverse IPO) is the acquisition of a Public company by a Private company to bypass the lengthy and complex process of going public The McLaren Group, based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking in the United Kingdom, is a group of companies created by Ron Dennis ^[6]

Alain Prost in his McLaren MP4/2B at the 1985 German Grand Prix. Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE (born 24 February 1955 is a French racing driver Results from the 1985 Formula One German Grand Prix held at Nürburgring on August 4, 1985.

Ayrton Senna won his third and final world championship for McLaren in 1991. Ayrton Senna da Silva ( pronounced, March 21, 1960 &ndash May 1, 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver and triple The 1991 Formula One season was the 42nd FIA Formula One World Championship season

In 1981 Dennis and his business partners bought out the other McLaren shareholders, Mayer and Tyler Alexander. The 1981 Formula One season included the 32nd FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on March 15, 1981, and ended In 1983 Dennis persuaded then Williams backer, Mansour Ojjeh to become a partner in McLaren International. The 1983 Formula One season included the 34th FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on March 13 and ended on October 15 after fifteen races Not to be confused with Frank Williams Racing Cars, formed by Frank Williams 1967 Mansour Ojjeh is a French Saudi Arabia -born entrepreneur who owns part of TAG, a Luxembourg-based holding company with interests worldwide Ojjeh invested in Porsche built turbocharged engines which carried the name of his company, Techniques d'Avant Garde (TAG). Porsche SE or Porsche ( German, ˈpɔɹʃə is a German manufacturer of automobiles which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch A turbocharger, or turbo, is an air Compressor used for forced-induction of an Internal combustion engine. TAG Group (Holdings SA is a private holding company based in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. TAG Group (Holdings SA is a private holding company based in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. ^[7]

The nomenclature for McLaren's F1 cars since the merger has caused some confusion among fans of the sport, as all McLaren cars since 1981 have carried designations of the form "MP4/x", or since 2001 "MP4-x"^[8], where x is the generation of the chassis (e. g. MP4/1, MP4-22). The McLaren MP4/1 (initially known as the MP4) was a Formula One racing car produced by the McLaren team The McLaren MP4-22 was Vodafone McLaren - Mercedes' Formula One car for the 2007 Formula One season. In fact, "MP4" stood initially for "Marlboro Project 4"^[9], so that the full title of the cars (McLaren MP4/x) reflected not only the historical name of the team, but also the names of the team's major sponsor and its new component part. The team's cars still use the same nomenclature, but since the change of title sponsor for the 1997 season, MP4 is now, rather conveniently, said to stand for McLaren-Project 4. The 1997 Formula One season was the 48th FIA Formula One World Championship season ^[10] At no time has the "MP4" prefix reflected the particular generation of the chassis.

The most successful period in McLaren's history came under the early leadership of Ron Dennis. John Barnard designed the revolutionary McLaren MP4/2 chassis, the first F1 chassis made entirely of carbon-fibre composites, which proved very strong when mated to the TAG/Porsche turbo engine, designed and built to Barnard's specifications. John Barnard (born 1946 is a Race car designer and is currently Technical Director for the Team KR Moto GP team The McLaren MP4/2 was a Formula One car designed by John Barnard of McLaren for the 1984 season. Carbon fiber reinforced plastic ( CFRP or CRP) is a very strong light and expensive Composite material or fiber reinforced plastic. A turbocharger, or turbo, is an air Compressor used for forced-induction of an Internal combustion engine. A succession of strong drivers helped, with Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Keke Rosberg, and Stefan Johansson driving for the team in this period. Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda (born February 22, 1949 in Vienna) is an Austrian Aviator, Entrepreneur Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE (born 24 February 1955 is a French racing driver Keijo Erik Rosberg ( (born 6 December 1948 in Solna, Stockholm County, Sweden) nicknamed "Keke" is a Stefan Nils Edwin Johansson (born September 8, 1956) is a former Formula One driver from Sweden. McLaren-Porsche won the Constructors' title in 1984 (with Lauda taking the Drivers' crown), and 1985 (with Prost winning his first world title). The 1984 Formula One season was the 35th FIA Formula One World Championship season The 1985 Formula One season was the 36th FIA Formula One World Championship season McLaren did not win the Constructors' Championship in 1986, although Prost took the drivers' title again. The 1986 Formula One season was the 37th FIA Formula One World Championship season

After losing the previous two Constructors titles to Williams in 1986 and 1987, McLaren was able to convince Honda to switch its backing from Williams starting in 1988. Not to be confused with Frank Williams Racing Cars, formed by Frank Williams 1967 The 1987 Formula One season was the 38th FIA Formula One World Championship season Honda Racing F1 Team is a Formula One team run by Japanese car manufacturer Honda. The 1988 Formula One season was the 39th FIA Formula One World Championship season The McLaren-Honda MP4/4 won an amazing 15 of 16 races that year and leading all but 27 laps, achieving a staggering and unbeaten record to this date. The McLaren MP4/4 was the most dominant car in the history of Formula One. (Senna had been leading comfortably at Monza, but collided with back-marker Jean-Louis Schlesser's Williams. Ayrton Senna da Silva ( pronounced, March 21, 1960 &ndash May 1, 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver and triple Jean-Louis Schlesser (born September 12, 1948 in Nancy, France) is a racing driver with experience in circuit racing and cross-country ) Ayrton Senna took the driver's title that season, his first with the Woking marque. Ayrton Senna da Silva ( pronounced, March 21, 1960 &ndash May 1, 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver and triple The next year, using a new 3. 5 L naturally-aspirated engine designed by Honda, McLaren again won both titles with the McLaren MP4/5, with Alain Prost clinching it at the Japanese Grand Prix after a highly controversial collision with his teammate Senna. The McLaren MP4/5 and its derived sister model the McLaren MP4/5B were Formula One Racing cars designed by Neil Oatley. The 1989 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Suzuka Circuit, Japan, on October 22, 1989. This was the culmination of a vitriolic feud between the two men.

Alain Prost left to join the Ferrari team in 1990. Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing The 1990 Formula One season was the 41st FIA Formula One World Championship season Nevertheless, McLaren continued to dominate Formula One for the next two seasons, with Senna winning the World Drivers' Championship in 1990 and 1991, using the MP4/6 V12. The 1991 Formula One season was the 42nd FIA Formula One World Championship season The McLaren MP4/6 is a Formula One racecar that was designed by Neil Oatley for the F1 season McLaren also won the constructors title in both of those years. New teammate Gerhard Berger helped to ensure this double success. Gerhard Berger, (born August 27, 1959 in Wörgl) is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver who owns 50% of the Scuderia

Mid-1990s decline

By 1993, Honda had withdrawn from F1 and the team used underpowered Ford V8 engines to power the MP4/8. The 1993 Formula One season was the 44th FIA Formula One World Championship season Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other Engine Honda had supplied McLaren with engines from 1988-92 the first four years where the team had dominated the Although Ayrton Senna (pictured at the German GP) won five races, McLaren was not a match for the dominant Williams team. Ayrton Senna da Silva ( pronounced, March 21, 1960 &ndash May 1, 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver and triple The 1993 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Hockenheim on July 25, 1993. Not to be confused with Frank Williams Racing Cars, formed by Frank Williams 1967 After the 1993 Australian Grand Prix, the team failed to win a race until 1997. The 1993 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Adelaide on November 7, 1993. The 1997 Formula One season was the 48th FIA Formula One World Championship season

Beginning in 1992, McLaren's dominance began to be eroded by the ascendant Renault-powered Williams, a drop in form that was compounded by the departure of Honda from Formula One at the end of that season. The 1992 Formula One season was the 43rd FIA Formula One World Championship season 1970s and 1980s 1977 Renault first involvement in Formula One was made by the Renault Sport subsidiary Honda Racing F1 Team is a Formula One team run by Japanese car manufacturer Honda.

McLaren switched to customer Ford engines for the 1993 season. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following The 1993 Formula One season was the 44th FIA Formula One World Championship season While these proved competitive in the hands of Senna, American Michael Andretti's season was a disaster, scoring only a handful of points. Ayrton Senna da Silva ( pronounced, March 21, 1960 &ndash May 1, 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver and triple Michael Mario Andretti (born October 5, 1962 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) is an American retired CART and Formula One He was replaced before the end of the year by Finnish youngster Mika Häkkinen. Mika Pauli Häkkinen ( (born September 28, 1968 in Helsingin maalaiskunta) is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula Senna had played a game of brinkmanship with Dennis over his contract at the start of the season, but as it became obvious that the MP4/8 was competitive he agreed to complete the season. During 1993 McLaren experimented with a Lamborghini V12 which Senna reckoned was worth racing; Dennis chose a works deal with Peugeot instead, Lamborghini's owners Chrysler pulled the plug on the F1 programme and Senna departed for Williams at the end of the season. Automobili Lamborghini SpA, commonly referred to as Lamborghini, is an Italian manufacturer of Sports cars based in the small Italian Village For the article about the bicycle manufacturer see Cycles Peugeot. Automobili Lamborghini SpA, commonly referred to as Lamborghini, is an Italian manufacturer of Sports cars based in the small Italian Village Chrysler LLC is an American Automobile manufacturer that has been producing Automobiles since 1925

For 1994 Martin Brundle joined Häkkinen in new Peugeot-powered cars. The 1994 Formula One season was the 45th FIA Formula One World Championship season Career Early Formula One career His Formula One career began with Tyrrell in 1984 The results and the engine were unimpressive, and Peugeot was dropped after a single year in favour of the promising new Mercedes-Benz (Ilmor) engine. Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the Ilmor, founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in 1984 is a British independent high-performance autosport engineering company But 1995 was even worse, with the radical MP4/10 proving to be too heavy and slow. "F1 1995" redirects here For the video games based on the 1995 Formula One season see F1 95. Complete Formula One results ( key) (results in bold indicate pole position Former world-champion Nigel Mansell came to the team, but had a torrid time — he was unable to fit into the car at first—and retired after just two races with Mark Blundell taking his place. Biography Mansell was born in Upton-upon-Severn, a small Town in the English county of Worcestershire. Mark Blundell (born Barnet, Hertfordshire, April 8, 1966) is a former Formula One, Sports car, and CART racing

1996 was the end of an era for McLaren, as they parted company with long-term sponsors Marlboro, and the famous red and white McLaren livery disappeared from Formula One to be replaced with Reemtsma's West branding and a silver Mercedes livery in 1997. The 1996 Formula One season was the 47th FIA Formula One World Championship season Marlboro is a brand of Cigarette made by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the US and by Philip Morris International (now separate Reemtsma is one of the biggest Tobacco and Cigarette producers in Europe West is a German Tobacco brand owned by the British company Imperial Tobacco. The 1997 Formula One season was the 48th FIA Formula One World Championship season

Late 1990s return to form

While Williams dominated F1 in 1996 and 1997, McLaren made slow, careful strides with its Mercedes-Ilmor engine and drivers Häkkinen and David Coulthard. David Marshall Coulthard, often called DC, (born 27 March 1971 in Twynholm, Kirkcudbrightshire) is a British Formula One racing driver Coulthard made a promising start to the 1997 season by winning the Australian Grand Prix. The 1997 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on March 9, 1997 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Albert Park The car was not good enough to consistently win grands prix, although Coulthard also won the Italian Grand Prix. The 1997 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One Motor race held at Monza on September 7, 1997.

David Coulthard driving for McLaren during the team's championship-winning 1998 season. David Marshall Coulthard, often called DC, (born 27 March 1971 in Twynholm, Kirkcudbrightshire) is a British Formula One racing driver The 1998 Formula One season was the 49th FIA Formula One World Championship season

At the 1997 Austrian Grand Prix, Darren Heath, an F1 Racing photographer, noticed that the rear brakes of the McLarens were glowing red in an acceleration zone of the track. Results from the 1997 Formula One Austrian Grand Prix held at A1-Ring on September 21, 1997. Darren Heath, born 1968 is a motorsport Photographer specialising in Formula One motor racing and is principal photographer for F1 Racing magazine F1 Racing is a monthly Magazine focused on Formula One Racing which launched in March 1996 The magazine discovered through investigation that McLaren had installed a second brake pedal, selectable by the driver to act on one of the rear wheels. This allowed the driver to eliminate understeer and reduce wheelspin when exiting slow corners, or more usefully as slowing one half of the car to turn the car into a corner and so brake later deep into the heart of the turn. Understeer is a term for a Car handling condition in which during cornering the circular path of the Vehicle 's motion is of a greater radius than the circle indicated Though the car passed scrutineering this system was not entirely legal, but was an innovation, and hence gave McLaren an advantage. As the system allowed one side of the car to be retarded compared to the other the system was considered a type of four-wheel steering which was banned in F1. One notable backer of this complaint was Jackie Stewart; on the grid at Brazil in 1998 he aired this view in an interview with ITV. For other people of this name see Jackie Stewart (disambiguation. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent While F1 Racing suspected what McLaren were doing, they required proof to publish the story. At the Luxembourg Grand Prix the two McLarens retired from the race. The FIA rulings for Formula One stipulate that no country be allowed more than one race This allowed Heath to take a picture of the footwell of Häkkinen's car and the second brake pedal. The story was run in the November issue of F1 Racing and led to the system being dubbed the "fiddle brake". Ferrari's protestations to the FIA lead to the system being banned at the 1998 Brazilian Grand Prix. The 1998 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Interlagos on March 29, 1998. ^[11]

During 1997 McLaren poached Williams' talented designer, Adrian Newey. Adrian Newey (born December 26, 1958) is currently the chief technical officer of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team Then Mika Häkkinen offered a taste of things to come with his victory in the final race of the 1997 season, the European Grand Prix. The 1997 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 26 1997 at the Circuito Permanente de Jerez, Spain

The fact that McLaren now had Adrian Newey on board, coupled with the withdrawal of Renault at the end of 1997 allowed McLaren to mount a strong challenge in 1998, with one source^[12] even stating that McLaren had built such a strong team that the only way to increase their championship hopes was to hire double world champion Michael Schumacher. The 1998 Formula One season was the 49th FIA Formula One World Championship season Michael Schumacher (German pronunciation;) (born January 3, 1969, in Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany) is a former Formula In 1998 the McLaren was once again able to regularly challenge for Grand Prix victories, winning nine grands prix that year. Häkkinen won the Drivers' Championship in 1998, scoring 100 points, and McLaren took the Constructors' Championship in 1998. Häkkinen took the title again in 1999, but the season was more difficult for the team who lost the Constructors' Championship to Ferrari despite an injured Schumacher. The 1999 Formula One season was the 50th FIA Formula One World Championship season Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing

2000s

Members of the McLaren Formula One team push driver Kimi Räikkönen's MP4-19 into the garage during qualifying for the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis in 2004. Kimi-Matias Räikkönen (ˈkimi ˈmɑtiɑs ˈræikkønen born October 17, 1979 in Espoo) is a Finnish Formula One race car driver currently The United States Grand Prix is a motor race which has been run on and off since 1908 when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway Indiana (an Enclave of Indianapolis) in the United States, is the home of the

2000 was another closely-fought season, but ultimately Ferrari's Michael Schumacher prevailed. The 2000 Formula One season was the 51st FIA Formula One World Championship season Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing Michael Schumacher (German pronunciation;) (born January 3, 1969, in Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany) is a former Formula

Ron Dennis, team principal 1980-Present Day, at the 2000 Monaco Grand Prix

Since 2000, McLaren has struggled somewhat to regain its place at the top of Formula One, partly due to a perceived lack of pace and reliability from the Mercedes-Benz engine. Ron Dennis CBE (born June 1, 1947) is the Chairman, CEO and 15% owner of the McLaren Group. The 2000 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 4, 2000 at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo, Monaco. In 2001, Mika Häkkinen dropped off the pace in comparison with Coulthard, although neither driver could compete with the now dominant combination of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. The 2001 Formula One season was the 52nd FIA Formula One World Championship season In 2002 Häkkinen took a sabbatical (which turned into retirement), opening the way for promising compatriot Kimi Räikkönen to take his place. The 2002 Formula One season was the 53rd FIA Formula One World Championship season Kimi-Matias Räikkönen (ˈkimi ˈmɑtiɑs ˈræikkønen born October 17, 1979 in Espoo) is a Finnish Formula One race car driver currently McLaren only captured four wins over the following three seasons. 2002 saw just a single win at Monaco for Coulthard while rivals Ferrari won all but two races. The Monaco Grand Prix (Grand Prix de Monaco is a Formula One race held each year on the Circuit de Monaco.

2003 started very promisingly, with wins at the two first grands prix of the year, one each for Coulthard and Räikkönen. Drivers and constructors The following teams and drivers competed in the 2003 FIA Formula One World Championship However, rival teams soon caught up as McLaren was severely hampered in by the development of the MP4-18, a radical new design which due to reliability problems never raced. The McLaren MP4-18 was destined to be McLaren 's Racing car during the 2003 Formula One season. This forced the team to use the year-old MP4-17D, a very severe handicap in modern Formula One racing. The McLaren MP4-17 was the car with which the McLaren team competed in the 2002 Formula One season and the 2003 Formula One season. However, despite this, Räikkönen finished in the points consistently and challenged Michael Schumacher for the championship all the way up to the very last race, eventually losing the title by only two points.

The team began the 2004 Formula One season with the MP4-19, which technical director Adrian Newey described as a "debugged version of the MP4-18. Drivers and constructors The following teams and drivers competed in the 2004 FIA Formula One World Championship. The McLaren MP4-19 is a Formula One racing car that was built by McLaren. Adrian Newey (born December 26, 1958) is currently the chief technical officer of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team " This proved to be anything but the case, and a new car was required by mid-season. The MP4-19B was basically an all new car with a radically redesigned aerodynamic package. The fact that Coulthard qualified third for its first race, the French Grand Prix, gave the team hope of a better end to the season. The 2004 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on July 4, 2004 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. This was realised when Räikkönen won the 2004 Belgian Grand Prix ahead of the seemingly unstoppable Ferrari of Michael Schumacher, who won 13 of the 18 races that year, currently the record for most wins in a single season. The 2004 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One held on August 29, 2004 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

2005

Kimi Räikkönen nearly won the Drivers' Championship in 2005. Kimi-Matias Räikkönen (ˈkimi ˈmɑtiɑs ˈræikkønen born October 17, 1979 in Espoo) is a Finnish Formula One race car driver currently "F1 2005" redirects here For the video games based on the 2005 Formula One season see F1 05 & F1 Grand Prix.

Colombian driver and former CART champion Juan Pablo Montoya was named as Coulthard's replacement for the 2005 season, partnering Räikkönen. Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (born September 20, 1975, in Bogotá, Colombia) is a Race car driver in NASCAR for Chip "F1 2005" redirects here For the video games based on the 2005 Formula One season see F1 05 & F1 Grand Prix. Montoya had to be replaced for two races by test drivers Pedro de la Rosa and Alexander Wurz after sustaining a shoulder injury while playing tennis. Pedro Martínez de la Rosa (born February 24 1971 in Barcelona, Spain) is a Spanish Formula One driver currently BMX Wurz first tasted competition in the BMX World Championship and won it outright in 1986 In the first few races of 2005 McLaren lost a lot of ground to Renault in both championships. At the San Marino Grand Prix McLaren seemed to have the quickest car on the grid, however while leading Räikkönen was subject to a driveshaft failure. The 2005 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One race held from April 22 to April 24 2005 at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.

While McLaren were generally able to maintain this distinct speed advantage for most of 2005, the general unreliability of the car cost them a number of race victories when Räikkönen had been leading or in contention to win. Renault (and Fernando Alonso in particular) were able to capitalise on the McLarens' breakdowns. Fernando Alonso Díaz (born July 29, 1981 in Oviedo, Spain) is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time However, after Alonso clinched the Driver's title in Brazil, he and the Renault team abandoned their conservative approach; by common consent the Renault R25 was a close match for the McLaren at the penultimate Japanese Grand Prix and at the Chinese Grand Prix, where Montoya hit a loose drain cover and retired from the race, effectively ending McLaren's chances of winning the Constructors' World Championship title. The Renault R25 was the Formula One car entered by Renault in the 2005 season. The 2005 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 9, 2005 at the Suzuka Circuit The 2005 Chinese Grand Prix was a Formula 1 event lasting from October 14 to October 16, 2005 at the Shanghai International Circuit

Reflecting on an exciting and competitive but ultimately frustrating season for the team, Ron Dennis remarked that "We feel our championship efforts were thwarted by our conservative approach to the first four races. "^[13]

On 19 December 2005, the team announced the signing of the 2005 World Drivers' Champion Fernando Alonso to drive for the team from the 2007 Formula One season. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Fernando Alonso Díaz (born July 29, 1981 in Oviedo, Spain) is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time ^[14]

2006

The 2006 McLaren-Mercedes car, the MP4-21, proved to be less successful than its predecessor. "F1 2006" redirects here For the video games based on the 2006 Formula One season see F1 06 & F1 CE. Complete Formula One results ( key) (results in bold indicate pole position

The 2006 season saw McLaren introduce a new, chrome livery for their MP4-21. Complete Formula One results ( key) (results in bold indicate pole position The team was positive about its chances in the upcoming championship after the performances in the latter half of 2005. However, in winter testing it became clear that the Mercedes engine was lacking in power. Mercedes responded by introducing a new spec engine which offered far improved performance.

The first race weekend of the season at Bahrain began badly with Kimi Räikkönen suffering a suspension failure in qualifying, resulting in him crashing out and having to start from the back of the grid. The 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix was the first round of the 2006 Formula One World Championship held on March 12, 2006 at the Bahrain International Circuit Kimi-Matias Räikkönen (ˈkimi ˈmɑtiɑs ˈræikkønen born October 17, 1979 in Espoo) is a Finnish Formula One race car driver currently However Räikkönen was able to make his way up to third and a podium, along with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. Michael Schumacher (German pronunciation;) (born January 3, 1969, in Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany) is a former Formula McLaren team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya finished fifth, complaining of car setup problems. Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (born September 20, 1975, in Bogotá, Colombia) is a Race car driver in NASCAR for Chip Juan Pablo Montoya parted company acrimoniously with the team after the United States Grand Prix, in which he ended both his and team mate Räikkönen's hopes for the race by crashing into him at the start. Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (born September 20, 1975, in Bogotá, Colombia) is a Race car driver in NASCAR for Chip The 2006 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on July 2, 2006 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He announced he was departing to race NASCAR for Chip Ganassi Racing, and was provisionally replaced by Pedro de la Rosa, which in the end lasted for the remainder of the season. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates is an automotive racing organization with teams competing in NASCAR, IRL, and Grand-Am racing

Following the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari confirmed that they had signed Räikkönen as a replacement for the retiring Michael Schumacher. The season continued with the McLarens being near the top of the field, but the superior reliability and speed of the Ferraris and Renaults prevented the team from gaining any race victories from 2006, something not seen for a decade at McLaren. Kimi Räikkönen finished his final race for the team at Interlagos, Brazil, in fifth place. The 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 22, 2006 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo

In 2007, Steve Matchett argued that the poor reliability of McLaren in 2006 and recent previous years was due to a lack of team continuity and stability. Steve Matchett, born in England on December 23 1962, is currently a commentator for American cable TV station SPEED Channel on its various ^[15] His cited examples of instability are logistical challenges related to the move to the McLaren Technology Centre, Adrian Newey's aborted move to Jaguar and later move to Red Bull and the subsequent move of Newey's deputy to Red Bull. The McLaren Technology Centre is the Headquarters of the McLaren Group, located on a 500000 m² site in Woking, United Kingdom. Complete Formula One results ( key) (results in bold indicate pole position Red Bull Racing is one of two Formula One teams owned by Austrian Beverage company Red Bull. He also cites major upheavals at Ilmor which may have contributed to the "lamentable string of engine failures"; the piecemeal buyout by Mercedes-Benz, the resultant departure of co-founder Mario Illien, the appointment of Mercedes-Benz engineer Markus Deusmann to head the renamed Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines and the departure of Deusmann a year later to BMW. Ilmor, founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in 1984 is a British independent high-performance autosport engineering company Education Prior to embarking on his motorsport engineering career Illien trained as a technical draughtsman ^[15]

2007

In Malaysia, Fernando Alonso scored his first victory for McLaren. The IX Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One Motor race, held on 8 April, 2007 at the Sepang International Circuit and the second race Fernando Alonso Díaz (born July 29, 1981 in Oviedo, Spain) is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time

Alonso finished second at the 2007 British Grand Prix. The 2007 British Grand Prix was the ninth race of the 2007 Formula One season.

Lewis Hamilton Won four races in the 2007 Championship and came second after leading for a majority of the Championship. Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born Stevenage, 7 January 1985

The 2007 season saw Fernando Alonso replace Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton replace Juan Pablo Montoya and Vodafone join as title sponsor. Pre-season testing Pre-season testing began in November 2006 at the Circuit de Catalunya, with ten of the eleven teams participating in the test sessions Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born Stevenage, 7 January 1985 Vodafone is a Mobile network operator headquartered in Berkshire, England, UK. As Vodafone McLaren Mercedes the team launched their new car, the MP4-22, and driver line-up on 15 January 2007 in Valencia, Spain. The McLaren MP4-22 was Vodafone McLaren - Mercedes' Formula One car for the 2007 Formula One season. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

During the winter testing period, the MP4-22 remained consistently near the top of the timesheets for all circuits involved. All round reliability of the car also appeared to have improved, with, according to the team, just one engine failure (which occurred after the end of its operational lifespan).

The MP4-22 appeared promising in the early part of the season, with Fernando Alonso driving it to victory in his second race for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. This was the first race win for the team since the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix in October 2005 and the 41st one-two victory for McLaren.

After coming second at the Malaysian Grand Prix, Bahrain Grand Prix and the Spanish Grand Prix and third at the season opening Australian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton became the only driver in history to score podium finishes in each of his first four World Championship Formula 1 races. The IX Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One Motor race, held on 8 April, 2007 at the Sepang International Circuit and the second race The 2007 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix is a Formula One motor race and is the third round of the 2007 Formula One season. The 2007 Gran Premio de España Telefónica was a Formula One motor race fourth round of the 2007 Formula One season, won by Felipe Massa. The 2007 ING Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 18 2007 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born Stevenage, 7 January 1985 The Bahrain race was the first in which he finished ahead of his multiple title-winning team-mate, who struggled throughout the Grand Prix and finished 5th. He repeated this effort at the Spanish Grand Prix but this time, Alonso finished 3rd while Hamilton finished second. The race was won by Felipe Massa, driving for Scuderia Ferrari. Felipe Massa (born in São Paulo April 25, 1981) is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver currently employed by the Ferrari

Hamilton continued to demonstrate his aggressiveness and talents on the race track. After the Spanish Grand Prix he became the youngest man ever to lead the Formula One World Championship, a record previously held by McLaren team founder Bruce McLaren. Early life As an eleven year old McLaren contracted a disease in his hip which left his left leg shorter than the right ^[16]

At the Monaco Grand Prix Alonso won and Hamilton was second, giving McLaren its 150th grand prix win. The 2007 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race and was the fifth round of the 2007 Formula One season. This left them both with 38 points to head the F1 championship (but Alonso was considered to be leader by virtue of his two wins), and established McLaren as leader in the teams' ranking with 76 points, 20 more than Ferrari. Following the race, the FIA launched an investigation into whether McLaren Mercedes had breached the International Sporting Code by ordering Hamilton not to challenge Alonso for the lead. ^[17] However, on 30 May 2007, the FIA ended the investigation after studying the team to driver communications during the Grand Prix. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. It said McLaren "did nothing which could be described as interfering with the race result. "^[18]

At the Canadian Grand Prix Hamilton won his first Grand Prix after securing pole position in qualifying, and took the lead in the championship with 48 points. The 2007 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 10 June, 2007, at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal Canada The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole Alonso started slowly, and suffered a 10 second drive-through penalty, but managed seventh for two points to go to 40 points. McLaren maintained the lead in the constructors' championship with 88 points, comfortably ahead of Ferrari on 60 points.

A week later, Hamilton won the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis, his second GP, again from pole position. The 2007 United States Grand Prix was the seventh race of the 2007 Formula One season. Alonso challenged strongly, particularly during lap 38 when the cars were side-by-side, but Hamilton defended the lead to give McLaren its third one-two of the season. That took Hamilton 10 points clear of Alonso, and McLaren 35 points ahead in the Constructors' Championship.

The next race was Magny-Cours. Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a Motor racing circuit located in France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers. Alonso suffered a transmission problem in Q3 and was forced to start from the 10th position. He was able to finish 7th however his teammate Lewis Hamilton finished 3rd on podium beind the two Ferraris of Kimi Räikkönen, who won the race, and Felipe Massa. This put McLaren well in front in the standings, and gave Lewis Hamilton a cushion over his teammate Fernando Alonso.

Up next was Silverstone, the home Grand Prix of Lewis Hamilton. Silverstone Circuit is a Motor racing circuit in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire, named after the village in the former England Amongst the media circus, Hamilton was able to bring his car home in 3rd position after starting from pole. This proved to be the last in a string of races in which Hamilton finished on the podium nine times out of a possible nine. For the 2004 film directed by Yann Moix see Podium (film. A podium (plural podia) is a Platform that Alonso finished 2nd and Kimi Räikkönen used superior pit strategy and car pace to come out in front and hold onto the lead.

The next race, the European Grand Prix, was arguably the best race of the season from a Formula One fan's point of view due to the rain which hit the track twice during the race. The 2007 European Grand Prix was the tenth race of the 2007 Formula One season. The first of the occurrences was extremely heavy and it caught out championship leader Hamilton who spun along with five other drivers at turn one. However, he had managed to keep the engine running and he was helped back on track by a crane and some marshals. After that, he made two critical tyre gambles which turned out to be completely wrong and so he finished a lapped 9th, ending his run of podium and points scoring finishes. Alonso, on the other hand, drove a mistake-free race and capitalised on his car's superior wet-weather handling to overtake Felipe Massa five laps from the end to take victory and close within two points of his team-mate in the championship standings.

The 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix showed the low point of the relationship between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. The 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix was the eleventh race of the 2007 Formula One season. Alonso blocked Hamilton in the pit lane so that the Briton was unable to record a final lap time. As a punishment, Alonso was docked five grid positions and had to start at sixth; Hamilton went on to win the race, which was largely uneventful and Alonso came home fourth. Race stewards also ruled that McLaren had to forfeit the 15 Constructor's Championship points that they would have earned. Interestingly, the team stated that Hamilton's hold-up was not Alonso's fault (although Alonso gave the stewards a different explanation, that he was inquiring about his tyres^[19]), and that Hamilton had disobeyed team orders to let Alonso pass him, which put the two drivers out of sequence for their pit stops. ^[20] McLaren had initially expressed their intent to appeal the Constructor's points penalty but ultimately withdrew their appeal after subsequently losing all their Constructor's points as penalty for the spying scandal. The 2007 Formula One espionage controversy also known as "Spygate" involves allegations that the McLaren Formula One team was passed confidential technical

Before the Italian Grand Prix, McLaren were fined $50,000 by the event's stewards for not crash-testing a new, lightweight gearbox which was used in the Hungarian GP. The 2007 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held from 7 to 9 September 2007 at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy McLaren's actions were found to have breached Article 16. 1. 2 of the FIA's technical regulations, which states that "any significant modification introduced into any of the structures tested shall require that part to pass a further test". However the new gearbox subsequently passed a crash test and thus the FIA was satisfied that the cars used in Hungary were legal. ^[21]

At the Italian Grand Prix much of the media attention was on Ferrari, as it is their home race, but Alonso and Hamilton secured the front row, with Alonso on pole. The 2007 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held from 7 to 9 September 2007 at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing Alonso led from start to finish but Hamilton was passed by Raikkonen during his second stop, the Ferrari being on a one-stopper. Hamilton passed Raikkonen on the track, to give McLaren a one-two.

Between the Italian and the Belgian Grand Prix, McLaren were docked of all their constructors points and fined $100 million for their part in the espionage controversy and thus both drivers were off their stride in Belgium. The 2007 Belgian Grand Prix was the fourteenth race of the 2007 Formula One season, returning to the F1 calendar after a year's absence Alonso was third in qualifying with Hamilton fourth, both behind the Ferraris. At the start of the race, Alonso and Hamilton were side by side into the first corner, battling for third. Alonso pushed Hamilton wide on to the grass and run off area but Hamilton came through it and attacked Alonso. Alonso kept third with Hamilton fourth. They could not attack the Ferraris and so Raikkonen won, ahead of Massa with Alonso in third and Hamiton forced to settle for fourth.

On November 2, Alonso and McLaren agreed to terminate the contract of the Spaniard by mutual consent with neither party paying a financial penalty. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 ^[22]

Espionage

Main article: 2007 Formula One espionage controversy

On the 3 July, McLaren suspended a senior member of its technical staff. The 2007 Formula One espionage controversy also known as "Spygate" involves allegations that the McLaren Formula One team was passed confidential technical Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. It was alleged that an individual received a package of confidential technical information from a Scuderia Ferrari employee at the end of April. Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing ^[23] A Scuderia Ferrari press release said "Ferrari announces it has recently presented a case against Nigel Stepney and an engineer from the Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes team (named by Autosport. Nigel Stepney is an English born former Formula One mechanic Stepney started in Formula One as a mechanic at Shadow in 1977 then followed Elio com as Mike Coughlan^[24]) with the Modena Tribunal, concerning the theft of technical information. Mike Coughlan (born February 17, 1959) is a race car designer Modena (ˈmɔːdena Mòdna in Modenese dialect is a city and a Comune ( Municipality) on the south side of the Po valley, in the Furthermore, legal action has been instigated in England and a search warrant has been issued concerning the engineer. This produced a positive outcome. "^[25] Stepney's dismissal from Ferrari had been announced earlier the same day. ^[26] On 4 July McLaren announced it had conducted an investigation and concluded that "no Ferrari intellectual property has been passed to any other members of the team or incorporated into [our] cars. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples " The team also invited the FIA to inspect its cars to confirm these facts; "In order to address some of the speculation McLaren has invited the FIA to conduct a full review of its cars to satisfy itself that the team has not benefited from any intellectual property of another competitor. "^[27] On 6 July Honda F1 released a statement confirming that Stepney and Coughlan approached the team regarding "job opportunities" in June 2007. Honda Racing F1 Team is a Formula One team run by Japanese car manufacturer Honda. ^[28] Since the revelation of Coughlan's involvement in the affair McLaren has provided a full set of drawings and development documents to the FIA, detailing all updates made to the team's chassis since the incident occurred at the end of April. ^[28] A hearing took place on 26 July 2007 at the FIA HQ in Paris. The FIA came to the conclusion that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes (through Coughlan) was in possession of confidential Ferrari information and was therefore in breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code, but with no evidence that they had used the information, McLaren were not punished.

However, following the emergence of new evidence, the FIA heard the case again on September 13. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September The evidence is understood to have been provided by Alonso and De la Rosa^[29] and brought to the attention of Max Mosley by Ron Dennis who phoned Mosley after Alonso revealed to Dennis during the Hungarian Grand Prix that he had more evidence. Max Rufus Mosley (born 13 April 1940 is president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA a non-profit association that represents the interests of ^[30] The second hearing resulted in McLaren being excluded from the 2007 Constructors' Championship, fined $100 million and obliged to submit their 2008 chassis for scrutineering. Pre-season testing The first multi-team test session started in Jerez on January 14 2008. However, its drivers' position in the Drivers' Championship were unaffected. ^[31] On September 21, 2007, it was apparent that McLaren were not going to appeal after they allowed their option to appeal to expire.

2008

Lewis Hamilton won the 2008 Australian Grand Prix for McLaren.

On 14 December 2007, it was confirmed that Heikki Kovalainen would drive the second car for McLaren Mercedes for the 2008 Formula One season^[32] alongside Lewis Hamilton. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Heikki Johannes Kovalainen (born October 19, 1981 in Suomussalmi, Finland) is a racing driver. Pre-season testing The first multi-team test session started in Jerez on January 14 2008. Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born Stevenage, 7 January 1985 McLaren's title contender, the MP4-23, was launched on the 7 January 2008 at an official launch party in Stuttgart, Germany. The McLaren MP4-23 is Vodafone McLaren - Mercedes ' Formula One Car for the 2008 Formula One season. Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Stuttgart (ˈʃtʊtgaɐ̯t is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. ^[33]

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes started the year with both drivers scoring in the points at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix. The 2008 Australian Grand Prix was the first race of the 2008 Formula One season, and was won by McLaren - Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton started from pole and ended up winning the Grand Prix while Kovalainen started 3rd but had dropped two spots by the finish. McLaren's 14 points saw them lead the Formula One Constructors' World Championship standings after the first race.

Formula One statistics

• Number of races: 637
• Grand Prix victories: 158
• Formula One Drivers' World Championships: 11
• Formula One Constructors' World Championships: 8
• Most wins (season): 15 (tied with Ferrari)
• Pole Positions: 135
• Podiums: 423
• Double Wins (1-2s): 44
• Fastest Laps: 136

Sponsorship

The team has had title sponsorship from four brands in its history: Yardley (1971-1973), Marlboro (1974-1996), West (1997-2005) and Vodafone (2007-present). Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing Marlboro is a brand of Cigarette made by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the US and by Philip Morris International (now separate West is a German Tobacco brand owned by the British company Imperial Tobacco. Vodafone is a Mobile network operator headquartered in Berkshire, England, UK.

It was originally called Bruce McLaren Motor Racing, although it had early title sponsorship from Yardley cosmetics. McLaren had one of the longest standing title sponsorship arrangements in sport with Philip Morris through their Marlboro brand. Marlboro is a brand of Cigarette made by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the US and by Philip Morris International (now separate The relationship dated back to 1974 and was continuous from 1981 to 1996, after which (from the 1997 season on) Marlboro chose to exclusively sponsor Ferrari. Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing

Reemtsma (through its West brand) was the title sponsor of McLaren from 1997 until 29 July 2005, after which McLaren were obliged to seek a new principal sponsor due to a European Union directive banning tobacco advertising. Reemtsma is one of the biggest Tobacco and Cigarette producers in Europe West is a German Tobacco brand owned by the British company Imperial Tobacco. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Tobacco advertising is the promotion of Tobacco use (typically Cigarette smoking) by the Tobacco industry through a variety of The team was therefore known as Team McLaren Mercedes until the end of 2006.

The current title sponsor is Vodafone, with the official team name for the 2007 season being Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, as announced in December 2005. Vodafone is a Mobile network operator headquartered in Berkshire, England, UK. ^[34]

Aside from title sponsors, other current sponsors include Diageo plc (Johnnie Walker whisky brand), aigo, Hugo Boss, Hilton Hotels, and Santander. Diageo plc () is the largest multinational beer wine and spirits company in the world Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky produced in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. Aigo ( Chinese: 爱国者 literally meaning "Patriot" is a consumer electronic brand manufactured by the Chinese company Beijing Huaqi Information UH Hilton Hoteljpg|thumbnail|right|The Hilton University of Houston in Houston Texas, located on the campus of the University of Houston, contains the Hilton College of Grupo Santander (,;;) is a banking group centered on Banco Santander, the largest bank in Spain, which originated in Santander, Cantabria ^[35][36] Emirates Airline was a major sponsor of the team for the 2006 season in a one-year deal (announced on 8 March 2006) reportedly worth between $20-$25 Million. Emirates Airline (shortened form Emirates) ( Arabic: طيران الإمارات Tayarān al-Imārāt) is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group "F1 2006" redirects here For the video games based on the 2006 Formula One season see F1 06 & F1 CE. Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. [1]

Formula One results

Main article: McLaren Grand Prix results

- more detailed results

(non-works entries in italics and bold indicates championship won)

^† Excluded due to breach of Article 151(c) of the International Sporting Code ^‡ Not awarded points for 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix

See also

• Mercedes-Benz motorsport
• McLaren Group
• McLaren Automotive
• Bruce McLaren

References

External links

• The official site of McLaren Team:www.mclaren.com
• Bruce McLaren Website:www.bruce-mclaren.com
• McLaren statistics