Yeah, the car is too aggressive!

I think this is the first car under de new aero regulations that looks really futuristic.

That looks like a mean car.
I just hope it's fast!!!
Go McLaren, go!!!

or looking at the tight rear 5. it's radically different from the pack, and will break down every 20 laps...

Looks like this but only because of the shark fin. Optical illusion.

True, the Ferrari looks like an F2003-GA

It looks like a weapon

lol, that was my first impression as well..

From what i read in the now hidden presspack, you are half way right, this is supposed to be the high downforce configuration...so I dont think we will see the sharkfin on all the tracks

Very interesting what they've done with the back end.

I'm getting like the Spanish Inquisition now ... I have 6 options for this car ...

I like that - it looks something really new - and quite terrifying. Bring on the racing!

so change in frontsuspension, back to more conventional, also look like they adopted redbulls hot air outlet, putting a hole at the rear of the engine cover, id like to see the diff on this beast

Looks like Ferrari has used all the world's supply of Santander stickers ... despite signing an extension, none left for McLaren to use ???

Looking at from my office chair the car has huge undercuts just under that square cooling duct, aggressive... I guess it is going to beat the grid, I mean this should be a scientific shape rather than an esthetic one... What it could do on the track I have no idea yet...

Holy crap this is a sensational looking car, from the side angle at least. I love how aggressive it looks.. brilliant!

Some quick comparisons with our beloved competitor's car:

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/4565/mirrored.jpg

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/8996/seethrough.jpg

please, Silver Beast chew up and spit out your silver arrows, rrahh! ....

I hope Haug spends most of his race reports congratulating us for using his engines to score 1, 2s like last year, how crazy will that be


JUSTICE COMETH!!!

Futuristic stuff here. Kinda reminds me of japanese bullet trains, I dont know why..

Farrary is much longer

The Mac looks evil compared to the Ferrari.. the Williams too for that matter..

it looks that F10 is car from the past
mp4-25 from the future

Wasn't it reported , that the Santander logo is this year only on the drivers suits
not on the car

http://www.pureinnovation.com/images/mp425-f10.png

Hahaha, whatever dude.... Lets wait and see before getting too horney....

i'd be suprised if it isn't on the back of the rear wing

Arrived at the Vodafone HQ. The place is buzzing with press and ‘guests’ – all extremely good-looking and better-dressed than your correspondent. Don’t know how I got in, must have been a glitch with the system.

It’s clear that whatever budget constraints may be upcoming, McLaren are still ostentatiously well-funded. There are free embossed pens and pads lying around, and nice people keep asking if we want pastries or coffee. This is a big event and McLaren are keen on making a statement of intent, it seems.

link

The ferrari's engine (judging from exhaust placement) seems to be much further forward than the macca's.

I told you so.

holy tish! I never expected this from McLaren!

hahaha yea, jury is really out until the car hits the track... all the options Gareth gave are still open

Is that the new mercedes ?

http://www.f1zone.net/up/img16/6274/8160778932.jpg

Not sure that you guys had a chance to read this before Macca took down the press pack but luckily I still had it open in one of my windows. Here's the technical discussion about the car. Interesting that the shark fin has a cooling duct in it that goes down to the engine!

TECHNICAL DISCUSSION

While nowhere near as radical as last year’s reinvention of the technical rulebook, 2010’s regulations feature a number of key differences from the previous season. Outlined below are the major developments, their primary effects and the ways that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has approached them:
CHANGE In-race refueling banned
EFFECT Cars feature significantly larger fuel-tanks; efficient packaging becomes critical; in-race fuel stops will disappear; races will become more dependent on tyre strategy; pitstops will become significantly quicker (around 4 sec or less); cars will be significantly heavier and slower at the start of races, which could have consequences on tyre wear, drivetrain and brake life
CHANGE Teams unanimously agree to no longer use KERS
EFFECT Overtaking opportunities available to KERS-equipped cars will disappear; teams have far greater freedom on systems packaging and weight distribution
CHANGE Narrower width introduced for (dry weather) front tyres
EFFECT Smaller tyre will have knock-on effect for car aerodynamics and overall car balance
CHANGE Aerodynamic hubcaps banned
EFFECT A FOTA cost-saving initiative. Teams will look to recover their aero properties elsewhere
CHANGE Wheel rim-heaters banned
EFFECT While tyre blankets are still permitted, the removal of the inner heated core that heats the rim will make tyre warm-up more critical
CHANGE Minimum weight increased from 605kg to 620kg
EFFECT Cars will be heavier on track; ballast positioning will become more efficient
CHANGE On-track aero testing reduced from eight to four days
EFFECT Requires teams to capitalise on increasingly limited track testing away from the races; windtunnel testing is provided as a substitute
CHANGE Backmarkers no longer able to unlap themselves behind the Safety Car
EFFECT Safety Car periods should be shorter and the restart quicker
CHANGE Points system runs from 1st to 10th (POINTS ORDER TBC)
EFFECT Greater rewards are now offered to the winning driver, placing more importance on pushing for victory rather than accepting a minor placing; a greater spread of points ought to reward the larger field expected in 2010
CHANGE Using a second additional engine during a race weekend carries a 10-place grid penalty for the following event
EFFECT Engine life and effective usage will be even more critical, particularly towards the end of the season


Q&A with Tim Goss (Chief Engineer, MP4-25) and Paddy Lowe (Engineering Director)

Tim Goss (Chief Engineer, MP4-25) and Paddy Lowe (Engineering Director)

The MP4-25 looks very different from last year’s car – what are the principal changes?

Tim Goss: “Following last year’s clarification involving the interpretation of the underbody regulations, the 2010 car has been designed to take greater advantage of the aerodynamic benefits we can derive from the floor. That interpretation led us to change the layout of the rear of the car.

“The car is longer than last year’s car as a result of the additional fuel capacity and we’ve lowered the chassis and bodywork. Plus the removal of KERS has opened up opportunities on internal layout and weight distribution. It’s quite a different aerodynamic treatment to last year.”

The dorsal fin that attaches the top body to the rear wing is very striking – what does it do?

Tim Goss: “The principal knock-on effect of the larger fuel tank was the repositioning of some of the car’s internals. One of the outcomes of that was a decision to move some of the car’s cooling to sit centrally at the rear of the car.

“The dorsal fin is partly to accommodate the additional cooling duct and partly a logical development of the high-downforce wing we ran last year at races like Monaco, which feeds air more efficiently to the rear wing upper element. They’re both quite simple solutions, but they’re actually very neat.”

On a human level, what has the organisation learnt about itself over the past 12 months?

Paddy Lowe: I think we’ve learnt that as a team we can operate effectively and we pull together both in success and in adversity. I think one of the greatest things about last year was the fact that on no single occasion throughout the whole team, whether that’s from shareholders, sponsors, team principal, management through to the night shifters, did I come across any individual blaming another That was a very encouraging situation, and spoke volumes about the degree of team spirit that exists here.”

Looking at the 2010 regulations, the biggest news is the banning of in-race refueling – how has that affected the packaging of the new car?

Tim Goss: “It has definitely been a big challenge fitting twice as much fuel into the car, because you don’t want to increase the chassis length by too much, and you also don’t want to compromise the aerodynamics by making the car too wide. You’ve got to fit radiators into the sidepods, so you’re limited as to how wide you can push the chassis.”

How did you tackle it?

Tim Goss: “In the end, we elected not to compromise the aerodynamics of the car, and, through a rethink of the cooling system layout and electrical packaging, we managed to provide space for the additional fuel capacity while maintaining our aerodynamic philosophy for the bodywork.”

The drivers will be carrying twice as much fuel at the start of each grand prix as they were last year, how will that affect the car’s handling and balance characteristics?

Paddy Lowe: “The biggest problem is just the sheer weight of the fuel – it obviously increases the stopping distance quite considerably. Running with high fuel puts demands on braking – and it means you have to design the brake discs and pads to overcome that. And with a narrower front tyre, you’ll lose grip, which will change the fundamental balance of the car. So we’ve looked at weight distribution, aero balance and mechanical balance in order to compensate for grip balance moving rearwards.”

Do you think the banning of refueling and its effect on the car’s tyres and balance will spice up racing in 2010?

Tim Goss: “It could make the show significantly better, yes. Previously, you knew when everyone was going to stop and refuel, so each team based their strategy decisions on overtaking cars during the pitstops.

“What’s changed for this year is that we won’t know when people are going to stop. The only thing affecting drivers’ mandatory stops now is that they have to run both the Option and Prime tyre, so the strategy choices will be less predictable and will become a little more complicated. Races could be one or two stints with both early and late stops for tyres.”

“And it will definitely make the racing more challenging and interesting – and, hopefully, it will promote more on-track overtaking and less overtaking during the pitstops.”

Finally, what’s on your job list going into the four crucial pre-season tests?

Paddy Lowe: “Initially, the most important thing is proving that the car is robust. Just about everything has changed on the car, there’s very little that hasn’t changed, so we want to make sure we’re fully reliable for the first race.

“At the start of 2009, there were teams who were more competitive than us, but we were still able to pick up a good number of points because we were more reliable. These tests will be about establishing the durability of the car and giving ourselves enough time to fix any issues we encounter.

“In addition, we also want to get a very thorough understanding the new tyre, its degradation and durability, and how to get the best out of it.

“Beyond that, it’ll be about performance development.”


VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES MP4-25 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Chassis
Monocoque McLaren-moulded carbonfibre composite incorporating front and side impact structures
Front suspension Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pushrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Rear suspension Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pushrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Suspension dampers Koni
Electronics McLaren Electronic Systems control units incorporating electronics for chassis, engine and data acquisition. McLaren Electronic Systems also supplies the electronic dashboard, alternator voltage control, sensors, data analysis and telemetry systems
Bodywork Carbonfibre composite. Separate engine cover, sidepods and floor. Structural nose with intergral front wing.
Paint solutions provided by AkzoNobel Car Refinishes using Sikkens Products
Tyres Bridgestone Potenza
Radio Kenwood
Race wheels Enkei
Brake calipers Akebono
Master cylinders Akebono
Batteries GS Yuasa Corporation
Steering McLaren power-assisted
Instruments McLaren Electronic Systems

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

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

Is that real? Launch starts in 10 minutes...

Check out those sidepods

Oh no. It's a botched together RA-108, with bits and pieces of the BGP001. It's a display car.

I bet Ferrari are lookin at that and thinking "WTF!".

Luca is probably on the phone right now asking Stefano what the hell he's been doing since July!

Just got word from Maranello, they've stopped working on the B car and just hit the drawing board on a C car.

no, ex-honda test chassis
discussed in silver arrows thread

You've just covered your @rse. Go on Gareth be brave and give us your own pre-season testing view? The car looks stunning, but does it have the speed? I'll tell you by 3rd Feb.

linky for car launch? I know it's back on one of the other pages somewhere but I should be working and am too lazy to trawl through!

The press room is filling up with yet more hacks, photographers et al, and the McLaren publicity people are working overtime trying to glad-hand them all. But the rumours flying around, especially from the Italian members of the press, are not connected with the McLaren team at all.

No, they are connected with the results of a wind-tunnel test Ferrari supposedly did in France last week of their new machine the F10, the results of which – it is rumoured – were not satisfactory at all.

It has to be said that this is not substantiated in any way whatsoever, but it is something to think about, and gives the McLaren boys and girls a definite, tangible spring in their step.


http://www.forumula1.net/2010/f1/f1-news/m...ch-day-10-23am/

As long as Ferrari don't decide to bin the 2010 season already and concentrate on their 2011 effort.
"We decided that 2010 is a transition year that we will use for Fernando to find his home in the team and to challenge for wins next year ..."

http://carlaunch.mclaren.com/

http://carlaunch.mclaren.com/

and stream works!

car launch is online

http://carlaunch.mclaren.com/

oops me late

carlaunch.mclaren.com

I hope Fernando can sing in high ''C'' then like real soprano.