Mclaren F1

The Mclaren f1 team was set up in 1963 by a New Zealander called Bruce Mclaren. He was relatively new to this big stage but three later after he founded “Mclaren motor racing limited” he had his first grand prix start at the 1966 Monaco GP, with his Mclaren M2B grand prix car, he did not finish due to an oil leak but he qualified an impressive 10th place. In 1968 Mclaren recorded his first points in good season recording a total of 174 points. Sadly though in 1970 at a test, driving a can-am car at Goodwood his rear part of the car detached while he was doing 170mph and the car spun uncontrollably into a concrete marshal post. He lost his life instantly but his Mclaren team still continues to strive on bravely and deserve their place in history as one of the most successful F1 teams ever.

First F1 Championship Title
Through the blossoming early years of the newly set up Mclaren team, They had notched up several wins and some competitive cars. For the 1974 season Emerson Fittapaldi joined the mclaren team and shined with the new Ford powered Mclaren M23. Early on he won several races including his home grand prix (Brazilian GP) and the Belgian grand prix. The season was looking rosy, but during the middle Emerson went seven races without a win. The title was slipping away from Emerson Fittapaldi but he dug deep and with one race to go, at the Canadian grand prix he won the race, 13 seconds in front of Clay Regazzoni, there fore retaining his position at the top of the leader board. It was down to the last race at the United States grand prix (Watkins Glen). Carlos Reutemann won the race from pole position while Emerson Fittapaldi finished 4th guaranteeing his world championship by 3 points ahead of Regazzoni. Mclaren were elated and they deserved to be so. In the first ten years of their existence they had won a world title.

An unbeatable partnership that was Senna and Prost
Probably the most well known partnership in f1 history the senna and prost combination could destroy entire teams and dominate races. They were hugely helped by the great Mclaren Honda MP4/4 car. The dominance was so great that they won 15 out of the 16 races they ran in, this is still a record that remains to be broken, that year Aryton Senna also took the drivers title. After that fabled year Mclaren started going down hill in the 1990’s.

The Last Season
The season saw troublesome times for McLaren; while Ron Dennis’ prodigy Lewis Hamilton impressed the entire motor sport world his team mate was anything but impressed. Fernando Alonso was supposed to be a brilliant signing, his childish attitude however, twinned with insistence that he should have been the lead driver will not have endeared him to many fans. Aside from the obvious tensions between the former champion and rookie, McLaren had an exhausting legal battle to contend with. Accused of stealing design secrets from rivals Ferrari, the accusations were upheld and McLaren had to pay a record fine. Added to this the docking of all their constructors’ championship points means that they eventually finished last when they had been far in the lead mid-season. With two drivers in contention at the beginning of the last race it is surprising that neither achieved the title in a year that will be remembered for its controversy rather than racing performances.

New Season
After the difficulties with Alonso last season, McLaren have abandoned past wisdom and elected to go for a pair of drivers with just two seasons experience between them. The rookie pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen is guaranteed to provide excitement in a season where McLaren will be hoping to put down some decent performances and forget about the controversy of the previous twelve months.

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Mclaren F1