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F1 Launch Mclaren MP4-28 car report
McLaren MP4-28
Woking, UK, January 31 2013 – Vodafone McLaren Mercedes launched its 2013 Formula 1 challenger and kicked off a year of 50th anniversary celebrations with a spectacular parade of classic racing cars at the McLaren Technology Centre this morning.
The parade brought to life a string of race- and championship-winning McLarens from across the decades, included 1970’s M8D CanAm sportscar, Emerson Fittipaldi’s iconic 1974 M23, Ayrton Senna’s dominant 1988 MP4/4, our 1995 Le Mans-winning F1 GTR, Mika Hakkinen’s MP4-13 car from 1998 and Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 MP4-23.
The display culminated in the arrival of our 2013 race drivers, Jenson Button and Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez – who arrived driving a development model of our new McLaren P1TM sportscar and a 12C Spider, respectively.
Evolution through history
The display of classic McLarens was a timely reminder of the weight of history that constantly hangs over a team with such high expectations each and every season.
Following such a winning pedigree is the aim and intention of each and every man and woman who comes to work at McLaren every day. And, for everyone involved in its inception, the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-28 is the logical culmination of everything we’ve ever done: it’s the sum of 50 years’ experience, expertise and passion.
The MP4-28 isn’t merely a refinement of last year’s seven-race-winning car, it’s a deep and sweeping re-design of an already successful chassis in several key areas – most notably around the nose and front suspension, the sidepod profiles and the rear bodywork.
Jenson and Checo – a perfect blend
Jenson and Checo continue the trend of evolution through history.Jenson begins his fourth season at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes as the team’s most experienced driver. Indeed, during his time here, he has won more races (eight) and scored more points (672) than during the rest of his 10-year Formula 1 career.
For 2013, he is keenly anticipating the opportunity to maximise all his skill and depth of experience to spearhead the development of the car across the championship season.
By contrast, Checo is starting only his third season in Formula 1, aged 23. Young, eager to learn, and already impressing the team with his ability to absorb information, he is perfectly poised to benefit from the team’s professionalism and experience as he develops and gathers pace during his important first season as a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver.
McLaren MP4-28 Technical Specifications
| Chassis | |
| Monocoque | McLaren-moulded carbonfibre composite incorporating front and side impact structures, and survival cell |
| Front suspension | Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pullrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement |
| Rear suspension | Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pullrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement |
| Electronics | McLaren Electronic Systems. Including chassis control, engine control, data acquisition, dashboard, alternator, sensors, data analysis and telemetry. |
| Bodywork | Carbon-fibre composite. Including engine cover, sidepods, floor, nose, front wing and rear wing. Driver-operated drag reduction system |
| Lubricants & Fluids | Mobilith SHC™ 1500 Grease – lubricates the four tripod joints on the drive-shafts resisting the high temperatures generated by the exhaust and braking systems Mobilith SHC™ 220 Grease – minimises rolling esistance in the car’s ceramic wheel bearings to help maximise speed Mobil SHC™ Hydraulic Oil – running at over 200 bar and 100° C this fluid is an essential part of the hydraulic system which controls gear shift, the throttles and operation of DRS and steering systems |
| Tyres | Pirelli P Zero |
| Radio | Kenwood |
| Race wheels | Enkei |
| Brake calipers | Akebono |
| Master cylinders | Akebono |
| Batteries | GS Yuasa Corporation |
| Steering | McLaren power-assisted |
| Instruments | McLaren Electronic Systems |
| Paint solutions | AkzoNobel Car Refinishes using Sikkens products |
| Engine | |
| Type | Mercedes-Benz FO 108F |
| 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 Formula 1 specification racing spark plugs |
| Lubricants | Mobil 1™ Engine Oil – for long engine life, protection and cooling combined with improved fuel economy |
| Weight | 95kg (minimum FIA regulation weight) |
| KERS Hybrid | |
| Type | Mercedes-Benz |
| e-Motor | Engine-mounted electrical motor/generator |
| ESS | Integrated energy storage cells and power electronics |
| Power | 60 kW |
| Transmission | |
| Gearbox | McLaren-moulded carbon-fibre composite. Integral rear impact structure |
| Gears | Seven forward and one reverse |
| Gear selection | McLaren seamless shift, hand-operated |
| Clutch | Carbon/carbon, hand-operated |
| Lubricants | Mobil 1 SHC™ Gear Oil – provides reduced fluid traction losses improving gearbox efficiency and delivering more power to the rear wheels |
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