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McLaren MP4-28

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McLaren MP4-28
Jenson Button driving the MP4-28 at the Malaysian Grand Prix
CategoryFormula One
ConstructorMcLaren
Designer(s)Neil Oatley (Executive Engineer)
Paddy Lowe (Technical Director)
Tim Goss (Engineering Director)
Mark Williams (Head of Vehicle Engineering)
Mark Ingham (Head of Vehicle Design)
Marcin Budkowski (Head of Aerodynamics)
Doug McKiernan (Chief Aerodynamicist)
PredecessorMcLaren MP4-27
SuccessorMcLaren MP4-29
Technical specifications[1][2]
ChassisMoulded carbon fibre composite monocoque incorporating front and side impact structures with honeycomb structure
Suspension (front)Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pullrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement. KONI dampers
Suspension (rear)as front
Length5,080 mm (200 in)
Width1,800 mm (71 in)
Height950 mm (37 in)
EngineMercedes-Benz FO 108F 2.4 L (146 cu in) V8 (90°). Naturally aspirated, 18,000 RPM limited with KERS, mid-mounted
TransmissionMcLaren 7-speed + 1 reverse sequential seamless semi-automatic paddle shift with epicyclic differential and multi-plate limited slip clutch
Weight642 kg (1,415 lb) (including driver)[3]
FuelExxonMobil High Performance Unleaded (5.75% bio fuel)
Mobil Synergy Fuel System
Mobil 1 lubrication
TyresPirelli P Zero dry slick and Pirelli Cinturato treaded intermediate and wet tyres[4]
Enkei 13" magnesium racing wheels
ClutchAP Racing electro-hydraulically operated, carbon multi-plate
Competition history
Notable entrantsVodafone McLaren Mercedes
Notable drivers5. United Kingdom Jenson Button[5]
6. Mexico Sergio Pérez[6]
Debut2013 Australian Grand Prix
Last event2013 Brazilian Grand Prix
RacesWinsPodiumsPolesF/Laps
190001

The McLaren MP4-28[7] is a Formula One racing car designed and built by the McLaren team for use in the 2013 Formula One season. The chassis was designed by Paddy Lowe,[8] Neil Oatley, Tim Goss, Mark Ingham and Marcin Budkowski and was powered by a customer Mercedes-Benz engine. It was driven by 2009 World Champion Jenson Button and Sergio Pérez,[5][6] the latter joining the team after Lewis Hamilton moved to Mercedes.[9] The car was launched on 31 January 2013,[7][10] as part of the team's fiftieth anniversary celebrations.[11]

The MP4-28 resulted in McLaren's worst Formula 1 performance for 33 years. It was their first season without finishing on the podium since 1980, and they never qualified in the top five - their worst since 1983. It was also the team's first season without a win since 2006 when the team raced with the MP4-21.[12]

Design

[edit]

The MP4-28 features significant revisions compared to the MP4-27 as the team felt that the MP4-27 had reached the end of its development cycle, and that starting over would give the MP4-28 a wider scope for development.[13] A pullrod front suspension similar to that of the Ferrari F2012 was introduced, the sidepods were revised to improve airflow over the rear of the car, while the rear suspension geometry was reconfigured to be more aerodynamic whilst incorporating a wishbone system designed to manage rear tyre wear by adding camber to the rear wheels as the speed increases, and relax as the car decelerates.[14] The car's centre of gravity was altered by reducing the weight of the rollhoop and engine cover, allowing the team to raise the car's nose. The profile of the chassis was streamlined with the addition of a "vanity plate" to cover the "stepped" design seen throughout 2012.[1] By contrast, the Lotus E21 was launched without a vanity plate, as the team felt that it was a purely cosmetic feature that added unnecessary weight;[15] McLaren, on the other hand, described the weight change and aerodynamic benefits as a "non-issue".[1]

By the team's own admission, the launch version of the MP4-28 contained some parts—including the exhaust, floor and front wing assembly—that had been carried over from its predecessor, the MP4-27, but new parts would be added throughout the winter testing programme. Despite the outward similarities to the MP4-27, Jenson Button described the internal design of the MP4-28 as having been completely re-worked.[16]

Testing

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Pérez in the MP4-28 during winter tests at Jerez, in 2013

The MP4-28 displayed significant speed during winter testing at Jerez de la Frontera, leading to speculation that the car would be an early championship contender. However, it was soon discovered that this speed was a result of a suspension component being incorrectly fitted on Jenson Button's car, which created an extremely low ride height that in turn led to the fast lap times. The team was forced to install the offending part properly as continuing to run the car in such a configuration would prove to be impossible.[17]

Competition history

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The McLaren MP4-28 faced a difficult debut in Australia, with the team admitting that they did not truly understand the way the car behaved under race conditions.[18] Jenson Button qualified in tenth place, whilst Sergio Pérez started in fifteenth. Button and Pérez went on to finish the race in ninth and eleventh place respectively, on the lead lap, but some eighty seconds behind race winner Kimi Räikkönen.[19] Button was critical of the car, claiming that it could not win a Grand Prix without extensive development work.[20] Following the race, team principal Martin Whitmarsh described his willingness to abandon the MP4-28 altogether and instead revert to using the McLaren MP4-27 if the team felt they could not solve the MP4-28's issues,[21] but that the team's preference was to concentrate on developing the MP4-28 for the time being.[22][23]

At the next race in Malaysia, the team expressed confidence that they could improve the car, claiming that the bumpy nature of the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit had exaggerated the car's flaws, and so were expecting the smoother surface of the Sepang circuit to be much more representative of the car's performance.[24] Jenson Button qualified eighth and briefly led the race, until a mistake during his final pit stop cost him several positions. The team decided to retire the car instead of continue, and Button was ultimately classified seventeenth as he had completed 90% of the race distance.[25] Sergio Pérez qualified tenth and finished ninth overall, setting the fastest lap time after making an unscheduled stop late in the race. The team recovered in China,[26] with Button finishing fifth overall and the ten points he received elevating the team from seventh to fifth place in the World Constructors' Championship, drawing level with Force India. Both Button and Pérez scored points at the Bahrain Grand Prix,[27] ahead of the car's first major updates in Spain. Despite the team playing down the expected gains from the upgrades,[28] the package nevertheless proved to be disappointing,[29] and McLaren elected to postpone the introduction of some parts amid concerns about their legality.[30] Button and Pérez finished the race in eighth and ninth place respectively, with Button describing the team's performances as being "a bit embarrassing" and admitting that whatever gains the team had made had been marginalised by the development schedules of other teams, who had also used the race to introduce their first major updates for the season.[31] Commentators noted that during the race, Button's fastest lap time was just five hundredths of a second faster than Max Chilton's best lap time set in the Marussia MR02,[32] a car that qualified on the back row of the grid for the race.[33]

Gary Paffett testing the MP4-28 at Silverstone

After securing a sixth-place finish in Monaco,[34] the team faced their most difficult race of the season in Canada, with Pérez and Button finishing in eleventh and twelfth place respectively,[35] bringing about an end to their record of sixty-four consecutive points finishes; the last time McLaren had failed to score a points finish was at the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The team once again failed to score points in the British Grand Prix, with Button achieving a lowly thirteenth place and Pérez being classified twentieth after falling victim to an explosive tyre puncture late in the race.[36] The team returned to the points in Germany, with Button finishing sixth and Pérez eighth.[37] The result moved the team to within ten points of Force India in the World Constructors' Championship. Button was critical of Caterham drivers Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde, accusing them of being too slow when moving aside as he lapped them and costing him a fifth-place finish by allowing Lewis Hamilton to catch and pass him on the last lap.[38]

Button and Pérez at the Japanese Grand Prix

At the Indian GP, Pérez recorded a season-best 5th-place finished just four seconds shy of the podium, a result that left him "extremely satisfied". Button finished in 14th place.[39]

After the Brazilian Grand Prix, McLaren became the first ever team to have classified both cars at every race of the season, despite Pérez having not finished two races and Button having retired in Malaysia, repeating that feat in MCL38 in 2024.[40]

Due to the team deeming his performance inadequate, Pérez left the team and joined Force India, with Kevin Magnussen being named as his replacement.[41]

Sponsorship and livery

[edit]
The Verizon logo visible on the sidepod of Button's MP4-28 at the United States Grand Prix

This was the last McLaren Formula One car to feature Vodafone as their main sponsor since the deal began in 2007. McLaren used Vodafone logos in all but two races. It was replaced by Zain at the Bahrain Grand Prix, and by Verizon at the United States Grand Prix.

Later uses

[edit]

Following the conclusion of the 2018 season, 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson drove the MP4-28 in MCL33 livery at the Bahrain International Circuit.

In 2022, 1978 World Drivers' Champion Mario Andretti demonstrated the MP4-28 in MCL36 livery at the Laguna Seca circuit.

Complete Formula One results

[edit]

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Engine Tyres Drivers Grands Prix Points WCC
AUS MAL CHN BHR ESP MON CAN GBR GER HUN BEL ITA SIN KOR JPN IND ABU USA BRA
2013 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Mercedes-Benz
FO 108F 		P United Kingdom Jenson Button 9 17† 5 10 8 6 12 13 6 7 6 10 7 8 9 14 12 10 4 122 5th
Mexico Sergio Pérez 11 9 11 6 9 16† 11 20† 8 9 11 12 8 10 15 5 9 7 6
Sources:[42]

† Driver failed to finish the race, but was classified as they had completed greater than 90% of the race distance.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Collins, Sam (31 January 2013). "McLaren MP4-28". Racecar Engineering. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  2. ^ "Technical".
  3. ^ "FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations", formula1.com, Formula One Group, retrieved 7 January 2013
  4. ^ Noble, Jonathan; Beer, Matt (11 December 2013). "F1 teams expert enough to avoid early tyre struggles – Ross Brawn". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  5. ^ a b Elizalde, Pablo (5 October 2011). "Button secures new multi-year contract at McLaren". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  6. ^ a b Collantine, Keith (28 September 2012). "Perez takes place of Mercedes-bound Hamilton at McLaren". F1 Fanatic. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  7. ^ a b "McLaren to launch 2013 car on January 31". formula1.com. Formula One Management. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  8. ^ "McLaren says Lowe is staying for 2013". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  9. ^ Cary, Tom (28 September 2012). "Lewis Hamilton to join Mercedes in $100m move from McLaren, signing a three-year deal". Telegraph.co.uk. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  10. ^ Esler, William (20 December 2012). "McLaren will launch the MP4-28 on Thursday 31st January". Sky Sports F1. BSkyB. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  11. ^ "2013: celebrating 50 years of McLaren". mclaren.com. McLaren Group. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2013. It's all a long way from that small south London lock-up back in 1963. But Bruce wouldn't wish for us to merely look backwards without looking forwards, too. Accordingly, echoes of our past will reverberate throughout a series of unique events and celebrations to be held across our anniversary year. From the McLaren 50 logos we'll proudly sport on our team shirts, through our specially commissioned heritage video features, to the launch of our new MP4-28 Formula 1 car with Jenson Button and Sergio Perez on January 31st, every lap, every corner, every mile and every road we take will be an opportunity to revel in McLaren's present while recalling our 50-year past.
  12. ^ Merlino, Michele. "Stats: Webber's final F1 tally - F1 - Autosport Plus".
  13. ^ Collantine, Keith (31 January 2013). "McLaren MP4-28 and MP4-27 compared". F1 Fanatic. Keith Collantine. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  14. ^ Anderson, Gary (31 January 2013). "Formula 1 – Gary Anderson analyses new McLaren MP4-28". BBC F1. BBC. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  15. ^ Collantine, Keith (28 January 2013). "Lotus E21 launch: First pictures and video". F1 Fanatic. Keith Collantine. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  16. ^ "McLaren Mercedes reveals the MP4-28". Speedcafe.com. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  17. ^ Cooper, Adam (16 March 2013). "How a factory mistake made McLaren unrealistically fast in Jerez test". Adam Cooper's F1 Blog. WordPress. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  18. ^ Collantine, Keith (17 March 2013). "McLaren will "look at anything" but see no quick fix". F1 Fanatic. Keith Collantine. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  19. ^ "Raikkonen opens F1 season with Melbourne win". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Reuters. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  20. ^ Weaver, Paul (17 March 2013). "'This McLaren won't win a race' – Jenson Button's brutal F1 assessment". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  21. ^ Bartholomaeus, Stefan (18 March 2013). "McLaren not ruling out abandoning 2013 car". Speedcafe.com. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  22. ^ Noble, Jonathan (18 March 2013). "McLaren rules out reverting to 2012 F1 car despite early struggles". Autosport.com. Haymarket Media Group. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  23. ^ Weaver, Paul (23 March 2013). "McLaren principal Martin Whitmarsh takes blame for uncompetitive car". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 24 March 2013. Whitmarsh did not take the opportunity to dispel stories that the team may yet revert to last year's car. 'I can categorically kill it off – for the time being. We're making progress. We're working hard to understand this car, to improve and develop it and turn it into a race winning car.'
  24. ^ "McLaren certain 2013 car will win". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  25. ^ "2013 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix — Results". Formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 24 March 2013. Archived from the original on 4 May 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  26. ^ "2013 Formula 1 UBS Chinese Grand Prix — Results". Formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 14 April 2013. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  27. ^ "2013 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix — results". Formula1.com. Formula One Administrations. 21 April 2013. Archived from the original on 23 April 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  28. ^ Noble, Jonathan (3 May 2013). "Button cautious about McLaren's upgrades for the Spanish GP the package". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  29. ^ Beer, Matt (11 May 2013). "Spanish GP: Jenson Button says McLaren updates nowhere near enough". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  30. ^ Straw, Edd (11 May 2013). "Spanish GP: McLaren shelved new wing amid legality doubt". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  31. ^ "Spanish GP: Jenson Button says McLaren's form is 'embarrassing'". BBC F1. BBC. 12 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  32. ^ Collantine, Keith (12 May 2013). "2013 Spanish Grand Prix lap charts". F1 Fanatic. Keith Collantine. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  33. ^ "Rosberg leads Mercedes front row sweep in Spain". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. 11 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  34. ^ Collantine, Keith (26 May 2013). "2013 Monaco Grand Prix result". F1 Fanatic. Keith Collantine. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  35. ^ Collantine, Keith (9 June 2013). "2013 Canadian Grand Prix result". F1 Fanatic. Keith Collantine. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  36. ^ "2013 Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix — Provisional Results". Formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 30 June 2013. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  37. ^ "Formula 1 Grosser Preis Santander von Deutschland 2013". Formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 7 July 2013. Archived from the original on 19 July 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  38. ^ Anderson, Ben; Straw, Edd (7 July 2013). "German GP: Jenson Button says Caterhams destroyed McLaren's race". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  39. ^ "India — selected team and driver quotes". Formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 27 October 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  40. ^ "Brazilian GP: McLaren race quotes". Autosport. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  41. ^ "Magnussen takes Perez's spot". ESPN. London. Associated Press. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  42. ^ "All championship race entries, in a McLaren MP4/28". ChicaneF1. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
    "McLaren MP4-28". StatsF1. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
    "Classifications". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
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