McLaren 2021 car launch
McLaren have become the first F1 team to launch their 2021 car, whipping the covers of the McLaren MCL35M. New driver pairing of Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris will be piloting this 2021 car.
McLaren launch car similar to 2020 car
Visually, the MCL35M looks similar to its MCL35 predecessor. This is because the teams have been forced to use modified versions of their 2020 chassis this year, ahead of the introduction of all-new cars in 2022. The MCL35M also sports McLaren’s now-traditional papaya-and-blue colour scheme.
There was one big change lurking under the bodywork of the MCL35M, however, with McLaren having switched back to Mercedes’ power units for the first time since 2014 this season – the only team on the grid in 2021 forced to deal with a change of power unit supplier, as McLaren continue their quest to return to the sharp end of the grid.
New drivers for Mclaren 2021
Another change, meanwhile, was McLaren’s driver line-up, with Daniel Ricciardo having moved over from Renault to join McLaren on a multi-year contract – the Australian appearing at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking in the UK to help launch the car alongside incumbent driver Lando Norris, beginning his third season with the team.
“It’s great to have finally joined the team after what feels like an age since we confirmed it last May,” said Ricciardo. “I feel great to be a McLaren driver. McLaren has been on an awesome journey over the last few years, and I’m looking forward to helping the team maintain this positive momentum.
“Going into this new season in Formula 1, I’m feeling excited and motivated to give it my absolute all. I think my determination to perform has only grown as I’ve gained more experience and I’m looking forward to getting this next chapter in my career started.”
Norris taking the leadership role in 3rd year at McLaren
“I’m really excited to be back working with the team ahead of my third season in Formula 1,” added Norris. “Every time I get into the car I feel like I’m growing in confidence and experience, which helps me build my performance year-on-year. I’ve been working hard personally throughout the off-season to be as sharp as I can when we get to pre-season testing, and I can’t wait to get back in the car soon.
“2021 is going to be another challenging year on-track with close competition. But I’m just focused on getting back to racing and giving it my all.”
Meanwhile, McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl called the Ricciardo-Norris partnership “one of the most competitive driver line-ups in the sport,”. “The entire team has worked hard over the short winter, together with our colleagues from Mercedes-AMG, to produce the MCL35M and provide a strong car for our drivers to race this year.
“This has been no small challenge. I want to thank every member of our team for the massive effort they’ve put in. Lando and Daniel will, I know, do their very best to represent the team out on track.”
Fitting the Mercedes engine in McLaren chassis
James Key, McLaren’s technical director, told the team’s website: “We can’t just carry over the chassis from 2020. We’ve had to do a lot of redesigning, especially when it comes to various systems on the car. Not only will the chassis be different, the gearbox will be too and, of course, the engine. So the MCL35M is akin to a new car for us.
“Having to spend 2021 development tokens on the Mercedes engine installation changed our approach when it came to developments this season. But the upshot is that we probably added a bit of performance in 2020 that we normally wouldn’t have. And there’s scope to develop these areas further based on all the information we’ve gathered.”
Looking forward to all the other team’s car launches.