The McLaren that won two drivers' titles

Formula 1's mindset is now so entrenched in the philosophy of delivering a new car every season that it seems totally unfathomable for the same car to remain in competition for six years.

But it used to be that a huge technological step could yield an advantage that ruled the roost for several seasons; Cooper's rear-engine advances gave it the edge until Lotus took the next steps via monocoque chassis that dominated the scene in the 1960s and early 1970s. The 25, 33, 49 and 72 each enjoyed more than one season at the sharp end.

While the 72 owed much of its longevity to Lotus losing itself down the rabbit hole as it tried to conjure a similarly innovative successor, Gordon Coppuck's McLaren M23, which arrived in 1973, responded to development and remained competitive until 1977.

No doubt inspired by the 72, which had influenced the design of his M16 Indianapolis 500 challenger, Coppuck also saw the benefit of the low wedge-shaped chassis, which would serve to keep the centre of gravity as low as possible. This also moved the roll centre closer to the ground, and was a key feature in ensuring that the M23 was a lot easier to handle than the lozenge-shaped M19C it replaced.

The previous M19 family of cars were no slouches, but development was limited in comparison to the less tubular designs of the time. The M23's trapezoidal front bulkhead and suspension geometry helped the team achieve a lower ride height and wider track width without the cost of excessive travel - improving grip in the corners.

Rather than suffer the weight penalty of having the main radiator in the front, Coppuck positioned these in a pair of sidepods ahead of the rear wheels, also ensuring a low frontal area. At the rear, the lower rear wishbones were reversed to reduce flex in the uprights, while the brakes were moved inboard to slash the unsprung mass of the car - improving the handling even further.

The switch to the M23 seemed to pay off immediately, as Denny Hulme - a friend of the late Bruce McLaren - fired his way into pole position first time out in the South African Grand Prix, but in race trim team-mate Peter Revson slotted into second with the out-going M19C, outperforming Hulme - who finished fifth.

Eventually the M23 proved its worth. At Anderstorp, Hulme passed Ronnie Peterson on the penultimate lap to snatch victory from the Lotus driver at his home race, before Revson then took his first victory two races later at Silverstone. Proving to be reliable straight out of the box, the M23 didn't suffer any mechanical issues until its eighth appearance when Hulme's Cosworth engine gave up at Zandvoort.

Revson clinched one more win before the season was out in the chaotic Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport, but the American was replaced by 1972 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi for 1974. Fittipaldi's head was turned by the promise of the M23, having struggled somewhat with the E-spec Lotus 72 and lost the '73 title to Jackie Stewart. Based on his Lotus experiences, Fittipaldi asked for a longer wheelbase and track width to improve the weight distribution.

For 1974, the car turned out for the first time in Marlboro colours, and McLaren enjoyed a winning start as Hulme took victory in the season opener in Argentina before Fittipaldi enjoyed the spoils in his home race at Interlagos. That year the biggest threat came from a reinvigorated Ferrari as the returning Clay Regazzoni brought Niki Lauda with him from the ailing BRM team - both immediately factoring in the hunt for the championship. Fittipaldi narrowly beat Regazzoni having gone into the final race at Watkins Glen equal on points, taking his second F1 title.

To keep the M23 fresh for 1975, the sidepods were extended rearwards at select races to improve the aerodynamics, and the car was kitted out with Hewland's 
new six-speed gearbox. At the end of the previous season, Hulme - rocked by his friend Revson's untimely death earlier in the previous year - called time on his F1 career and was replaced by Jochen Mass.

Fittipaldi's attempts to defend his championship kicked off strongly with a victory at Buenos Aires. But the M23 stood little chance against the new Ferrari 312T, with the flat-12 engine and transverse gearbox that offered excellent power and weight distribution. Lauda stormed to five wins, while Fittipaldi managed just one - at Silverstone. Mass also claimed the only win of his career in the tragically abortive race at Montjuic Park.

Having been a brilliant resource to develop the car around, Fittipaldi left McLaren in a bind by departing the team to join his brother Wilson's Copersucar operation. No other top-line drivers were available but the problem resolved itself as the happy-go-lucky Hesketh team ran out of funds, leaving James Hunt a free agent for '76.

Although McLaren tightened up the aerodynamics before the season began (and again in-season, fitting twin intakes either side of the rollhoop in response to the ban on high airboxes) it looked to be a repeat of the previous year. Lauda began the season in powerful form with two win from the first three races.

Hunt hit back, grabbing victory in the fourth round of the season, but Lauda swept to the next two races - putting everything beyond what should have been all reasonable doubt. The Brit won from pole in France as Lauda's flat-12 went pop, before a controversial disqualification after taking the chequered flag at Brands Hatch put Hunt on the back foot once more. Lauda's horrific accident at the Nurburgring left him out of action with severe burns, before his miraculous return to the grid two races later - still two points clear of Hunt. Hunt and Lauda went toe-to-toe until the Fuji season finale, when Lauda quit the race in torrential conditions and Hunt did just enough to win the title.

The M23 carried on into 1977 as its successor, the M26, proved troublesome. Privateers kept the M23 fire burning into 1978 but eventually, after two drivers' titles and one constructors' championship, the M23 was put out to pasture.

Race record

Starts 165
Wins 16
Poles 14
Fastest laps 10
Other podiums 22
Points 319

Specification

Chassis aluminium monocoque
Suspension double wishbone, spring/dampers with anti-roll bars (front), reversed lower wishbones, twin radius arms (rear)
Engine Ford Cosworth DFV 90-degree V8
Engine capacity 2993cc
Power 465bhp @ 10,500rpm
Gearbox five/six-speed Hewland manual gearbox
Tyres Goodyear
Weight 575kg
Notable drivers Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Jochen Mass, Peter Revson, Denny Hulme