Tech analysis: McLaren MP4-21
Do you hate the neon-red? Are you impressed with the shiny chrome? And what do you think of the Star Wars helmets? Certainly, McLaren have given the fans plenty to talk about, with the unveiling of the MP4-21 livery. But colours don't win a championship, and whether it's orange or silver, the MP4-21 offers plenty of promise and several concerns...
Released to almost no fanfare from the team, McLaren rolled out their all-new car in the pitlane at Barcelona back in January. The car is a clear development of the MP4-20 - a car that failed to win either championships but was clearly the fastest for the much of the 2005 season.
Last year the team delayed the design of the new car to better accommodate the then-new one-race tyre rule and revised aero regulations. This move clearly gained McLaren the pace over their rivals, but the car's season was blighted early on by over-conservatism on their tyre use and latterly over optimistic designs costing reliability. These two issues allowed Renault to build and maintain an advantage they were never to lose.
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