McLaren Focuses Development on Underperforming MP4-28 After Melbourne Struggles
After a difficult Australian Grand Prix, McLaren is pushing ahead with updates for its 2013 MP4-28, shelving talk of reverting to last year’s car.
McLaren has begun an urgent development drive on its 2013 Formula One car after a disappointing performance at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix exposed fundamental issues with the MP4-28. The team arrived at Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix with new parts and a clear focus on improving the current chassis rather than returning to the 2012 model.
Both Jenson Button and Sergio Perez found themselves far from the leaders in Melbourne, with the MP4-28 lacking the pace shown by its predecessor at the end of 2012. The car’s radical design changes over the winter, intended to unlock greater potential under the current regulations, have instead left McLaren chasing rivals who opted for evolutionary updates.
Despite speculation that McLaren might revert to the MP4-27, which won the final race of 2012, the team has decided that developing the 2013 car is the only realistic option. Reintroducing last year’s chassis would require significant modifications to comply with new technical regulations, including crash tests and aerodynamic changes, and would risk running an untested car at future races.
Why McLaren ruled out the 2012 car
The 2013 technical regulations demand changes to the front wing and underfloor, meaning the MP4-27 would need extensive re-engineering. Sources familiar with the situation point out that the time and resource investment required would likely leave McLaren no better off, as the updated 2012 car would be unproven under current race conditions.
Instead, McLaren’s technical team has accelerated the development schedule for the MP4-28. New components, originally planned for later in the season, have already arrived in Malaysia for evaluation during practice sessions. The team’s reputation for rapid in-season development will be tested as it works to close the gap to the front of the field.
Focus remains on 2013 campaign
Team management has made clear that all resources are being directed at understanding and improving the current car. This approach is consistent with McLaren’s public statements that the 2013 campaign remains the priority, as also reflected in comments from team principal Martin Whitmarsh. For more on McLaren’s focus, see Whitmarsh: McLaren Focus Remains on 2013 Despite 2014 Rule Changes.
With the Malaysian Grand Prix approaching, the team’s engineers and drivers are working to extract more performance from the MP4-28. While the scale of the challenge is clear, McLaren will be judged on how quickly it can recover from its early-season setbacks.
