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 West McLaren Mercedes |
Team Principal Ron Dennis • MD McLaren International Martin Whitmarsh • Head of Mecedes-Benz Motorsport Nobert Haug • Technical Director Adrian Newey • Chief Designer Neil Oatley • Project Leader for Suspension Development Dave Neilson • Project Leader for Transmission Development Dave North • Project Leader for Composite Development Matthew Jeffreys • Project Leader for Systems Mark Ingham • Head of Aerodynamic Design Peter Prodromou • Head of Aerodynamic Operations Philip Adey • Chief Engineer Vehicle Technology Paddy Lowe • Drivers David Coulthard, Kimi Raikkonen • Test Driver Alexander Wurz | ||
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McLaren is one of the most successful teams in Formula One, having won more Drivers World Championship titles than any other constructor in the history of the sport. The team has secured 130 Grand Prix wins since making its debut in 1966. 1963 Bruce McLaren forms "Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd". 1966 The McLaren car makes its Formula One debut at the Monaco Grand Prix. 1968 First McLaren Grand Prix win at the Belgian Grand Prix, with Bruce himself driving. 1970 Bruce McLaren is tragically killed whilst testing a Can-Am sportscar at Goodwood in England. 1970-74 Despite Bruce's absence, McLaren cars continue to win in Formula One, Indy and Can-Am racing. 1974 Team McLaren enters one of the longest commercial partnerships in sporting history with Philip Morris, through their leading brand Marlboro. McLaren captures its first Formula One Drivers' and Constructors' Championships with Emerson Fittipaldi in the McLaren- Ford M23. 1976 James Hunt wins the Drivers' Championship for the team in the McLaren-Ford M23. 1980 Formation of McLaren International, the result of a merger between Team McLaren and Project Four, a successful British racing company led by Ron Dennis. 1981 John Watson wins the 1981 British Grand Prix in the McLaren-Ford MP4, bringing its maiden victory to the new team and McLaren's 25th. It is the first time that an all carbon- fibre chassis wins a Formula One race. 1984 Beginning of the partnership with the Techniques d'Avant-Garde Group (TAG) to develop the new Porsche turbo-charged engine. The McLaren-TAG Turbo MP4/2 dominates the World Championship by winning 12 out of 16 races, securing both Drivers' and Constructors' Championships, with Niki Lauda beating his team-mate Alain Prost to the Drivers title by only half a point. 1985 Both world championships fall to McLaren again with Alain Prost clinching the Drivers' title in the Marlboro McLaren TAG Turbo MP4/2B. 1986 Prost wins his second Drivers' title with the McLaren-TAG Turbo MP4/2C. 1988 Associated with Honda, McLaren dominates the Formula One scene, winning a record 15 out of 16 races. Ayrton Senna, in his debut season with the team, wins his first Drivers' World Championship outright. McLaren secures its fourth Constructors' title with the McLaren-Honda MP4/4. 1989-91 McLaren's unprecedented domination of the sport harvests three more consecutive Drivers' and Constructors' Championships with Prost in 1989 and Senna in 1990 and 1991. 1993 McLaren becomes the most successful constructor in the history of Formula One when Senna scores McLaren's 104th Grand Prix victory at the Australian Grand Prix in the McLaren-Ford MP4/8. Mika Hakkinen makes his Formula One debut at the Portuguese Grand Prix. McLaren contract with French manufacturer Peugeot to supply engines for the 1994 season. 1995 McLaren enters a long-term partnership with Mercedes-Benz as engine suppliers. Mobil becomes fuel and lubricant supplier. The team finishes fourth in the Constructors' Championship with 30 points. 1996 David Coulthard joins Mika Hakkinen to form the driver line-up for the 1996 season. Never far from the front, they take six podium positions during the year and work hard on the development of the MP4/11. The final result sees Mika and David finish the season fifth and seventh respectively in the Drivers' World Championship, whilst McLaren-Mercedes finishes fourth in the Constructors' Championship. 1997 Reemtsma, through their leading brand WEST, enters a long-term partnership with McLaren. The West McLaren Mercedes team claims victories in the Australian, Italian and European Grands Prix, taking the overall total of wins to 107. The team achieves the only one-two finish by a team in the 1997 season. West McLaren Mercedes finishes the season fourth in the Constructors' World Championship with David and Mika taking third and sixth in the Drivers' Championship respectively. 1998 The West McLaren Mercedes team wins both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships. Mika Hakkinen wins eight races and is crowned World Champion as the team collects a record 10th Drivers' Championship. David Coulthard wins one race on his way to finishing third in the Drivers' Championship, and the team also scores five one-two victories during the season. 1999 West McLaren Mercedes driver Mika Hakkinen claims unique back-to-back World Championship titles, making him only the seventh driver in Formula One history to successfully defend his title. Mika Hakkinen takes five victories on the way. David Coulthard wins two Grands Prix and finishes fourth in the Drivers' point standings. The team finishes runner-up in the Constructors' Championship. In late November, Frenchman Olivier Panis joins the team as third driver. 2000 The West McLaren Mercedes team finishes runner-up in the Constructor's championship, with drivers' Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard finishing second and third respectively. During the season Mika Hakkinen wins four races while David Coulthard secures three victories. The team also scores four one-two finishes during the season. In mid October it is announced that Austrian Alexander Wurz has joined the team as third driver. 2001 The West McLaren Mercedes team secures second positions in both the Constructors' and Drivers' championships, with David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen finishing second and fifth respectively. During the season both David and Mika take two race victories. In September the team announce that Mika Hakkinen will be taking a year's sabbatical from the sport and in 2002 David Coulthard will be partnered by 22 year-old Finn Kimi Raikkonen. Alexander Wurz remains with the team as third driver. McLaren Formula One Statistics (after the 2001 FIA World Championship) Most Wins in a Season: 15 out of a possible 16 (1988) Most Constructors' Points in a Season: 199 out of possible 240 (1988) Most Pole Positions in a Season: 15 out of a possible 16 (1988 & 1989) Most Double Wins (since the team's debut): 35 Consecutive Drivers' Championships: 4 (1988-1991) Consecutive Constructors' Championships: 4 (1988-1991) Most Double wins from one pair of drivers: 14 out of a possible 16 (Senna and Prost in 88 & 89) Grands Prix contested: 526 Grand Prix victories: 134 World Championship Titles: 19 Constructors' titles: 8 Drivers' titles: 11 Pole Positions: 112 Wins from Pole Position: 65 Double Wins (1-2s): 39 Podiums (1st-3rd): 339 Front Rows: 237 All-Front Rows (1-2s): 50 Fastest Laps: 108 Eight Constructor's Championships 1974 M23-Ford 1984 MP4/2 TAG Porsche 1985 MP4/2B TAG Porsche 1988 MP4/4 Honda 1989 MP4/5 Honda 1990 MP4/5B Honda 1991 MP4/6 Honda 1998 MP4-13 Mercedes-Benz Eleven Drivers' Championships 1974 Emerson Fittipaldi 1976 James Hunt 1984 Niki Lauda 1985 Alain Prost 1986 Alain Prost 1988 Ayrton Senna 1989 Alain Prost 1990 Ayrton Senna 1991 Ayrton Senna 1998 Mika Hakkinen 1999 Mika Hakkinen |
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| © McLaren Mercedes Team Fan Site McLaren International Ltd Unit 22, Woking Business Park, Albert Drive, Woking, Surrey, GU21 5JY Tel: +44 (0)1483 728211 Fax: +44 (0)1483 720157
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