McLaren MP4-18
Encyclopedia
The McLaren MP4-18 was destined to be McLaren's racing car during the 2003 Formula One season
. Following a disappointing season in 2002, which was mostly dominated by Ferrari's F2002, Mclaren team principal Ron Dennis
decided a radical approach was needed to get back to the front. However, due to several problems during tests, the car was never actually raced, in favour of the McLaren MP4-17
D, a highly developed version of the 2002 contender. The new car crashed several times with very obscure reasons, failed the FIA side impact crash test
s twice, and last but not least, there was a severe problem cooling the engine down, since the sidepods were made very narrow.
During 2002, it became clear that the new car would have to be a big step forward, and not a simple evolution. Therefore, Arrows
' chief designer Mike Coughlan
was brought in to work with Newey on development of the brand new car, while another project was started to update the MP4-17 to race during the first races in 2003. Since the car never actually drove in a race in 2003, McLaren decided to develop the MP4-18 to the MP4-19
.
2003 Formula One season
The 2003 Formula One season was the 54th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2003 FIA Formula One World Championship, which commenced on March 9, 2003 and ended on October 12 after sixteen races...
. Following a disappointing season in 2002, which was mostly dominated by Ferrari's F2002, Mclaren team principal Ron Dennis
Ron Dennis
Ronald "Ron" Dennis CBE is the executive chairman of McLaren Automotive and McLaren Group, and is also a significant shareholder in both companies...
decided a radical approach was needed to get back to the front. However, due to several problems during tests, the car was never actually raced, in favour of the McLaren MP4-17
McLaren MP4-17
The McLaren MP4-17 was the car with which the McLaren team competed in the and Formula One seasons. It was driven by David Coulthard and Kimi Räikkönen in both seasons....
D, a highly developed version of the 2002 contender. The new car crashed several times with very obscure reasons, failed the FIA side impact crash test
Crash test
A crash test is a form of destructive testing usually performed in order to ensure safe design standards in crashworthiness and crash compatibility for various modes of transportation or related systems and components.- Types :...
s twice, and last but not least, there was a severe problem cooling the engine down, since the sidepods were made very narrow.
During 2002, it became clear that the new car would have to be a big step forward, and not a simple evolution. Therefore, Arrows
Arrows
Arrows Grand Prix International was a British Formula One team active from to . For a period of time, it was also known as Footwork.-Origins :...
' chief designer Mike Coughlan
Mike Coughlan
Mike Coughlan is a race car designer. On 3 May 2011 it was announced that Coughlan will become the Chief Designer for Williams F1...
was brought in to work with Newey on development of the brand new car, while another project was started to update the MP4-17 to race during the first races in 2003. Since the car never actually drove in a race in 2003, McLaren decided to develop the MP4-18 to the MP4-19
McLaren MP4-19
The McLaren MP4-19 is a Formula One racing car that was built by McLaren. It was designed by Adrian Newey, and introduced at the beginning of the 2004 Formula One season. It was described as a "debugged version of the McLaren MP4-18." It was not a successful car, and the team suffered various...
.