McLaren MP4-20
Encyclopedia
The McLaren MP4-20 is a Formula One
racing car that was built by McLaren. It was designed by Adrian Newey
and Mike Coughlan
, and introduced at the beginning of the 2005 Formula One season
.
was an almost completely new design after the failure of the MP4-18
and MP4-19
. The new car featured the revised aerodynamics and suspension set up that the 2005 regulations required, including a raised front wing, smaller diffuser and rear wing moved further forward. A shorter wheelbase was used to maximise the Michelin
tyres' performance. The car featured distinctive 'horn' wings fitted to the bodywork behind the overhead air intake in an attempt to claw back as much downforce as possible lost through the FIA's rule changes.
used the car as best as he could in the early part of the season, Juan Pablo Montoya
who had joined the team from Williams
initially struggle to get to grips with the set-up and unusual driving technique the car required over the Williams chassis he was used to. He was not helped by an off-track injury that put him out for two races early in the year. He eventually settled with the car and scored three wins and several podiums.
The Mercedes engine was the most powerful in F1 that year but suffered reliability problems which cost Räikkönen the world championship to Fernando Alonso
and McLaren the constructor's championship to Renault
. Räikkönen won seven races and was in a position to win at least three others but the car's unreliability cost him the title.
Continual development throughout the year made the MP4/20 the fastest car in F1 from mid-season onwards, as was seen by the number of pole positions and fastest laps accumulated by both Räikkönen and Montoya.
Räikkönen and McLaren eventually finished second in their respective championships, whilst Montoya finished fourth in the drivers' standings.
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing car that was built by McLaren. It was designed by Adrian Newey
Adrian Newey
Adrian Newey is a notable Formula One engineer and widely regarded one of the great engineers in the sport's history. He is the only designer to have won Constructors Championships with three different Formula One teams...
and 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...
, and introduced at the beginning of the 2005 Formula One season
2005 Formula One season
The 2005 Formula One season was the 56th FIA Formula One World Championship season, contested over a record 19 Grands Prix. It commenced on March 6, 2005, and ended October 16....
.
New design
The car's chassisChassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
was an almost completely new design after the failure of the MP4-18
McLaren MP4-18
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...
and 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...
. The new car featured the revised aerodynamics and suspension set up that the 2005 regulations required, including a raised front wing, smaller diffuser and rear wing moved further forward. A shorter wheelbase was used to maximise the Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
tyres' performance. The car featured distinctive 'horn' wings fitted to the bodywork behind the overhead air intake in an attempt to claw back as much downforce as possible lost through the FIA's rule changes.
Season
The car was fast but unreliable in testing and whilst Kimi RäikkönenKimi Räikkönen
Kimi Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish racing driver, who will drive in Formula One for Lotus in . After nine seasons racing in Formula One, in which he took the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he competed in the World Rally Championship from 2009-2011.Räikkönen entered...
used the car as best as he could in the early part of the season, Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán is a Colombian race car driver known internationally for participating and winning in Formula One and CART race competitions. He has enjoyed great success. Currently, he competes in NASCAR, driving the #42 Target Chevrolet Impala for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the Sprint...
who had joined the team from Williams
WilliamsF1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...
initially struggle to get to grips with the set-up and unusual driving technique the car required over the Williams chassis he was used to. He was not helped by an off-track injury that put him out for two races early in the year. He eventually settled with the car and scored three wins and several podiums.
The Mercedes engine was the most powerful in F1 that year but suffered reliability problems which cost Räikkönen the world championship to Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso Díaz is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time World Champion, who is currently racing for Ferrari....
and McLaren the constructor's championship to Renault
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
. Räikkönen won seven races and was in a position to win at least three others but the car's unreliability cost him the title.
Continual development throughout the year made the MP4/20 the fastest car in F1 from mid-season onwards, as was seen by the number of pole positions and fastest laps accumulated by both Räikkönen and Montoya.
Räikkönen and McLaren eventually finished second in their respective championships, whilst Montoya finished fourth in the drivers' standings.
Complete Formula One results
(results in bold indicate pole position)| Year | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Pts.‡ | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MP4-20 | Mercedes FO 110R 3.0 V10 V10 engine A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five with a distinct exhaust note.- Mechanics :The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion... |
AUS 2005 Australian Grand Prix The 2005 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on 6 March 2005.-Practice:The first practice session of the 2005 Australian Grand Prix was dominated by Vitantonio Liuzzi who was appearing at his first grand prix for Red Bull at their first race... |
MAL | BHR 2005 Bahrain Grand Prix The 2005 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One race held from April 1 to April 3, 2005 at Bahrain International Circuit.__FORCETOC__- Summary :... |
SMR 2005 San Marino Grand Prix The 2005 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One race held from April 22 to April 24, 2005 at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.-Pre-race:Vitantonio Liuzzi replaced Christian Klien in the second Red Bull car, for this and the next two races; after unanimous agreement between the teams, Klien was... |
ESP 2005 Spanish Grand Prix The 2005 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race, held from May 6 to May 8, 2005, at Circuit de Catalunya.Kimi Räikkönen started on pole position ahead of Mark Webber, who set a blistering lap during the second qualifying session to claim the front row, leaving championship leader Fernando Alonso... |
MON 2005 Monaco Grand Prix The 2005 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 19– May 22, 2005 at the Circuit de Monaco. This was the first Monaco Grand Prix held after the death of Prince Rainier III... |
EUR 2005 European Grand Prix The 2005 European Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 29, 2005 at the Nürburgring.__FORCETOC__-Summary:The 2005 European Grand Prix was the seventh race of the 2005 Formula One season, and was the second of a series of 6 races held within 8 weeks... |
CAN 2005 Canadian Grand Prix The 2005 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 12, 2005 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.__FORCETOC__-Report:The 2005 Canadian Grand Prix was the eighth race of the 2005 Formula One season, and the first of two consecutive North American rounds... |
USA 2005 United States Grand Prix The 2005 United States Grand Prix was one of the most controversial Formula One motor races in modern history. It was held on June 19, 2005 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was the ninth race of the 2005 Formula One season. Out of 20 cars entered for the race, only the six cars from the teams... |
FRA 2005 French Grand Prix The 2005 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race, held on July 1– July 3, 2005, at Magny-Cours.-Report:The 2005 French Grand Prix was the tenth race of the 2005 season and after the Indygate debacle, Formula One returned to Europe for the busiest month in its 56-year history, with Magny-Cours... |
GBR 2005 British Grand Prix The 2005 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race, held on 8 July – 10 July 2005, at Silverstone. Before the race there was one minute of silence in respect for those affected by the London bombings that occurred a few days earlier.-Report:... |
GER | HUN 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix The 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One race, held on July 31, 2005 at the Hungaroring circuit.__FORCETOC__-Report:The 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix was the thirteenth race of the 2005 Formula One season, and saw the beginning of the end of tobacco advertising in F1 due to the Europe-wide ban... |
TUR 2005 Turkish Grand Prix The 2005 Turkish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on August 21 at Istanbul Park in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first Formula One race to take place in Turkey.-Friday Drivers:-Qualifying:... |
ITA 2005 Italian Grand Prix The 2005 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race, held on September 4, 2005 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit. Fifteenth race of the 2005 Formula One season, it was the event in which Juan Pablo Montoya achieved the fastest ever speed recorded during a F1 race, 372.6 km/h... |
BEL 2005 Belgian Grand Prix The 2005 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One race, held on September 11, 2005 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Spa, Belgium.Giancarlo Fisichella started the race from 13th place– the result of a ten-place grid penalty given for an engine change between final practice and qualifying on the... |
BRA 2005 Brazilian Grand Prix The 2005 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on September 25, 2005, at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo, Brazil.-Qualifying:... |
JPN 2005 Japanese Grand Prix The 2005 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 9, 2005 at the Suzuka Circuit. McLaren's Kimi Räikkönen won the race after starting from 17th place and overtaking race leader Giancarlo Fisichella on the final lap... |
CHN | 182 | 2nd | |||
| Kimi Räikkönen Kimi Räikkönen Kimi Matias Räikkönen , nicknamed Iceman, is a Finnish racing driver, who will drive in Formula One for Lotus in . After nine seasons racing in Formula One, in which he took the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, he competed in the World Rally Championship from 2009-2011.Räikkönen entered... |
8 | 9 | 3 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 11 | 1 | DNS | 2 | 3 | Ret | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| Juan Pablo Montoya Juan Pablo Montoya Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán is a Colombian race car driver known internationally for participating and winning in Formula One and CART race competitions. He has enjoyed great success. Currently, he competes in NASCAR, driving the #42 Target Chevrolet Impala for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the Sprint... |
6 | 4 | INJ | INJ | 7 | 5 | 7 | DSQ | DNS | Ret | 1 | 2 | Ret | 3 | 1 | 14 | 1 | Ret | Ret | ||||||
| Pedro de la Rosa Pedro de la Rosa Pedro Martínez de la Rosa is a Formula One driver who has participated in 87 Grands Prix for the Arrows, Jaguar, McLaren and Sauber teams, debuting on 7 March 1999, becoming one of very few drivers to score a point at his first race... |
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| Alexander Wurz Alexander Wurz Alexander Wurz is an Austrian racing driver. He competed in Formula One from until , and is also a two-time winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours.... |
3 |