Following a difficult season the McLaren MP4-29 needs to deliver in
2014. Here are the first pictures of McLaren’s new contender.
“We’ve never had such significant new regulations before,” said
McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale. “Reacting to them, and
managing those changes, while still pushing the performance limits, has
been an extremely tough job.”
Neale said the team have taken a “pragmatic” approach to the new
regulations. “We know that the need for consistency initially outweighs
the need for performance – the winter tests won’t be about chasing
set-up or refining the car; the envelope of performance is likely to be
so wide, and so relatively unknown, that the winter – and to some extent
the opening races – will be about understanding the operational
boundaries of the car as best we can.”
“This year, more than ever, will come down to a development race,” he
added. “I don’t necessarily think you can expect the car that wins the
opening race to be the car that leads the championship charge, something
we’ve often seen in the past.”
“No, it will be all about a team’s ability to react and respond. We
already have an update package that we’re readying for race one, and
we’re discovering new things in the [wind] tunnel, or in CFD, all the
time. Once we start track testing, I think you’ll see an intense
throughput of ideas and concepts – that’s the nitty-gritty that will win
or lose the world championship.”
