McLaren MP4-26
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| Category | Formula One | ||||||||||
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| Constructor | McLaren | ||||||||||
| Designer(s) | Paddy Lowe | ||||||||||
| Predecessor | McLaren MP4-25 | ||||||||||
| Successor | McLaren MP4-27 | ||||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||||
| Chassis | Moulded carbon fibre honeycomb composite incorporating front and side impact structures and integral safety fuel cell | ||||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Inboard torsion bar / damper system operated by pushrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement | ||||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | as front, except operated by pullrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement | ||||||||||
| Engine | Mercedes-Benz FO 108Y 2.4 L (146 cu in) V8 (90°). Naturally aspirated, 18,000 RPM limited with KERS, mid-mounted. | ||||||||||
| Transmission | McLaren Seven-speed semi-automatic gearbox with reverse gear hand-operated, seamless shift | ||||||||||
| Weight | 640 kg (1,411 lb) (including driver) | ||||||||||
| Fuel |
ExxonMobil High Performance Unleaded (5.75% bio fuel) Mobil Synergy Fuel System Mobil 1 lubrication |
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| Tyres |
Pirelli P Zero Enkei wheels (front and rear): 13" |
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| Competition history | |||||||||||
| Notable entrants | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes | ||||||||||
| Notable drivers | 3.  Lewis Hamilton4. Jenson Button
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| Debut | 2011 Australian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
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The McLaren MP4-26 was a Formula One racing car designed by McLaren for the 2011 Formula One season. It was driven by Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, the 2008 and 2009 World Drivers' Champions, respectively. The car was launched on 4 February at Potsdamer Platz located in Berlin, Germany, shortly after the first test session of the season in Valencia. McLaren test driver Gary Paffett, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button drove an interim version of the car's predecessor, the MP4-25 at the first tests to get experience with the final tyre compounds provided by new tyre supplier Pirelli. Right before the 2011 Singapore Grand Prix, McLaren signed a new sponsor: Lucozade and the logo replaced the Johnnie Walker logo on the sides of the rear wing, thus shifting the Johnnie Walker logo to the back of the rear wing, which changed from red to silver in colour.
The car was noted for its unique "L-shaped" sidepod arrangement. Technical director Paddy Lowe has exploited to the extreme the idea of higher outer sidepods, last seen on the likes of Benetton's B195 from 1995 and Ferrari's F310 from 1996. The aim is to clean up and better direct the airflow to the beam wing at the rear of the car, an area now even more important thanks to the ban on double diffusers. This solution also gives McLaren the possibility of running Renault-R31-style forward exhaust exits.
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