Category | Formula One | ||||||||||
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Constructor | McLaren | ||||||||||
Designer(s) | Paddy Lowe (Technical Director) | ||||||||||
Predecessor | McLaren MP4-27 | ||||||||||
Successor | McLaren MP4-29 | ||||||||||
Technical specifications | |||||||||||
Chassis | Moulded carbon fibre composite monocoque incorporating front and side impact structures | ||||||||||
Suspension (front) | Penske inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pullrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement | ||||||||||
Suspension (rear) | as front | ||||||||||
Engine | Mercedes-Benz FO 108F 2.4 L (146 cu in) V8 (90°). Naturally aspirated, 18,000 RPM limited with KERS, mid-mounted. | ||||||||||
Transmission | McLaren seven-speed (plus one reverse gear) hand-operated, seamless shift sequential gearbox | ||||||||||
Weight | at least 642 kg (1,415 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 (dry), Cinturato (wet) Enkei wheels (front and rear): 13" |
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Competition history | |||||||||||
Notable entrants | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes | ||||||||||
Notable drivers | 5. Jenson Button 6. Sergio Pérez |
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Debut | 2013 Australian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
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The McLaren MP4-28 is a Formula One racing car designed and built by the McLaren team for use in the 2013 Formula One season. It was driven by 2009 World Champion Jenson Button and Sergio Pérez, the latter of whom joined the team after Lewis Hamilton moved to Mercedes. The car was launched on 31 January 2013, as part of the team's fiftieth anniversary celebrations. It was also the last McLaren car to feature major sponsorship from Vodafone, a partnership that flourished for seven years, beginning in 2007 on the MP4-22.
The MP4-28 resulted in McLaren's worst Formula 1 performance for 33 years. It was their first season without finishing on the podium since 1980, and they never qualified in the top five - their worst since 1983. It was also the team's first season without a win since 2006.
The MP4-28 features significant revisions compared to the MP4-27 as the team felt that the MP4-27 had reached the end of its development cycle, and that starting over would give the MP4-28 a wider scope for development. A pullrod front suspension similar to that of the Ferrari F2012 was introduced, the sidepods were revised to improve airflow over the rear of the car, while the rear suspension geometry was reconfigured to be more aerodynamic whilst incorporating a wishbone system designed to manage rear tyre wear by adding camber to the rear wheels as the speed increases, and relax as the car decelerates. The car's centre of gravity was altered by reducing the weight of the rollhoop and engine cover, allowing the team to raise the car's nose. The profile of the chassis was streamlined with the addition of a "vanity plate" to cover the "stepped" design seen throughout 2012. By contrast, the Lotus E21 was launched without a vanity plate, as the team felt that it was a purely cosmetic feature that added unnecessary weight; McLaren, on the other hand, described the weight change and aerodynamic benefits as a "non-issue".