Vodafone McLaren Mercedes launches the 2009 MP4-24
Click above to see McLaren's launch of the new MP4-24 in high resolution
I spent a couple of teenage summers working at a camp where, every August, the director would announce his retirement. And every year, he'd be back... until one year he wasn't, and everyone was surprised. Meanwhile, the motorsport press has speculated on the retirement of McLaren team principal Ron Dennis for years now, but every year he'd be back on the pit lane wall. Now Ron's actually moving on, and this is the last car designed and produced under his direction.
It's called the MP4-24, and like those of McLaren's competitors -- including the recently-launched Ferrari F60 and Toyota TF109 -- the new car has to conform to the revised regulations. That means a bigger front wing and a smaller rear one with fewer little aero bits in between. Underneath is McLaren's KERS regenerative braking system, and the ECU which the team is now supplying to the entire grid. The MP4-24, which carries on the same chrome and Vodafone-red livery as last year's, was unveiled at the team's ultra-high-tech headquarters in Woking, England, after which the team's test driver Pedro de la Rosa took it for its first laps at the newly constructed Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal. McLaren's reigning champion Lewis Hamilton and his Finnish team-mate Heikki Kovalainen will take over from de la Rosa in the coming days, when several of the other teams will begin testing as well in the ramp-up to the Australian Grand Prix which kicks off the season on March 29. But not before the rest of the teams unveil their cars, so stay tuned.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Fernando 9:17AM (1/19/2009)
Get with the times AB this was like Friday's news maybe even Thursday.
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cFoo 12:06PM (1/19/2009)
Or better yet, they should just stop reporting this boring crap. The latest price of gas is probably more exciting than this over regulated piece of UGLY crap.
AZZO45b 3:17PM (1/19/2009)
Odd enough, AB featured a Ron Dennis story on the day the MP4/24 launched.
FYI AutoBlog: Renault & Williams launched their GP machines today... guess we will see them on AB next week!!!
BTW, the Renault livery is even more FUGLY than past liveries (which I didn't think was possible...)
pmiddle5 1:07AM (1/20/2009)
^^^ gotta save it up and spread them across the slow days
Michael 9:17AM (1/19/2009)
I hope they fix the balancing issues before they race it.
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Vetmstr 9:17AM (1/19/2009)
WOOOOW u guys are extra late with this information considering it came out on the last FRIDAY!!!
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Fernando 9:30AM (1/19/2009)
Hint, Hint the new Renault R29 got revealed today also. Maybe you can post about that on Wednesday or so.
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Majarvis 1:23PM (1/19/2009)
Haha, yep. AB isn't the quickest...
AZZO45b 3:21PM (1/19/2009)
AB would do us a favor if they ignored the Renault R29 all together... some of the forms (& especially the livery) are just FUGLY!!!
bw 5:01PM (1/19/2009)
stop saying fugly you retard
AZZO45b 5:20PM (1/19/2009)
O.K. bw... the new Renault is F*CKING UGLY... happy now jag-off??????
Do yourself a favor & comment on something AUTOMOTIVE... Don't be the gutless wonder that tells others what words to say & how to spell, etc. like you own the AB space.
Its a message board, don't like the concept? Then don't bother reading or typing.
Soccer Mom 9:23AM (1/19/2009)
All the best to the team. I hope they take the constructor championship this year.
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John Johnson 9:23AM (1/19/2009)
It surprises me that they kept Heikki. Considering he was in one of the 4 best cars on the grid, he did staggeringly horrible, pretty consistently. I guess all the decent talent was already booked :p
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pmiddle5 1:12AM (1/20/2009)
He did pretty damn good a couple of times but had far too many failures which were not necessarily his fault. He also was one hell of a team player which I'm sure McLaren really appreciated.
He was at times just a bit off the pace, but a bit too much. He was not able to be as much of a support to Lewis as he could have been which would have definitely helped secure the title more easily.
Ron Dennis is very patient with the drivers he believes in but he has also stepped down a bit do I dont know really whats going on there. One more year to step the game up but if he stays a good support to Lewis I'll imagine he will just stay on indefinitely.
Sortta like how Rubens was to Michael at Ferrari. A good loyal supporter who at times was faster!
Vetmstr 9:23AM (1/19/2009)
Heads up u guys. the Renault and the Williams debuts today. lol lol lol actually they have already had their debut.
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