Autoblog

McLaren denies plans to switch engine suppliers

Noah Joseph — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:59:00 EST

For 15 years, McLaren was the F1 team of choice for Mercedes-Benz, enjoying a near-works level of support and collaboration from the German automaker. But as you may recall, Daimler bought its own team three seasons ago: the outfit that started out as British American Racing, then became Honda before branching out as Brawn GP, was rebranded Mercedes GP under its latest management and now rechristened Mercedes AMG Petronas. And ever since, McLaren has had to deflect speculation that it was looking for a new engine supplier.

Back in November, those rumors, somewhat ironically, centered around Honda, the company that once owned the team now owned by Mercedes-Benz and which was once McLaren's most victorious engine supplier. The Woking-based outfit scuttled those rumors at the time, and has now had to deny another set, this time involving PURE.

The new engine supplier established by former Jacques Villeneuve manager and BAR-Honda team principal Craig Pollock (with considerable technical know-how from former Peugeot, Renault and Ferrari engineers) is hard at work designing a new engine to be used from 2014 when the new turbocharged V6 engine regulations come into effect. There's no telling which teams PURE will power at that point, but one thing McLaren is adamant about is that it won't be theirs.

Instead, the brass at Woking is insistent that it is perfectly happy in its relationship with Mercedes-Benz, whose racing engine operations are linked to its eponymous racing team by little more than name and common ownership. McLaren, then, is expected to stick with Silver Star power at least through the end of 2015, if not longer.

McLaren denies plans to switch engine suppliers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jenson Button renews with McLaren

Noah Joseph — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs

As far as F1 drivers go, Jenson Button is no proverbial spring chicken. He's been on the grid since the turn of the millennium, having debuted in 2000 with Williams before spending two years with Renault, seven seasons with the BAR/Honda/Brawn team and now he's in his second season with McLaren. But after winning the world championship two years back, he's currently sitting second behind Sebastian Vettel in the standings for this year's championship.

It's clear that Jenson's finally found his groove, and he's in no rush to change teams again. So it should come as no surprise that the British driver and the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team have signed to renew their contract for several more years to come. Though we haven't seen a press release, the signing is being widely covered in the motorsport press. It's undoubtedly a smart move for both team and driver, and one that could bring another title back to Woking and into his trophy case in the near future. We'll be watching.

Jenson Button renews with McLaren originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Radical new McLaren MP4-26 Formula 1 car unveiled in Berlin

Noah Joseph — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 09:48:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

2011 McLaren MP4-26 - Click above for high-res image gallery

While rival Formula 1 teams unveiled their new 2011 challengers at or before the recently test session at Valencia, McLaren opted to run its 2010 F1 car instead. The reason? Ostensibly to focus on the varied effects the new Pirelli tires. This week in Berlin, however, the British Formula 1 outfit joined the field and took the wraps off its new racer, the MP4-26, revealing a number of innovative and radical design elements.

In the German capital, the team rolled out the car in pieces and put it together in front of the gathered crowd (not unlike the funny Vodafone video starring Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton). McLaren used a plastic engine and exhaust system so as not to reveal all their secrets, but what we do know is that MP4-26 F1 car features a longer-than-usual wheelbase, an even higher nosecone than its rivals, and odd U-shaped sidepods. That last feature is designed to channel cleaner air to the new rear wing in an effort to regain downforce lost from the regulatory elimination of the double diffuser.

The MP4-26 is also the first McLaren Formula 1 car designed to accomodate Jenson Button's taller frame, since last year's racer was largely finalized before his release from Brawn GP. McLaren remains secretive on the rest of the design, releasing only the handful of images you can see in the gallery below. Has McLaren got enough tricks up its sleeve to drive Button or Hamilton to another title? We'll just have to wait and see.

Gallery: 2011 McLaren MP4-26

[Source: McLaren]

Radical new McLaren MP4-26 Formula 1 car unveiled in Berlin originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Feb 2011 09:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jenson Button escapes armed attack in Brazil

John Neff — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 00:52:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Safety, Celebrities, South America

Here's what we know. According to The Press Association, reigning Formula One World Champion Jenson Button has survived an armed attack on the vehicle in which he, his father, trainer and manager were being transported back to their hotel in Sao Paulo, Brazil after Saturday's qualifying session for the Brazilian Grand Prix. Button was fortunately riding in an armored vehicle provided by his team, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, that was piloted by a police driver trained in avoidance techniques.

According to Button himself, the attack occurred while his vehicle was moving slowly past a shanty town in Sao Paulo. Six armed attackers, reportedly brandishing machine guns, attacked the vehicle, though Button doesn't mention whether shots were fired or his vehicle was hit. He has, however, praised his driver, who he says "bounced off about five cars" while ferrying the party from harm's way. That's quite a compliment coming from the reigning World Champion.

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes also provided Button's teammate Lewis Hamilton with an armored vehicle and trained police driver. The precautions were reportedly taken on account of the high number of gun crimes in Sao Paulo. We're not sure if that's standard procedure for all F1 teams visiting Brazil this weekend, but we bet it will be in the future. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: UKPA]

Jenson Button escapes armed attack in Brazil originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Nov 2010 00:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton hit the road to Silverstone in a VW Bus

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Videos

Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton doing the Magic Bus thing to Silverstone - Click above to watch video after the jump

Now that the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 team has two World Championship Winning drivers who don't hiss and break into hives when they hear each others' names, principal sponsor Vodafone is making the most of it. Recently the two built - and we use that word loosely - one of their own cars. More recently, for a spot of fun before Silverstone, Hamilton and Button hopped into a 1966 VW Camper and drove from the McLaren Technical Center to the track, stopping at a gas station along the way to hand out race tickets. You'll find the shenanigans in the video after the jump. Great tip, Focus!

[Source: Vodafone-McLaren F1]

Continue reading Video: Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton hit the road to Silverstone in a VW Bus

Video: Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton hit the road to Silverstone in a VW Bus originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Lewis and Jenson put their McLaren together themselves

Noah Joseph — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Videos

Hamilton and Button try their hand at mechanics - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Grand Prix racing sure has come a long way since the old days of driving your car to the track, lining up on the grid and fixing problems yourself track-side. Just how far? Well, the two reigning world champions had to find out the hard way.

In a promotional video for McLaren's title sponsor Vodafone, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton were left to hand-assemble their own F1 car, without any help. Shameless marketing ploy? Sure, but that doesn't mean it's not worth a watch, so check it out in the video after the jump, where you'll clearly see a better team dynamic than Lewis enjoyed with Fernando Alonso back in the day.

[Source: YouTube via PistonHeads]

Continue reading Video: Lewis and Jenson put their McLaren together themselves

Video: Lewis and Jenson put their McLaren together themselves originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Jenson Button joins Hamilton for twin-champ McLaren "super team"

Noah Joseph — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, UK

It's not every day that you see two World Champions teamed up together - especially not the two most recent. In fact, that bit has never happened before in Formula One history, but that's exactly what we'll see next year as McLaren has announced the teaming of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton as its drivers for next season and beyond.

Button's move to McLaren has been long rumored, fueled recently by a visit by the World Champion together with his managers to the team's headquarters in Woking. Negotiations had been ongoing with the Brawn team with which he won his championship this year and which he'll now be departing, but even with Mercedes' injection of cash, the small team apparently couldn't afford the rate which the newly crowned champ was commanding on the open market.

The announcement will undoubtedly be greeted enthusiastically by British racing fans, placing two British drivers behind the wheel of an entirely British team - and the first pairing of two British World Champions since 1968 when Graham Hill and Jim Clark drove for Lotus. Less so for the newly-christened Mercedes Grand Prix team, which is losing both the drivers that brought Brawn GP the championship.

The move also leaves Heikki Kovalainen without a ride and further confirms fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen's lucrative sabbatical. But now that Button's future is settled and McLaren has confirmed its drivers, the rest of the grid should fall into place shortly, so stay tuned. Details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: McLaren | Image: Paul Gilham/Getty]

Continue reading BREAKING: Jenson Button joins Hamilton for twin-champ McLaren "super team"

BREAKING: Jenson Button joins Hamilton for twin-champ McLaren "super team" originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hamilton, McLaren retroactively disqualified from Australian GP?

Noah Joseph — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Trends, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Last weekend's Australian Grand Prix, the season opener to the 2009 Formula One season, may have ushered in a new era in on-track competition, but the off-track politics are already back up to full swing.

Following the race, officials from the FIA convened to decide whether Toyota's Jarno Trulli had illegally passed McLaren's defending champion Lewis Hamilton behind the safety car. McLaren and Hamilton insisted the pass was illegal, but new evidence - namely radio transmissions between the two drivers and their pit crews - reportedly demonstrated indicated that Hamilton deliberately let Trulli by.

The new evidence was confirmed by a meeting of the FIA stewards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the second race of the season is scheduled to take place this coming weekend. Their decision? To take away Hamilton's and McLaren's points altogether, which may seem like a harsh punishment, but the stewards determined that Hamilton and McLaren had intentionally deceived the officials.

The adjusted rankings therefore bump Trulli up to third (in both the race results and the drivers' championship standings, since it was the first race of the season) and Toyota up to second in the constructors' championship, while McLaren remains outside the standings altogether as both their drivers were deemed not to have been classified in the race. Tune in on Sunday for our recap of the Malaysian Grand Prix, where hopefully the finishing order will actually be determined on the track and not in boardroom.

[Source: Autosport]

Hamilton, McLaren retroactively disqualified from Australian GP? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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