McLaren MCL35

The McLaren MCL35 is a Formula One car constructed by McLaren to compete in the 2020 and 2021 Formula One World Championships. It was originally intended to contest only the 2020 championship before a new car was to be introduced in 2021, but under an agreement reached between the teams and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile 2020-specification cars will see their lifespan extended to compete in 2021.[5]

McLaren MCL35
An MCL35 with aero rakes driven by Lando Norris during 2020 Formula One pre-season testing.
CategoryFormula One
ConstructorMcLaren
Designer(s)James Key (Technical Director)
Peter Prodromou (Chief Engineer, Aerodynamics)
PredecessorMcLaren MCL34
Technical specifications[1][2][3][4]
Suspension (front)Carbon fibre wishbone and pushrod suspension elements operating inboard torsion bar and damper system
Suspension (rear)Carbon fibre wishbone and pullrod suspension elements operating inboard torsion bar and damper system
EngineRenault E-Tech 20 1.6 L (98 cu in) direct injection V6 turbocharged engine limited to 15,000 RPM in a mid-mounted, rear-wheel drive layout
Electric motorRenault kinetic and thermal energy recovery systems
TransmissionMcLaren Applied Technologies 8-speed + 1 reverse sequential seamless semi-automatic paddle shift with epicyclic differential and multi-plate limited slip clutch
BatteryLithium-ion battery
Weight746 kg (including driver, excluding fuel)
FuelBP
LubricantsCastrol
BrakesAkebono
TyresPirelli P Zero (dry)
Pirelli Cinturato (wet)
Competition history
Notable entrantsMcLaren F1 Team
Notable drivers
Debut2020 Austrian Grand Prix
Last event2020 Spanish Grand Prix
RacesWinsPodiumsPolesF.Laps
60102

The car will be driven by Carlos Sainz Jr. and Lando Norris in 2020,[6] and by Norris and Daniel Ricciardo in 2021.[7][lower-alpha 1] The car was planned to make its competitive début at the 2020 Australian Grand Prix, but this was delayed when the race was cancelled and multiple events were postponed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] The MCL35 made its début at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix and is expected to be the last McLaren car to be fitted with a Renault engine as the team will return to Mercedes engines for 2021.[10]

Background

Intitial design and development

James Key was recruited from Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2019 to replace the outgoing Tim Goss,[11] and was named as the MCL35's lead designer.[12][13] In October 2019 team principal Andreas Seidl stated very little of the MCL34 would be carried over to the MCL35,[14][15] with the aim of the closing the gap to the top three teams to under one second.[13][16][17] Lando Norris stated that one of the team's major areas of focus would be to improve the MCL35's cornering ability.[18][19]

Switch from Renault to Mercedes engines

Aside from minor upgrades, 2020-specification cars were meant to be kept largely unchanged for the 2021 season. However, McLaren received special permission—subject to inspection from the FIA—to make modifications to the chassis that would allow the MCL35 to accommodate the new Mercedes engine as the team had signed an agreement with Mercedes before the decision for all teams to keep using their 2020 cars was made.[20][21] This requirement led directly to Formula One's adoption of a token-based system for 2021 vehicle development.[22] Despite switching engines, McLaren will not switch gearbox and will continue to design and manufacture their own.[23]

Season summary

Prior to the beginning of the season, the team established their aim to defend their status as 'best of the rest' – fourth place in the Constructors' Championship behind the current leading trio of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull – and close the gap to those respective teams.[13][16][24][25] In preseason testing however, Racing Point, whose car strongly resembled the 2019 Mercedes car,[26] was very quick compared to the other midfield teams, and caused McLaren to be less than optimistic about their chances to secure fourth place.[27]

The season was heavily disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading the reorganisation of the calendar.

Opening rounds

McLaren used a new floor, diffuser, and brake ducts at the Austrian Grand Prix as well as a tweaked front wing.[28][29] Norris qualified in fourth and was promoted to third after a penalty was given to Lewis Hamilton,[30] while Sainz qualified in eighth. This was McLaren's best grid start since 2016.[31] After Norris lost positions in the opening laps to Hamilton and Alexander Albon, both McLarens ran comfortably in the top ten for the remainder of the race. In the closing laps, Hamilton collided with Albon and was given a five second penalty.[32] Norris, running in fifth, was required to close the gap between himself and Hamilton (running in second place) to under five seconds in order to finish in the top three, overtaking Sergio Pérez (who also had a five second penalty after a pit lane incident involving Norris) and setting his first fastest lap on the last lap of the race in the process, as well as getting his first ever Formula One podium.[33] Sainz finished in fifth after also overtaking Pérez. This was McLaren's second podium in three races after the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix, in sharp contrast to their previous gap of 118 races.[34]

McLaren used a new chin spoiler design during the Styrian Grand Prix.[35][36] Sainz qualified in third, the best outright qualifying position for McLaren since 2014.[37] Norris qualified in sixth but was demoted to ninth after a penalty from free practice was applied.[38] Norris would go on to finish fifth after overtaking both Racing Point drivers on the final lap,[39] while Sainz would finish ninth and set the fastest lap and a new track record in the process.[40]

McLaren used a new engine cover and T-wing design during the Hungarian Grand Prix.[36][41][42] McLaren had a poor showing in Hungary compared to the Austrian rounds. While Sainz did manage third in second practice,[43] McLaren would only manage to qualify eighth and ninth.[44] Both Sainz and Norris dropped positions while changing tyres on lap four, being held up by traffic in the pit lane.[45] Norris could only recover to thirteenth after being passed by Charles Leclerc. Sainz finished tenth, and was later promoted to ninth after Haas driver Kevin Magnussen received a penalty.[46]

At the British Grand Prix, McLaren removed the T-wing and reverted their engine cover design to the pre-Hungarian version, while using a new front wing, rear wing, and floor design.[47][48] Norris and Sainz would go on to qualify fifth and seventh respectively,[49] and would then run in seventh and fourth in the final laps before a tyre puncture for Sainz dropped him to thirteenth.[50][51] He was promoted to thirteenth after Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi was penalised for violating safety car conditions.

The following week at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, Norris qualified tenth and Sainz thirteenth, the latter being the first time a McLaren had failed to reach the final part of qualifying in 2020.[52] Sainz later stated that the team had discovered an overheating issue in third practice, and in order to be able to complete the race the car was required to undergo bodywork changes that in turn compromised his qualifying pace.[53] During the race, Sainz's pitstop was compromised by a wheel gun malfunction. Both drivers listed tyre management as their main challenge as Norris and Sainz went on to finish ninth and thirteenth respectively.[54] McLaren was overtaken by Ferrari in the constructors' championship, finishing the round in fourth, two points behind Ferrari. Meanwhile, Norris fell to fifth from fourth in the drivers' championship after being overtaken by Charles Leclerc, with Sainz dropped to from tenth to eleventh by Esteban Ocon.[55]

Mid-season rounds

At the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz continued to experience cooling problems on his MCL35 and was issued with a new chassis.[56] When this failed to fix the issue,[57] the power unit on his car was replaced.[58] This was the first power unit change for an MCL35 in the 2020 season and successfully fixed the issue.[59][60] Sainz and Norris would go on to qualify in seventh and eighth respectively,[61][62] but were concerned over the impacts of a high temperature race.[60] Despite this, Sainz would finish in sixth and Norris in tenth.[63] The team maintained their fourth place in the standings, with Sainz improving the ninth and Norris fell to seventh.

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Power unit Tyres Drivers Grands Prix Points WCC Ref.
2020 McLaren F1 Team Renault
E-Tech 20		 P AUT STY HUN GBR 70A ESP BEL ITA TUS RUS EIF POR EMI 62* 4th*
Lando Norris 3F 5 13 5 9 10
Carlos Sainz Jr. 5 9F 9 13 13 6
Notes
  • * Championship in progress.
  • † Driver failed to finish the race, but was classified as they had completed over 90% of the winner's race distance.

Notes
  1. Carlos Sainz Jr. is due to leave the team and join Ferrari for 2021.[8]

References
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