Sweet!!!![]()
LONDON, England -- McLaren stepped up their preparations for the new Formula One season with the track debut of their new MP4-21 car in Spain on Monday.
Spanish test driver Pedro de la Rosa said first impressions of the Mercedes V8-powered car that replaces the V10 one that took 10 wins last season were good.
"It is of course too early to really understand its potential and we need to put a lot more laps on it," he said in a team statement after the first lap at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.
The team, runners-up to champions Renault last season, have around 20 days of track testing before the cars have to be flown to Bahrain for the March 12 season-opener.
McLaren F1 chief executive Martin Whitmarsh said the team had taken a major step forward with the running of the new challenger.
"The anticipation within the team as to how competitive the new car will be is great, particularly given the pace of our 2005 racer and the level of work that has been put into the MP4-21 project," he said.
Whitmarsh said the team planned an "aggressive schedule of upgrades" to the car before Bahrain.
Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya will drive the new car at the Spanish circuit on Tuesday and Wednesday with Finland's Kimi Raikkonen, winner of seven races last year, testing on Thursday and Friday.
McLaren have only one complete new car ready for testing and the second is due to start testing in Valencia during the week starting February 13.
Just one ride... that's all I ask!![]()
Think if I added headlights I could drive it on the streets
2005 Lava Orange MSM #601/1428
211 rwhp, 195 ft. lbs on 1/6/07
Crazy. Those sidepods are teh funky.
Iain
"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
I like how its orange like the old McLaren race cars.
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague longing for something salty" - Peter Egan
[Random crap] I did a report on Bruce McLaren for my sophmore english class in high school. Learned some good stuff.[/Random crap]
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague longing for something salty" - Peter Egan
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We had to pick one person and write up a report on him. I don't think I still have it. The only thing I really remember is how he died, testing a can am car in england. When he died, his mom woke up in the middle of the night in New Zealand and knew somthing was wrong. Sophmore year was like 5 years ago.
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague longing for something salty" - Peter Egan
Then you're too young to be losing your memory just yet...Originally Posted by blackzx3_13
Er, uhm... now what the hell were we yapping about? Hmm...![]()
We have a different paint job. Click me! Bling!
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague longing for something salty" - Peter Egan
That should blind the other drivers nicely on a sunny day!Originally Posted by Treibenschnell
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I liked the orange better.![]()
Iain
"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
+1Originally Posted by altiain
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"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague longing for something salty" - Peter Egan