@McLarenF1 officially launches the stunning #MCL36. #F1

McLaren MCL36 – McLaren Racing unveiled their new contender, the MCL36 to a live global audience ahead of the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship season.

The Mercedes-powered MCL36 will be piloted by Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, with the car built to the new era of Formula 1 technical regulations, which aims to produce closer and competitive racing.

Norris enters his fourth season in the sport and extended his deal with the Woking-based outfit to 2025, as the Briton looks to build on a great 2021 campaign where he scored four podiums and clinched his maiden pole position.

McLaren’s most recent winner, Ricciardo, enters his 12th season in Formula 1 and his second season with the team.

Over the course of last year, McLaren made solid progress on it’s journey towards the front of the field, including securing the team’s first Grand Prix victory since the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, and the only 1-2 finish of the 2021 season at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

Also the Woking-based squad further closed the gap to it’s top rivals, scoring their greatest amount of World Championship points since 2012.

The MCL36 was unleashed at the peak of the 2022 McLaren Racing launch, alongside the team’s IndyCar and Extreme E challengers, each sporting familiar livery colour-ways, electrifying the McLaren Racing family ahead of their respective seasons.

Designed under the leadership of Technical Director James Key and produced by the hard-working team at Woking, and spearheaded by Operations Director Piers Thynne, the Mercedes-powered MCL36 features several dramatic and striking changes compared to his MCL35M predecessor from last campaign.

The return of ground-effect to the sport changes the fundamental philosophy of the car and is part of the new era of technical regulations aimed at improving the racing by reducing the amount of disrupted air-flow generated by the cars.

The MCL36 is powered by a 1.6L Mercedes-AMG F1 M13 E Performance V6 Turbocharged Hybrid power-train, which was integrated into the McLaren chassis and gearbox with the support from Mercedes High Performance Power-Trains in Brixworth, United Kingdom.

The colours, which the team first carried in the 1960’s with founder Bruce McLaren were retained for the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season, with papaya orange, the fan favourite continuing to be the major colour of the livery.

Having debuted on the MCL35M’s 2021 Monaco Grand Prix livery, the striking fluro papaya is now featured on the MCL36 for the 2022 campaign, accented by new blue.

Reflecting on last season and looking ahead to the upcoming new era of the sport, Norris explained:

“It feels like a long time since we were last on-track in Abu Dhabi, and I can’t wait to get back in a car and put the MCL36 through its paces. Last year was my best in Formula 1 so far, and I’m really proud of what I achieved as a driver, and what we achieved as a team. But I know that the best is yet to come, and my aim is to carry the positive momentum we built up over the last year and take that with me into this exciting new era of Formula 1,”

 

“I’m in a good position heading into this year to build on the successes of 2021. I’ve grown up alongside McLaren and I’m really delighted to have recently confirmed my long-term future with the team. Together, I’m looking forward to finding out what we can achieve, and I’ll be working hard to maximise any opportunities that come our way.” Norris concluded. Credit to McLaren for the quote.

Team-mate Ricciardo added:

“There’s always a nervous excitement around the start of the new season, but that’s turned up to 11 when you enter a new era of regulations. Having been through several regulation changes now, I feel like I’m able to use that energy to help me adapt to new cars, new ways of driving and ultimately new ways of racing. These new cars will feel very different to the previous eras I’ve driven, but I’m hopeful that will come with closer racing and more opportunities to get to the front of the pack,”

 

“Heading into my second year with McLaren feels great and I feel like we learned a lot as a team in 2021, which will help us as we take on this new challenge. Securing the win in Monza was a real highlight of my career, but that’s all in the past now, and I’ll be giving it everything to secure more moments like that for the team throughout the 2022 season.” Ricciardo concluded. Credit to McLaren for the quote.

Norris, Ricciardo and the Woking-based outfit will take the Mercedes-powered MCL36 to the Circuit De Barcelona-Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain for the first of two pre-season tests ahead of the season-opening 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix from Friday March 18-20.

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