McLaren MP4-28 launch: First pictures and video

2013 F1 cars

January 31, 2013 at 11:15 am by
128 comments

The McLaren MP4-28 was launched today by the team at the McLaren Technology Centre.

The MP4-28 will be raced by Jenson Button and new team mate Sergio Perez, who joins the team from Sauber.

“With Jenson and Checo, and this fantastic-looking new car, I believe we’re extremely well prepared for another competitive season,” said team principal Martin Whitmarsh.

“Jenson is driving better than ever – he’s the most experienced driver in Formula 1, but he makes every ounce of that experience count: he’s peerless in his ability to read a race and one of the very fastest drivers out there. He’s a consummate professional, too, and will revel in working hard to drive this team through the year.

“Checo joins us after a sensational 2012 season and he’s immediately proved that he’s intelligent, modest, hard-working and, make no mistake; very, very quick. Of course, there’ll be a learning curve to overcome as he gets used to our organisation, particularly during the hustle and bustle of the early-season race weekends, but he understands that we are placing no pressure on him.

“This is an exciting time for the whole team. In our 50th anniversary season, I want Vodafone McLaren Mercedes to underline why we are the finest grand prix team in the world.”

As McLaren reach their 50th anniversary this year the team displayed their racing heritage before unveiling their latest Formula One car. An M8D Can-Am sportscar began the parade of cars, followed by a 1974 M23 of the type Emerson Fittipaldi won the world championship with.

An MP4-4 from 1988, as driven by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, was followed by the 1995 Le Mans-winning F1 GTR.

The pre-launch show concluded with two Mercedes-powered cars: an MP4-13 from 1998 and the MP4-23 Lewis Hamilton used to win the 2008 world championship.

McLaren MP4-28 launch pictures

McLaren MP4-28 launch video

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128 comments on McLaren MP4-28 launch: First pictures and video

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  1. Avatar Image

    andae23 (@andae23) said on 31st January 2013, 11:59

    The nose looks pretty much the same as last year’s, though it looks a bit lower then the nose thet finished with in 2012. Front wing lay-out is exactly the same as last year, so that will be revealed in Jerez. Front suspension is changed to pull rods, following Ferrari’s 2012 car and the 2001 Minardi.

    Side pods intakes have changed, as there is a ‘dent’ on it to create a vortex, probably to aid the exhaust flow (could be a replacement for the Star Wars wings surrounding the side pod in 2012). Though the exhaust lay-out will change before the Jerez test, they seem to stick to their old Coanda exhaust, with side pod flow crossing below the exhaust flow. The aft part of the lower wishbone covers the drive shaft, copying Red Bull.

    Has anyone seen how awesome Perez’s helmet is?

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  2. Avatar Image

    Spawinte (@spawinte) said on 31st January 2013, 12:15

    Why must they mount their car on a silly angled plinth every year?

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  3. Avatar Image

    Ben (@scuderia29) said on 31st January 2013, 12:18

    f1 liveries are becoming very stale
    red bull have used the same livery since they entered in 2005 (give or take a few minor details)
    mclaren have used the same livery since 2006 (so thats only a year fresher than red bulls)
    ferrari…well theyre never going to be anything but red but the shape of the car tends to differ a lot from year to year which keeps them looking a little fresher (it would be nice to see the white of the santander disappear like the 2009 car)

    i know with sponsors changing the livery can be a little complicated to change but come on f1 teams, lets see a little variation

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    • vjanik said on 31st January 2013, 12:35

      i dont see football fans wanting a different jersey for their team every year.

      teams have to build a visual identity, and some continuity in livery is ok with me. i dont believe in changing a livery just for the sake of it. change it if it looks bad, but not just because you’re bored.

      with McLaren i agree that they should change it given that Mercedes is back in F1. I was expecting Mercedes to take over the silver arrows livery and McLaren adopting a new one in 2010 (Maybe going back to one of their previous colour schemes).

      But i wouldn’t call F1 liveries stale.

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      • Avatar Image

        Ben (@scuderia29) said on 31st January 2013, 13:00

        you can have continuity without keeping the identical livery, although i personally love the way the renault/lotus team have changed from 2006 til now. For instance the new lotus livery continues from last year without being identical (with the addition of the colour red) would we really want the liveries the teams are running today to be identical to the ones theyre running in 20 years from now? surely not. The mclaren was unveiled and even the drivers commented on how similar it looked, if all unveiling’s are as disappointing as that one then they might aswel just show them to the public at the first test, taking the sheet off the show a car that looks the same as last years is so disappointing.

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          petebaldwin (@petebaldwin) said on 31st January 2013, 13:29

          I agree – the team’s colours shouldn’t change for no reason but an updated livery is always a way IMO to freshen things up. Marussia are a good example of this as are Lotus – slightly different each year but still are instantly recognisable.

          McLaren still looks nice but the wow factor has completely gone for me – it all just feels a bit stale.

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  4. Avatar Image

    Ben (@dirtyscarab) said on 31st January 2013, 12:37

    This is the first year in a long while I’ve not been excited about the car launches. It all seems a little theatrical rolling out a car that’s clearly nothing similar to the one that’ll be used in the test on Tuesday or the first race.

    I’ll be more excited come the first test. That’s when we’ll can all hunker down and do some new parts spotting.

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  5. Avatar Image

    petebaldwin (@petebaldwin) said on 31st January 2013, 13:24

    Nevermind what turns up at the first race, the car that turns up at the first test will look completely different to this one.

    This launches are becoming more of a livery launch as opposed to a new car! They created a new front wing that was better towards the end of last season yet they’ve got the older one on here. Not a chance that’ll get anywhere near the track!

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  6. Avatar Image

    AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 31st January 2013, 13:36

    Nice sidepod! Strange how a couple of years can take it from a U shape to…whatever that is, that’ll be the EBD ban creating grief.

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  7. CovertGiblets said on 31st January 2013, 13:45

    I do sometimes wonder why teams go to all the trouble of having elaborate ‘launch’ events when the car being revealed is so far removed from that which will be tested and raced. I understand the covert nature of the industry, but surely, these events are nothing more than ways of maintaining Moet’s share price!

    Having said that… it is quite entertaining trying to find subtle differences from the previous iteration. One thing is certain. We should notice a difference next year!

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    GeorgeTuk (@georgetuk) said on 31st January 2013, 13:49

    Whitmarsh really likes Sergio Perez doesn’t he! And the excuses are already there. But if the “hustle and bustle” means he can’t perform at his best I would be very worried!

    Good luck to the man though!

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  9. Avatar Image

    Chalky (@chalky) said on 31st January 2013, 13:59

    OK, so it looks like last years car because the rules are so similar.
    But why would any team want to show their competitors some special piece of aerodynamics at this stage? If you can get away with “what we have all seen before”, you might as well.

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  10. Avatar Image

    GeeMac (@geemac) said on 31st January 2013, 14:05

    Has anyone else noticed that they have gone all BGP001 with the mirrors?

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  11. Avatar Image

    verstappen (@verstappen) said on 31st January 2013, 14:07

    Why don’t they call Sergio Sergio?

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    • Avatar Image

      Sergio Perez (@sergio-perez) said on 1st February 2013, 7:14

      Having an F1 driver in my favourite team with my name is more than a 1 000 000 to 1 scenario. Was already rubbing my hands in buying a Sergio Perez Mclaren Cap or jacket, but if it has Checo on it, I will be very disappointed… (My name is REALLY Sergio Perez)

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  12. Dizzy said on 31st January 2013, 14:15

    Adam Cooper has confirmed that it does have a stepped nose.
    https://twitter.com/adamcooperf1

    The new McLaren has a stepped nose — we know because there’s an unpainted one visible through the window of the composite shop!

    However it’s hidden of course by the ‘vanity panel’, in effect a hollow section at the top of the nose. Tap it and you can tell..

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    nidzovski (@nidzovski) said on 31st January 2013, 14:17

    It is a brave thing to say that 2013 car is a bullet proof while using a completely different front end linkage suspension! Isn’t it?

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  14. Avatar Image

    coefficient (@coefficient) said on 31st January 2013, 14:20

    Hmm, this doesn’t reveal much. Vanilla diffusor, no rear brake assemblies, black panel around exhausts will definately be removed and replaced with something interesting, no turning veins under the nose, pre Austin 2012 front wing, Pod Winglets not present (yet). This car is incomplete so can’t wait for the 3rd test to see how it really looks.

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  15. rodney said on 31st January 2013, 14:44

    For those who assume otherwise, there is indeed a modesty panel on the McLaren. They have switched to a higher chassis for this year. The reason u do not see the modesty panel is because it is blended to the front nose cone. Scarbs has a photo of the McLaren nose cone without the modesty panel blended. The mdesty panel does not need to be a separate piece.

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