McLaren Mercedes MP4-22.

Launched at the Mercedes Museum {link}, home to many evocative and highly successful race cars, the MP4-23 is McLaren’s 2008 Formula 1 car. After a stunningly successful but ultimately unrewarding 2007 season the MP4-23 is a clear development of the last year’s car. The 2007 car had very few flaws and those there were have clearly been addressed by this year’s MP4-23.
The latest McLaren Mercedes {link} has a longer wheel base to improve high speed handling, it is also lighter allowing greater use of ballast to improve traction and also tyre wear. A new, longer carbonfibre and titanium gearbox is the most obvious mechanical change over last year’s car. Aerodynamically the MP4-23 benefits from subtle and clever alterations; a new nose and fish-like gills at the rear of the rollhoop being the most obvious.
The complete McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 package is designed at negating the few advantages Ferrari’s F1 challenger had over the team last year. In a quiet and tranquil museum in Stuttgart last week the job seemed to have been done very successfully. A loud, bustling Melbourne in 2 months will offer the real proof. Whether Ferrari or McLaren Mercedes have achieved the best 2008 car will only be seen when the red lights go out on race day. With BMW aiming to make it a trio at the top the MP4-23 has a lot riding on it, yet the drivers and team seem confident that they can, at least, repeat last year’s successful results on any given race day.