McLaren M23

McLaren M23

Emerson Fittipaldi in the McLaren M23 at the 1974 British Grand Prix.
Category	Formula One
Constructor	McLaren Racing
Designer(s)	Gordon Coppuck John Barnard Ray Stokoe
Predecessor	M19C
Successor	M26
Technical specifications [1]
Chassis	Aluminium monocoque.
Suspension (front)	Double wishbone, with inboard coilover shock absorbers.
Suspension (rear)	Double wishbone.
Axle track	62 in (157 cm)
Wheelbase	101 in (257 cm)
Engine	Ford-Cosworth DFV 2,993 cc (182.6 cu in) 90° V8, naturally aspirated, mid-mounted.
Transmission	Hewland FG400 5/6-speed manual gearbox.
Power	465 hp (347 kW) @ 10,800 rpm [2] 280 lb⋅ft (380 N⋅m) torque
Weight	575 kg (1,268 lb)
Competition history
Notable entrants	Yardley Team McLaren Marlboro Team Texaco Marlboro Team McLaren
Notable drivers	Denny Hulme Peter Revson Jochen Mass Mike Hailwood Emerson Fittipaldi James Hunt
Debut	1973 South African Grand Prix
Races Wins Poles F/Laps 83 16 14 10
Constructors' Championships	1 (1974)
Drivers' Championships	2 (1974: Fittipaldi; 1976: Hunt)
n.b. Unless otherwise stated, all data refer to Formula One World Championship Grands Prix only.

The McLaren M23 was a Formula One racing car designed by Gordon Coppuck, with input from John Barnard, and built by the McLaren team. It was a development of the McLaren M16 Indianapolis 500 car. A Ford Cosworth DFV engine was used, which was prepared by specialist tuning company Nicholson-McLaren Engines. This helped push the DFV's horsepower output to around 490 bhp.

A total of 13 chassis were built, with serial numbers 1 to 12 and 14. No number 13 chassis was built, as it was deemed to be unlucky. ^[3]

History

1973

Denny Hulme's 1973 McLaren-Ford M23 being demonstrated at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

The M19 had reached the end of its development life and a new design was needed to keep pace with the latest generation of Formula One cars and regulations regarding deformable crash protection structures. ^[4] Taking inspiration from the M16 Indycar and utilising the M19's rear suspension design, the new M23 was introduced for the 1973 season, and scored pole position with Denny Hulme on its very first outing. Hulme and Peter Revson took three wins between them that season, while rookie Jody Scheckter nearly added a fourth. Scheckter was responsible for one of the biggest accidents Formula One has ever seen, at the 1973 British Grand Prix, when he spun his M23 in front of the pack. ^[5]

1974

Mike Hailwood driving a Yardley-liveried McLaren M23 at Brands Hatch in 1974

Emerson Fittipaldi joined McLaren from Lotus in 1974. His knowledge of the Lotus 72 helped McLaren develop the M23 and that season Fittipaldi gave McLaren its first drivers' and constructors' world championships, beating Ferrari, Tyrrell and Lotus with four wins.

The season saw Marlboro become title sponsors of the team, which they would continue to be so until 1996. Fittipaldi worked on improving the car; a wider track and longer wheelbase were adopted. ^[6] The revised M23 featured redesigned bodywork, wings and aerodynamics were introduced during the year. ^[7]

Fittipaldi took three wins, while Hulme won once in a closely fought season.

1975

A McLaren M23 with much of its bodywork and front wing removed, Cosworth DFV visible in the rear. Note the exposed pedals between the front wheels and minimal upper-body crash protection, very different from today's F1 cars.

Further development in 1975 – including a 6-speed gearbox, a novelty for the time – helped Fittipaldi to second in the drivers' championship behind Niki Lauda, who had the benefit of Ferrari's 312T chassis and McLaren to third in the constructors' championship, behind Ferrari and Brabham. ^[8]

The team experimented with different bodywork styles, including aerodynamic kickups in front of the rear wheels, different nose profiles and extended bodywork in front of the rear wheels, housing the oil coolers. ^[9]

Also making an appearance were side mounted skirts which sealed the underside of the car to the racetrack, a precursor to the ground effect technology first seen properly with the Lotus 78. ^[10] Most of these changes were adopted for the M23 and its successor, the McLaren M26.

1976

At the end of 1975 Fittipaldi left the team to join his brother's Copersucar-sponsored Fittipaldi Automotive team. He was replaced by James Hunt, who went on to win a dramatic and controversial 1976 season with the final evolution M23, the M23D.

James Hunt won the British Grand Prix, but was later disqualified after the race.

New regulations outlawing the tall airboxes over the engines were introduced for the Spanish Grand Prix. As a result the M23 sported mid mounted air scoops on either side of the roll bar. The oil coolers were repositioned to be in front of the rear wheels. ^[11]

James Hunt won six races on his way to the world championship. ^[12]

1977

The M26 was seen as the future and development had ended on the M23 by the end of 1976. However, when the new car proved troublesome, Hunt and Jochen Mass relied on the M23 in the early part of the 1977 season, and even though the car was now four years old it was still competitive, earning several pole positions and podium finishes. ^[13]

Gilles Villeneuve made his Grand Prix debut at the 1977 British Grand Prix in an M23. ^[14]

The M23 was never the most technically advanced F1 car, but sound preparation and continual development helped it win 16 Grands Prix, two drivers' and one constructors' world championships in its lifetime. ^[15]

The M23 was also modified for use in Formula 5000 racing. Australian driver John McCormack drove a Leyland powered M23 to win the 1977 Australian Drivers' Championship. McCormack also put his M23 on pole for the 1978 Australian Grand Prix. ^[16]

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Points	WCC
1973	Yardley Team McLaren	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G			ARG	BRA	RSA	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE	FRA	GBR	NED	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA			58*	3rd
				Denny Hulme				5	6	7	6	1	8	3	Ret	12	8	15	13	4
				Peter Revson					4	Ret	5	7		1	4	9	Ret	3	1	5
				Jody Scheckter									Ret	DNS					Ret	Ret
				Jacky Ickx												3
1974	Marlboro Team Texaco	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G			ARG	BRA	RSA	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA			73 (75)	1st
				Emerson Fittipaldi	5	10	1	7	3	1	5	4	3	Ret	2	Ret	Ret	2	1	4
				Denny Hulme	6	1	12	9	6	6	Ret	Ret	Ret	6	7	DSQ	2	6	6	Ret
	Yardley Team McLaren			Mike Hailwood	33	4	5	3	9	7	Ret	Ret	4	7	Ret	15
				David Hobbs													7	9
				Jochen Mass															16	7
	Scribante Lucky Strike Racing			Dave Charlton	23			19
1975	Marlboro Team Texaco	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G			ARG	BRA	RSA	ESP	MON	BEL	SWE	NED	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	USA				53	3rd
				Emerson Fittipaldi	1	1	2	Ret	DNS	2	7	8	Ret	4	1	Ret	9	2	2
				Jochen Mass	2	14	3	6	1	6	Ret	Ret	Ret	3	7	Ret	4	Ret	3
	Lucky Strike Racing			Dave Charlton	31			14
1976	Marlboro Team McLaren	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G			BRA	RSA	USW	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	CAN	USA	JPN		74 (75)	2nd
				James Hunt	11	Ret	2	Ret	1	Ret	Ret	5	1	DSQ	1	4	1	Ret	1	1	3
				Jochen Mass	12	6	3	5	Ret	6	5	11	15	Ret	3	7		Ret	5	4	Ret
1977	Marlboro Team McLaren	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G			ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	ESP	MON	BEL	SWE	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	USA	CAN	JPN	60*	3rd
				James Hunt	1	Ret	2	4	7		Ret
				Jochen Mass	2	Ret	Ret	5	Ret	4	4	Ret	2	9
				Bruno Giacomelli	14														Ret
				Gilles Villeneuve	40										11
	Iberia Airlines			Emilio de Villota	36					13		DNQ	DNQ		DNQ	DNQ	17		DNQ
	Chesterfield Racing			Brett Lunger	30							DNS	11	DNQ	13	Ret	10	9	Ret	10	11
1978	Liggett Group/ BS Fabrications	Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8	G			ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	MON	BEL	ESP	SWE	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED	ITA	USA	CAN		15	8th
				Brett Lunger	30	13	Ret	11	DNQ
				Nelson Piquet	29												Ret	Ret	9
	Centro Aseguredor F1			Emilio de Villota	28							DNQ
	Melchester Racing			Tony Trimmer	40										DNQ

* 12 points in 1973 scored using the M19A and M19C
* 39 points in 1977 scored using the M26
* All points in 1978 scored using the McLaren M26

References

• F1 Racing magazine, January 2001
• Motor Sport (magazine), August 2002

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