McLaren MP4-24

McLaren MP4-24
	Lewis Hamilton driving the MP4-24 at the Spanish Grand Prix
Category	Formula One
Constructor	McLaren Racing
Designer(s)	Neil Oatley (Executive Engineer); Paddy Lowe (Engineering Director); Pat Fry (Chief Engineer); Mark Williams (Head of Vehicle Engineering); Andrew Bailey (Chief Designer); Rob Taylor (Principal Design Engineer); Simon Lacey (Head of Aerodynamics); Doug McKiernan (Chief Aerodynamicist)
Predecessor	McLaren MP4-23
Successor	McLaren MP4-25
Technical specifications
Chassis	Moulded carbon fibre / aluminium honeycomb composite incorporating front and side impact structures and integral safety fuel cell.
Suspension (front)	Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pushrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Suspension (rear)	As front.
Engine	Mercedes-Benz FO 108W 2.4 L (146 cu in) V8. Naturally aspirated, 18,000 RPM limited, with KERS, mid-mounted.
Transmission	McLaren 7-speed + 1 reverse sequential seamless semi-automatic paddle shift with epicyclic differential and multi-plate limited slip clutch
Fuel	Mobil High Performance Unleaded (5.75% bio fuel); Mobil 1 lubrication.
Tyres	Bridgestone Potenza.; Enkei wheels.
Competition history
Notable entrants	Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
Notable drivers	1. Lewis Hamilton ; 2. Heikki Kovalainen
Debut	2009 Australian Grand Prix
First win	2009 Hungarian Grand Prix
Last win	2009 Singapore Grand Prix
Last event	2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Last updated December 07, 2024

The McLaren MP4-24 is a Formula One racing car used by McLaren-Mercedes during the 2009 Formula One season. The chassis was designed by Paddy Lowe, Neil Oatley, Pat Fry, Andrew Bailey and Simon Lacey with Mario Illien designing the bespoke Mercedes-Benz engine which, although also used by Force India and Brawn GP, was designed with the intention of fitting in the chassis of the MP4-24.

Overview

It was revealed at McLaren's headquarters in Woking, United Kingdom on 16 January 2009.^[2] The following day, team test driver Pedro de la Rosa gave the MP4-24 its first test run at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.^[3]

In testing, the MP4-24 was proven slower than its rivals due to aerodynamic problems, with Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen repeatedly at the bottom of the timesheets. The car came under much scrutiny from team members and other critics alike. Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal, said the team "had not done a good enough job". He also went on to say "We have an underdeveloped car, we do not have sufficient aerodynamic downforce and we would like to focus on rectifying that as quickly as we can."^[4]

The car was originally designed with a conventional diffuser. The MP4-24 was fitted with a modified diffuser based on similar principles to the double-decker designs at the Malaysian Grand Prix after the FIA confirmed that such components were legal, after several teams had asked the FIA to clarify the matter.

After the British Grand Prix, the midpoint of the 2009 season, McLaren had scored just 13 Constructor's World Championship points with Hamilton scoring 9 and Kovalainen 4. By the same point in 2008 they had scored 72 points and Hamilton was jointly leading the Driver's World Championship with Felipe Massa on 48 points. Hamilton had made public calls to scrap the car and a former team owner turned commentator Eddie Jordan had proclaimed it as "possibly the worst car McLaren have ever designed".^[5]

The impact of upgrades to Hamilton's car for the next race at the Nürburgring for the German Grand Prix were positive and saw him qualify in 5th, with Kovalainen in 6th place. However, a collision with Mark Webber's Red Bull at the first corner punctured a tyre and damaged the undertray of the car which effectively ended any chance of competing for a points scoring position, and Hamilton finished the race in 18th and last place with Kovalainen scraping into the points in 8th.^[6]

There was a 2-week break between Germany and the next round at Hungary by which time both cars had been upgraded to the new specification. Again, the weekend started well with both cars showing good pace and Hamilton qualified 4th and Kovalainen 6th.^[7] This time Hamilton was able to demonstrate the true effectiveness of the upgraded car by winning the race in convincing style.^[8] Acknowledging his previous remarks live on the BBC after the race, Eddie Jordan expressed his amazement at how McLaren had managed to turn the car into a race winner. Despite disappointing results at Spa and Monza, Hamilton claimed his second win of the year under the lights of Singapore's Marina Bay from pole position, and a pair of third places in Suzuka and São Paulo helped McLaren clinch third place in the Constructors championship with 71 points, pipping rivals Ferrari by 1 point.

The MP4-24 was also the last McLaren Formula One car to hold main factory works team status to Mercedes-Benz, as McLaren were demoted to Mercedes F1's customer team in 2010 following Mercedes-Benz and Daimler AG's buyout of Brawn GP in late 2009, and thus the Mercedes-Benz F1 full-factory constructor team returned to Formula One in 2010. The MP4-24 was succeeded by the MP4-25.

Livery

The livery was similar with two previous seasons; chrome paint and red accents from their title sponsor Vodafone. This was the final year for Santander as they would move to Ferrari for the following season.

Complete Formula One results

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

Year	Entrant	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Points	WCC
2009	Vodafone McLaren Mercedes	Mercedes FO108W V8	B		AUS	MAL ^‡	CHN	BHR	ESP	MON	TUR	GBR	GER	HUN	EUR	BEL	ITA	SIN	JPN	BRA	ABU	71	3rd
				Hamilton	DSQ	7	6	4	9	12	13	16	18	1	2	Ret	12^†	1	3	3	Ret
				Kovalainen	Ret	Ret	5	12	Ret	Ret	14	Ret	8	5	4	6	6	7	11	12	11

^† Driver failed to finish, but was classified as they had completed 90% of the race distance.
^‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance completed.

Statistics on the KERS system

McLaren became the first team to win a GP using a KERS-equipped car when Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix.
At the European Grand Prix, Hamilton became the first driver to take pole position with a KERS car; his teammate, Kovalainen, qualified second. This was also the first instance of an all-KERS front row.
McLaren used the KERS system in all races except the British Grand Prix.^[9]

Related Research Articles

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The McLaren MP4-28 is a Formula One racing car designed and built by the McLaren team for use in the 2013 Formula One season. The chassis was designed by Paddy Lowe, Neil Oatley, Tim Goss, Mark Ingham and Marcin Budkowski and was powered by a customer Mercedes-Benz engine. It was driven by 2009 World Champion Jenson Button and Sergio Pérez, the latter joining the team after Lewis Hamilton moved to Mercedes. The car was launched on 31 January 2013, as part of the team's fiftieth anniversary celebrations.

The McLaren MP4-29 was a Formula One racing car designed and built by McLaren to compete in the 2014 Formula One season. The chassis was designed by Tim Goss, Neil Oatley, Matt Morris, Mark Ingham and Marcin Budkowski and was powered by a customer Mercedes-Benz powertrain. The car was unveiled on 24 January 2014, and was driven by 2009 World Drivers' Champion Jenson Button and debutant Kevin Magnussen, who replaced Sergio Pérez, after he won the 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 Series title.

References

↑ "Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-24 Press Pack". McLaren Marketing Ltd. Archived from the original on 16 March 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
↑ Jonathan Noble, Pablo Elizalde (16 January 2009). "McLaren launch 2009 challenger". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
↑ "De la Rosa gives new McLaren first run". autosport.com. 17 January 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2009.
↑ "McLaren will struggle – Hamilton". BBC Sport. 26 March 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2009.
↑ "Lewis: We should have scrapped that car". PlanetF1.com. 6 June 2009. Archived from the original on 3 August 2012.
↑ Henry, Alan (12 July 2009). "Mark Webber takes first win as Red Bulls leave Brawns trailing". The Guardian . Nürburgring. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
↑ Cooper, Adam (24 July 2009). "Fernando Alonso wins F1 pole in Hungary, Felipe Massa crashes". Autoweek . Retrieved 6 December 2024.
↑ "Hamilton, Raikkonen, Webber meet the press after Hungarian Grand Prix". Autoweek . 25 July 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
↑ "McLaren scraps KERS for British GP". motor1.com. Retrieved 28 January 2021.

External links

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[1] "Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-24 Press Pack". McLaren Marketing Ltd. Archived from the original on 16 March 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2009.

[2] Jonathan Noble, Pablo Elizalde (16 January 2009). "McLaren launch 2009 challenger". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 16 January 2009.

[3] "De la Rosa gives new McLaren first run". autosport.com. 17 January 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2009.

[4] "McLaren will struggle – Hamilton". BBC Sport. 26 March 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2009.

[5] "Lewis: We should have scrapped that car". PlanetF1.com. 6 June 2009. Archived from the original on 3 August 2012.

[6] Henry, Alan (12 July 2009). "Mark Webber takes first win as Red Bulls leave Brawns trailing". The Guardian . Nürburgring. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.

[7] Cooper, Adam (24 July 2009). "Fernando Alonso wins F1 pole in Hungary, Felipe Massa crashes". Autoweek . Retrieved 6 December 2024.

[8] "Hamilton, Raikkonen, Webber meet the press after Hungarian Grand Prix". Autoweek . 25 July 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2024.

[9] "McLaren scraps KERS for British GP". motor1.com. Retrieved 28 January 2021.

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