McLaren unveil new MP4-28 for 2013
The new McLaren F1 MP4-28 car has been unveiled at McLaren Technology Centre in Woking before a crowd of F1 journalists.
Jenson Button and Sergio Perez rolled back the covers to reveal a car that looks broadly similar to the 2012 challenger, but which Button described as "completely different to last year."
McLaren said that the MP4-28 was not merely a refinement of last year's seven-race-winning car, but rather it's a deep and sweeping re-design in several key areas - most notably around the nose and front suspension, the sidepod profiles and the rear bodywork.
"The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-28 is the logical culmination of everything we've ever done: it's the sum of 50 years' experience, expertise and passion," said the team in its press announcement.
The unveiling was preceded by a deafening procession of McLaren's previous historic cars through the MTC foyer, which meant that those in attendance needed the earplugs that McLaren's PR team handed out before the start of the event at 11am GMT on Thursday and live streamed over the Internet.
As well as Lewis Hamilton's 2008 world championship-winning car, there was 1970's M8D CanAm sportscar, Emerson Fittipaldi's iconic 1974 M23, Ayrton Senna's dominant 1988 MP4/4, the team's 1995 Le Mans-winning F1 GTR and Mika Hakkinen's MP4-13 car from 1998.
"Following such a winning pedigree is the aim and intention of each and every man and woman who comes to work at McLaren every day," said the team.
The historic cars were driven into the Technology Centre by McLaren's array of test and development drivers including Gary Parfitt and Oliver Turvey, and were intended as a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the McLaren team as well as showing the company's ethos of "evolution through history."
Button and Perez themselves arrived at the unveiling in a McLaren P1TM sportscar and a bright orange 12C Spider respectively.
The team hailed their new driver line-up as "the perfect blend of youth and experience."
The team added, "We will once again be targeting both the drivers' and constructors' world championships. The ongoing strength in depth of the organisation, plus the exciting addition of Sergio to the proven package of Jenson gives the whole team strong encouragement and motivation for the year ahead."
