McLaren fires up MCL36 2022 F1 car for first time
The British outfit shared a short video on social media of its Mercedes-powered MCL36 challenger being fired up for the first time at its Woking headquarters on Thursday.
McLaren follows Mercedes, Ferrari and Alpine in confirming a successful fire-up of their 2022 car.
The MCL36, which will be driven by Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, will be launched in an online event on the evening of February 11. McLaren’s car reveal will be streamed and also shown live on Sky Sports F1.
Turn up the volume. The #MCL36 is fired up and ready to roar. pic.twitter.com/jEBn6FZIsK
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) January 26, 2022
McLaren’s latest F1 challenger will then make its official on-track debut during the opening three-day test in Barcelona, which runs between February 23-25.
That will be followed by a second three-day test in Bahrain which begins on March 10, ahead of the season-opener in Sakhir on March 20.
McLaren claimed the only one-two finish of the 2021 season as it finished fourth in the constructors’ championship standings, one place behind rivals Ferrari.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown is confident the team can continue its recent upward trajectory heading into F1’s new era of regulations.
“We head into the new Formula 1 season with a clear aim to build on the foundations of our recent progress," he wrote in a recent column published on McLaren’s official website.
“In the last three years McLaren has enjoyed its best run of form for more than a decade. In 2021 we finished fourth in the FIA Formula 1 constructors’ championship, having amassed 275 points, just 48.5 points off third place and comfortably ahead of fifth.
“But we are still early in our journey to return to the front. We remain ambitious and determined but realistic.”
