McLaren

This is the second in a series about successful F1 teams.

McLaren is one of a small group of highly successful F1 teams that dates back to the 1960's. Since their debut in 1966 at the Monaco GP, McLaren has won a staggering 8 constructors championships ('74, '84, '85, '88, '89, '90, '91, '98) and a total of 12 driver's championships ('74, '76, '84, '85, '86, '88, '89, '90, '91, 98, '99, '08). Along the way, the elite team has accumulated 182 race victories, 155 pole positions, 152 fastest laps, 47 one-two finishes, resulting in 391 podium appearances.

Founded in 1963 by F1 driver Bruce McLaren in order to run the Australian Tasman Series, the New Zealand native had already tasted victory with three F1 wins under his belt with the British F1 team Cooper. A consummate engineer, Bruce would push far beyond the envelop in the early days of F1. To watch a short video about the man, click here. For the 50th anniversary video, click here.

Fittipaldi in a MP 23

The Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi was the driver who restored McLaren as a top contender after four years of rebuilding, after the passing of the founder in a testing accident at Goodwood in 1970. A couple of years later, Britain's James Hunt won one of the tightest championships in F1 history, in an epic championship battle with Niki Lauda that has now been put on the big screen as "Rush".

Prost and Senna in 1988 

After a couple of uncompetitive years, the team bounced back by winning seven championships through the mid-80's to early 90's in what can be only categorized as in F1's greatest era. With Lauda setting the stage by winning the championship in 1984, Alain Prost followed in 1985 and 1986, and with the legendary Ayrton Senna joining team, together they won 15 out of 16 races the following  year, with Senna wining the championship by a small margin.

As the technological side of F1 racing increased in importance, so did the brain trust. With Adrian Newey making technological improvements, Mika Hakkinen won back-to-back driver's championships with McLaren in 1998 and 1999. Only in 2008 would a McLaren win the title again, this time with Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel.

For the 2015 season, two time world champion Fernando Alonso joins Jenson Button in what will be known as the season in which the all conquering partnership of McLaren-Honda, first established back in 1988, will resume. Back then the powerful MP4/4 won a staggering 15 out of 16 races!

Below the list of 30 of the most famous McLaren drivers:
- David Coulthard

Early McLaren logo

- Mikka Hakkinen
- Lewis Hamilton
- Alain Prost
- Jenson Button
- Kimi Raikkonen
- Denny Hulme
- John Watson
- Niki Lauda

- Jochen Mass
- James Hunt
- Gergard Berger
- Bruce McLaren
- Emerson Fittipaldi

Modern day logo

- Juan Pablo Montoya
- Fernando Alonso
- Martin Brundle
- Keke Rosberg
- Michael Andretti
- Mike Hailwood
- Jody Scheckter

Marlboro, main sponsor for 23 yrs

- John Surtees
- Nelson Piquet
- David Hobbs
- Nigel Mansell
- Mark Donohue
- Jacky Ickx
- Pillippe Alliot
- Derek Bell

- Gilles Villeneuve


Source: McLaren, Wikipedia
Photo/image credit: McLaren F1, own files, others are unknown.

Tribute to Bruce McLaren

McLaren Racing will turn 50 this year, and while most of you know this name to be synonymous with winning F1 cars and incredibly fast street cars, very few will know who it's founder really was.

In paying tribute to their founder, the company has released a short video about the inspiring figure that was Bruce McLaren. To watch it, click here (it may not be seen in some regions).

Unfortunately, Bruce McLaren, a New Zealand native, would never see the huge success his company would achieve, for he died at the age of 32 in a racing accident. However, he left enough inspiration to propel those who knew him to achieve great success, and in the name of...McLaren.

Bruce Leslie McLaren, (30 Aug 1937-2 June 1970):

Born in Auckland, he drove in 104 F1 races and won 4 with a total of 27 podium finishes. Although he didn't win any F1 championships, he did win the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1966 with Amon, and the 12 hours of Sebring in 1967 with Andretti. He was also the 1967 and 1969 Can-Am champion.

Besides being a inspiring race car driver, he was an even better engineer. His abilities as an analyst, engineer and manager contributed much to the success of that cars that bore his name. One of his first innovations was the "nostrill" that have been a key to McLaren design feature, and is still used on the McLaren F1 road car of today.

Bruce got into motor racing when his father, a mechanic, restored an aging Austin 7 Ulster, which Bruce drove in his first competition, a hill climb. 

The year was 1952 and he was just 14. As a child he suffered from Perthes Disease and at a point had both legs in plaster casts for months followed by traction. Eventually he did walk but with a limp.

Bruce McLaren died on June 2, 1970, when his Can-Am car crashed on the Lavant Straight just before Woodcote corner at Goodwood Circuit in England. He was testing his new M8D when he lost downforce, when the rear body work came loose. He spun off the track and hit a bunker and died  instantly.

Legacy:
- Inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990,
- Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1991,
- Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1995,
- The Bruce McLaren Trust perpetuates his memory and runs a small museum from the flat where Bruce grew up.

For more on McLaren: the Bruce McLaren movie, and the McLaren Group.


Source: Jalopnik, Wikipedia, Jascoautomotive.com.