Every year McLaren comes
out with a new F1 car. With the new design, there could be a new engine, new
sponsors, new livery, a new technical approach altogether. The one thing that
remains a constant is the naming scheme, but that's all changing this season.
On February 24, McLaren will
unveil the new MCL32 – and in the process will drop the MP4 naming scheme that
has designated every one of the team's cars for the past three decades.
The naming scheme dates back to when Ron Dennis took
over the team back in 1981, introducing Marlboro sponsorship and integrating
his previous Project 4 team – hence the name. From the original McLaren MP4
that introduced carbon-fiber construction through to the MP4-31 (pictured) that
Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button drove last year, every car the team has
produced has carried that designation.
In fact the naming scheme had become so ingrained in
the McLaren way of doing things that even the 12C road car that launched
McLaren Automotive back in 2011 initially carried the name MP4-12C.
That all comes to an end this year as McLaren aims
to move away from the Ron Dennis era and into a new one. The new MCL32 will
still carry a Honda engine, but is tipped to wear a completely fresh livery –
potentially reviving the orange scheme that founder Bruce McLaren championed
back in the day.
