For the 1985 season, the team led by John Barnard and composed of Steve Nichols, Gordon Kimball, Alan Jenkins, Tim Wright, and Bob Bell developed an evolution of the outstanding MP4/2, the absolute dominator of the previous year, giving rise to the McLaren MP4/2B.
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| McLAREN MP4/2B, Niki Lauda Brands Hatch, European GP 1985 |
In terms of size and mechanics, the new car is very similar to the 1984 model, except for the suspension geometry, which was redesigned to work better with the new Goodyear tires, following Michelin’s withdrawal from the championship. It has a wheelbase of 2920 mm, a weight of 540 kg, and continues to use the carbon fiber monocoque chassis designed by Barnard. It features the TAG Porsche P01 1496 cc V6 turbo engine, now capable of producing 850 hp during races and up to 960 hp during qualifying, coupled with the McLaren/Hewland FGB six-speed manual gearbox introduced this season.
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| McLAREN MP4/2B, Alain Prost Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1985 |
To comply with new regulations banning the use of rear "candelabra" wings, aerodynamic engineer Bob Bell completely redesigned the rear wing and modified the rear end of the car to recover some lost downforce. Despite the competition closing the performance gap, especially Ferrari, with Alboreto matching Prost's pace through much of the season, the MP4/2B remained easy to drive and set up, maintaining a significant aerodynamic advantage, particularly on fast circuits.
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| McLAREN MP4/2B, Niki Lauda Jacarepaguà, Brazilian GP 1985 |
For 1985, the driver lineup from 1984 was retained, with reigning World Champion Niki Lauda from Austria and Frenchman Alain Prost. On one occasion, returning driver John Watson also used the car to substitute for Lauda. Prost won the World Championship with the MP4/2B, scoring 76 points with 5 wins, 2 second places, and 3 thirds, while Lauda, competing in his final F1 season and already satisfied with his three world titles, scored just 14 points.
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| McLAREN MP4/2B, Alain Prost Brands Hatch, European GP 1985 |
Lauda took his final F1 victory with the MP4/2B in the Netherlands at Zandvoort, beating Prost by just 0.2 seconds. McLaren also won the Constructors' Championship with 90 points, marking the third such title in its history.
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