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| McLAREN MP4/5, Ayrton Senna Adelaide, Australian GP 1989 |
The idea of the V10, a solution never used before due to concerns about vibrations, arose from the need to create a multi-cylinder engine that struck a good balance between the greater power of a V12 and the more compact size of a V8. This was necessary due to the reduced engine bay space caused by the cockpit repositioning required under the new technical regulations. Additionally, from this season onward, Honda ceased supplying engines to Lotus and focused exclusively on the needs of the Woking team, accommodating every request from Technical Director Gordon Murray, a South African engineer.
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| McLAREN MP4/5, Alain Prost Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1989 |
The new MP4/5 was a refinement of the exceptional McLaren MP4/4, which had utterly dominated the '88 season, winning 15 out of 16 races (and would likely have won them all if not for Senna’s crash a few laps before the end of the Italian GP). Under the guidance of the aforementioned Gordon Murray, a superb technical team worked on the car. This included designers Steve Nichols and Neil Oatley, who developed a new carbon and Kevlar monocoque chassis directly derived from the MP4/4, as well as Pete Weismann, Tim Wright, Bob Bell, and newcomer Mike Gascoyne as Head of Aerodynamics. The bodywork was further refined and generally smaller, thanks to the reduced cooling requirements of naturally aspirated engines compared to turbos. One notable difference from its predecessor was the return of the triangular air intake above the driver's head, necessary to channel more air to the new engine, thereby slightly increasing intake pressure at high speeds and enhancing power output.
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| McLAREN MP4/5, Alain Prost Estoril, Portuguese GP 1989 |
At the rear, the bodywork covered the entire mechanical structure, and the "coke-bottle" narrowing was much more pronounced than before, with the sidepods starting to taper immediately after the cockpit and continuing all the way to the rear diffuser. The suspension system followed the pull-rod design of the MP4/4, while the wheelbase increased slightly to 2896 mm due to the larger size of the naturally aspirated V10. For the first half of the season, the gearbox used was the same as in 1988, a longitudinal 6-speed Weismann/McLaren unit. In the second half of the season, a new 6-speed Weismann/McLaren transverse gearbox was introduced, which better suited the naturally aspirated engine with its smoother power delivery compared to the twin-turbo V6.
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| McLAREN MP4/5 Prost e Senna after the crash in Suzuka |
The progress of other teams, all now adopting the chassis and aerodynamic standards introduced by McLaren with the latest MP4 series cars, meant that the MP4/5 could not replicate the excitement of the previous season, despite failing to win only 6 races. The two drivers nonetheless dominated the season, despite ongoing internal clashes culminating in the famous incident during lap 46 of the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, when Senna launched an attack on Prost, who closed the door too aggressively, resulting in both cars getting tangled and ending up in the escape area. Despite Senna’s comeback victory, he was disqualified after the race for restarting with the help of the marshals and for “cutting” the chicane, effectively handing the title to the Frenchman. At the end of the season, Prost was crowned World Champion with 81 points, 4 wins, 6 second places, and 1 third place, while Senna finished second with 60 points, 6 wins, and 1 second place. McLaren-Honda also secured its fifth Constructors’ Championship in history, the fourth in the 1980s, with a total of 141 points.
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