For the 1991 season, the McLaren team restructured the group of engineers overseeing the racing department. The designer of the winning MP4/4 and MP4/5, Gordon Murray, was reassigned to the "GT cars" division, and after Steve Nichols' departure the previous year to Ferrari, the role of technical director was taken over by Neil Oatley. Under Oatley's leadership, Matthew Jeffreys served as head of vehicle design, David North as chief transmission engineer, David Neilson in the suspension department, Mike Gascoyne as head of aerodynamics, and Bob Bell led the research and development division. Meanwhile, Honda engineer Osamu Goto, who was present on track in 1990, was replaced by Akimasa Yasuoka to directly follow the development of the new Japanese V12 engine on site.
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| McLAREN MP4/6, Ayrton Senna Phoenix, United States GP 1991 |
The new Honda RA121E 60° V12 engine with a 3497 cc displacement, replacing the V10 used by McLaren in the previous two seasons, was perhaps the most striking novelty of the McLaren MP4/6, put on the track in 1991 by the team managed by Ron Dennis. Aware that they had reached the development limit with the V10 engine, the Japanese engineers decided to opt for a completely new unit, choosing the V12 route, believed to be superior to the V10 due to its easier balance and greater reliability, as it could run at lower revs for the same power output. In reality, the new engine turned out to be heavier, less powerful than expected, and more complex to design and operate. Additionally, the British engineers faced the issue of bulkier dimensions, which made it difficult to make the chassis-aerodynamics package competitive against the ultra-technological Williams FW14.
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| McLAREN MP4/6, Ayrton Senna Monza, Italian GP 1991 |
Moreover, the new Honda V12 lacked pneumatic valves, used instead in Renault’s V10, and employed traditional springs, which had a natural limit of 15,000 rpm, the speed at which the Honda V12 produced 720 hp. The new MP4/6, once again entrusted to reigning World Champion Ayrton Senna and Austrian driver Gerhard Berger, was presented only a few days before the season began and retained the mechanical base of the previous MP4/5B, with only minor aerodynamic changes such as a slimmer nose, bulkier and rounder sidepods, and a longer engine cover to accommodate the larger V12. Despite everything, the MP4/6's clean lines, a hallmark of Woking’s single-seaters since the Barnard era, remained its strong suit, indicating thorough aerodynamic study. The innovative raised nose solution, which benefited the underbody aerodynamics and was introduced by Postlethwaite on the Tyrrell 018 in 1990 (and used this year also by Benetton and Jordan), was not adopted by Oatley, who preferred to stick with the classic low and narrow nose.
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| McLAREN MP4/6, Gerhard Berger Interlagos, Brazilian GP 1991 |
The gearbox paired with the new V12 engine was still the 6-speed manual Weismann/McLaren used in the previous two seasons, unlike Ferrari and Williams who adopted newly designed semi-automatic gearboxes. However, during the Hungarian Grand Prix, a 7-speed semi-automatic was tested on Senna's car, but it was immediately discarded after breaking down after only four laps. Retaining the traditional manual gearbox made the MP4/6 the last car in Formula 1 history with a manual transmission and V12 engine to win a world title. In fact, during the 1991 season it achieved 8 victories (7 by Senna and one by Berger), 6 second places, and 4 third places, allowing the McLaren team to win its fourth consecutive Constructors’ title, and the seventh in its history, with 139 points.
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| McLAREN MP4/6, Ayrton Senna Imola, San Marino GP 1991 |
The McLaren MP4/6 was undoubtedly the most reliable and consistent car of the 1991 season, though not the fastest. The Williams FW14 proved to be superior in performance, but the unreliability of its new electronic systems in the early part of the season allowed McLaren to dominate the first half, aided by Senna’s excellent form, who won the first four races. Once the FW14 became reliable, the MP4/6 showed all its limitations, especially in aerodynamics and electronics, being based on a design dating back three seasons. Only thanks to some mistakes by the Williams team and Senna’s exceptional driving skills did the Brazilian secure his third and final world title. The MP4/6 was used again, in an updated version, for the first two races of the 1992 season but, by then outclassed by the Williams cars, it only achieved a lower podium finish with Senna and two other finishes with Berger.
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