Motivated by the previous year's Drivers' and Constructors' Championship victories, the McLaren team at Woking worked tirelessly to maintain their advantage, especially against Schumacher's Ferrari, which battled for the '98 title until the very end with reigning World Champion Mika Häkkinen. McLaren's Chief Executive Officer, Ron Dennis, retained the exceptional technical staff that had defined the team for the past couple of seasons, with Adrian Newey leading as Technical Director, Neil Oatley as Chief Designer, Steve Nichols as Engineering Director, Matthew Jeffreys as Vehicle Design Manager, David North as Chief Transmission Engineer, David Neilson overseeing suspension engineering, Paddy Lowe heading Research and Development, and Henri Durand as Head of Aerodynamics. The Ilmor-Mercedes FO110H V10 engine was once again designed by Mario Illien, who remained responsible for the power unit, while Norbert Haug continued in his role as Mercedes Vice President for motorsport activities.
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| McLAREN MP4/14, Mika Häkkinen Hungaroring, Hungarian GP 1999 |
The new McLaren MP4/14 featured numerous innovations, mainly driven by Newey's obsessive pursuit of perfection in every detail. Despite the visual similarity, the new car differed significantly from its predecessor, the MP4/13. It introduced a redesigned chassis with a lower center of gravity, achieved by slightly lowering and extending the nose and relocating the oil tank to a central position, reducing channeling and concentrating weight in the car's middle. Aerodynamics were refined in minute detail under Newey's supervision, developed in British Aerospace's wind tunnel, with no drastic visual changes compared to 1998. One clever innovation was the hollow upper wishbone of the front suspension at the start of the season, housing the steering rod, later moved outside to a more traditional location midway through the year. Combined with the elegant white/black/silver West livery and Newey's fluid, sculpted design, the MP4/14 became one of the most iconic Formula 1 cars ever built.
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| McLAREN MP4/14, David Coulthard Catalunya, Spanish GP 1999 |
Mario Illien also extensively reworked the Mercedes V10 engine, redesigning the engine block and exhaust system following Newey's technical and aerodynamic requirements. The new "H-spec" V10 was a top-class power unit delivering around 780 hp at 17,000 rpm at the start of the season, arguably the most powerful engine of 1999, thanks also to sophisticated electronics managed by the new TAG Electronic System 2000 ECU, which also controlled the longitudinal McLaren/TAG seven-speed semi-automatic gearbox. Besides its outstanding power, the German V10 was the lightest on the grid, barely reaching 100 kg, partly due to widespread use of a copper-beryllium alloy for pistons, cylinders, and other components, reducing weight while improving heat dissipation. In later years, however, the FIA banned beryllium alloys after discovering their dust caused severe respiratory issues leading to cancer, introducing regulations specifying which alloys were prohibited or allowed. During the 1999 season, despite already having a weight and power advantage, Illien introduced three more engine evolutions, eventually boosting power output to 815 hp at 17,600 rpm.
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| McLAREN MP4/14, David Coulthard Silverstone, British GP 1999 |
For the new season, the same driver lineup as '98 was confirmed: reigning World Champion Mika Häkkinen and Briton David Coulthard. The 1999 campaign did not start well, with both drivers retiring due to mechanical failures in the opening Australian Grand Prix. In Brazil, Häkkinen secured the first win of the season, while Coulthard was again forced to retire due to technical issues. In the third round, the roles were reversed, with Coulthard finishing second and Häkkinen retiring. Even in Monaco, Coulthard faced his third mechanical failure in four races. Once all the delicate systems were fine-tuned, however, the MP4/14 proved unbeatable. Still, halfway through the season, McLaren's main rival, Michael Schumacher, suffered a severe accident that sidelined him until almost the end of the championship, allowing Häkkinen to secure his second consecutive World Championship, though Ferrari's second driver, Eddie Irvine, challenged him until the final race.
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| McLAREN MP4/14, Mika Häkkinen Magny-Cours, French GP 1999 |
The MP4/14 was undoubtedly the most high-performing and aerodynamically advanced car on the 1999 grid. However, some reliability problems caused by Newey's extreme solutions, as well as a few driver errors, prevented McLaren from repeating their Constructors' title win despite scoring 124 points, with 7 wins, 6 second places, and 3 thirds. Nonetheless, Mika Häkkinen clinched his second consecutive Drivers' Championship. At the end of the season, on November 12th, the MP4/14 was tested at Silverstone by young British driver Jenson Button, a future World Champion, during a private test session.
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