The year 2007 brings a significant number of changes for the McLaren-Mercedes team, starting with a technical revolution. After eight years, Adrian Newey left the British team in 2005 to join Red Bull; as a result, the new McLaren MP4/22, although still influenced by the legacy of the English designer, is the first recent single-seater from the Woking-based team, in Surrey, England, to take shape without Newey’s pencil. The team led by Ron Dennis nonetheless retains a top-tier technical staff, including Neil Oatley (Executive Engineer), Paddy Lowe (Engineering Director), Tim Goss (Chief Engineer), Pat Fry (Chief Engineer, Chassis), Nikolas Tombazis (Chief Engineer, Vehicle Projects), Mark Williams (Chief Engineer, Vehicle Performance), Mike Coughlan (Chief Designer), and Peter Prodromou (Head of Aerodynamics). Markus Duesmann and Axel Wendorff are responsible for the new Mercedes FO-108T engine, a 90° V8 capable of producing around 810 hp at the regulation-limited speed of 19,000 rpm.
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| McLAREN MP4/22, Fernando Alonso Spa-Francorchamps, Belgian GP 2007 |
The car is unveiled during testing at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, on January 15, 2007. Martin Whitmarsh (team CEO) states that the design philosophy behind the new MP4/22 features advanced engineering concepts and innovative aerodynamic solutions. Aerodynamics, in particular, are the most impressive aspect of the new McLaren. While retaining the lines of the 2006 car, the MP4/22 is undoubtedly the most visually appealing car of the 2007 season, thanks also to the stunning silver livery typical of McLaren-Mercedes cars from the early 2000s. The nose is characterized by a relatively high and slim design compared to some contemporaries (such as the Ferrari F2007), facilitating greater airflow beneath the chassis. The front wing features a three-element design (depending on downforce configuration), with aggressively positioned flow deflectors beneath the nose. Their role is to clean and direct airflow toward the extremely complex and well-integrated side bargeboards. These are specifically designed to manage the turbulence generated by the front wheels and to seal the airflow entering the side channels, maximizing the effectiveness of the rear diffuser. The sidepod inlets are particularly narrow and sculpted to minimize aerodynamic drag while maintaining the cooling required for the radiators.
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| McLAREN MP4/22, Lewis Hamilton Monza, Italian GP 2007 |
The air intake above the driver’s head retains a conventional shape but is engineered to optimize dynamic airflow to the engine and contribute to stability, thanks to aerodynamic appendages mounted near the cockpit that manipulate airflow toward the rear wing. The rear diffuser, key to generating a large portion of the car’s downforce from the floor, is highly complex, and its effectiveness is directly linked to the bargeboards’ ability to seal lateral airflow. The rear wing, often configured with a double-pylon support design, is also optimized to work in synergy with the diffuser, with the team continuously developing flap configurations throughout the season to balance downforce. The MP4/22’s aerodynamics are so well balanced and effective that the car proves highly competitive on all types of circuits, excelling particularly in high-speed corners where high downforce is crucial.
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| McLAREN MP4/22, Fernando Alonso Montecarlo, Monaco GP 2007 |
To develop the car to its full potential, the team completes an impressive 27,150 km of testing during the season, and the results are evident. The MP4/22 proves to be the most competitive single-seater of 2007 and, with its new race drivers, the reigning World Champion Fernando Alonso from Spain and rookie Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain, the reigning GP2 Series champion, fights for the title throughout the season. In addition, the MP4/22 is used in seasonal testing by McLaren’s two test drivers, Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa and Briton Gary Paffett. Thanks to the excellent MP4/22, McLaren-Mercedes scores as many points in the first half of 2007 as it had during the entire previous season. After a winless 2006, the team secures eight victories in 2007 (four each for Alonso and Hamilton). However, the season is marked by a fierce rivalry between the two drivers, as well as tension between Alonso and the team management. This contributes to both drivers losing the championship by a single point to Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen, despite having led the standings for much of the season and despite Lewis Hamilton holding a 17-point advantage with two races remaining.
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| McLAREN MP4/22, Lewis Hamilton Monza, Italian GP 2007 |
Unfortunately for the Woking-based team, 2007 is also remembered for the controversial espionage scandal involving Nigel Stepney, a Ferrari engineer and technical coordinator under Ross Brawn during Michael Schumacher’s dominant era, and McLaren designer Mike Coughlan. After Brawn’s decision to leave the Maranello-based Scuderia and his replacement by Stefano Domenicali, Stepney, frustrated by his lack of promotion, passed Ferrari’s technical design information to his friend Coughlan. The spy story came to light in June 2007, and after two rulings, McLaren was found guilty, resulting in the annulment of all points scored during the season in the Constructors’ Championship, handing the title to Ferrari, as well as a fine of 100 million dollars.
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