The McLaren MP4-21 Formula One car for 2006 F1 debuts - photo gallery

The New Mclaren Mercedes MP4-21 livery - large photos!

23 January 2006
NEW DELHI

The V10 engine has walked away ino the sunset, and a young and uncertain walks into the F1 limelight this year. Last year, the MP4-20 did a good job, but not enough for McLaren. What about 2006 and the MP4-21?

Who knows.

While many, and we are among them, moan the departure of the F1 V10 growl, the V8s are already here. A few track debuts have taken place for the 2006 F1 cars, and the MP4-21's debut took place at the Circuit de Catalunya, barcelona, Spain. We weren't there. 

But others were, and they seem to think the McLaren MP4-21 was a neat job. What would they know - with the kind of drastic changes in rules and regulations that are going to be there when the F1 cars hit the race track, no one can tell. But we know McLaren, we saw them last year, and their 10-race winning MP4-20 that gave Kimi Raikkonen many a heartbreak and thrill. We expect no less.

So here's what we all know so far.

It is orange in color - thats the McLaren color, On track, it could easily be back to the black and silver. The first tester was Pedro de La Rosa, who will hand over the 2006 McLaren Formula One car to Juan Pablo Montoya. Two days later, Kimi Raikkonen will take to the wheel of the 2006 MP4-21 F1 car with a trapidation only the runner-up of 2005 can imagine.

The 2006 F1 regulations, from a spectators point of view, look like a dampener. First off, there is that sound, which is now gone. You have V8 engines in 2006 in Formula One, and the V angle of the cylinders is set at 90 degrees for every engine. The F1 engines of 2006 can have only a maximum of 2 inlet and 2 exhaust valves each, the engine should weigh a minimum of 95 kg, the maximum cylinder bore will be 98mm and the 2400 cc engines will also have certain restrictions on their center of gravity. Overall, it is going to tough for the average Formula One fan to come to grips with the rules. Let's hope they do.

The V8 engine has been in development for a while. The the engine underwent dyno tests, and then finally the on-track debut at Catalunya in the MP4-21. Around 150 or so bhp has been reduced - the sorrow, the sorrow! On the plus side, it reduced the requirement for massive cooling and helped reduce air intake sizes. Visually too, there have been some changes - the rear end is tigher due to 2006 restrictions, the nose has been lowered and there are some changes to the bargeboard too.

The new enigne in the McLaren Mercedes 2006 F1 car has so far covered 6500 km on track, and now the drivers will put it through its paces.

Considering that with Fernando Alonso poised to join McLaren in 2007, the 2006 McLaren f1 drivers Kimi and Montoya have got a few things to prove. Let's hope they do so in style.