MP4-27 is very different, says McLaren tech team

McLaren’s technical team say that the new MP4-27 has little in common with its predecessor – with only a few elements of the fuel system carried over.

The team is hoping that it gets off to a much better start than in 2011, when it had a disastrous winter testing programme.

“Our main objectives for the 2012 season were to optimise downforce despite the changes to the blown floor, and to improve our understanding and utilisation of the Pirelli tyres, which were new to us last year,” said technical director Paddy Lowe.

“One of the more satisfying challenges was being able to develop and expand our knowledge of the Pirelli tyres. It’s our second season with Pirelli – 2011 was very much a learning year. We have used our experience from the past 12 months to design the car’s layout, aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics around improved tyre utilisation.”

Meanwhile director of engineering Tim Goss confirmed that the car is very different.

“Although you can’t see it, there’s a lot on this car that’s changed,” said Goss. “However, this year has seen more of an evolutionary set of rules, so there’s less of the unpredictability that comes from balancing resources between seasons during a time of greater regulatory change.

“I think the most obvious change is the loss of the U-shaped sidepod, which we pioneered on last year’s car. We reverted to a more conventional sidepod shape for this season because the U-shape was less suited to the new exhaust geometry restrictions.

“For 2012, the exhaust tailpipes now have to exit along the U-channel – so that particular feature was no longer really viable due to the new geometry restrictions. As a result, we decided to adopt a different approach to the way we feed the rear of the car. We have cleaned up the roll-hoop area and now have much tighter rear bodywork.”

Inevitably the new exhaust rules have made a big difference.

“The regulations around the exhausts are very prescriptive: the exhausts must now exit within a very tight space at the rear of the car in order to minimise their aerodynamic influence.

“The final 100mm of the exhausts must be cylindrical – so they can no longer be oval, or flattened – and must be sited at a particular vertical and horizontal angle – between 10 and 30 degrees upwards. That’s to direct the exhaust exit away from the floor.

“In previous years, the exhausts exited directly into the rear corner of the floor; we can’t do that anymore so, as you’d expect, that changes the flow characteristics at the rear of the car. The knock-on effect is that all of the aerodynamic devices at the rear of the car have had to be re-designed.”