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McLaren

McLaren P1 GTR continues development

McLaren P1 GTR

I want to buy a McLaren P1 GTR. And so do you!

How could you not? The car itself will be almost impossible to describe, so good and so fast will it be. But the whole driver programme that is attached to P1 GTR ownership is a boys’ own adventure on steroids.

There’s a video explaining it all after the break along with the first images of the car’s interior, including it’s MP4-23-inspired steering wheel.

The asking price is said to be over 3 mllion bucks, so you’d better start raiding that piggy bank!

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Ferrari McLaren Porsche Video

A decent day out indeed

Ferrari 458 Speciale v McLaren 650S v Porsche 911 GT3

Steve Sutcliffe and his mates from Autocar recently spent the day at Castle Combe with half a million quids worth of track toys. Fighting for their attention was the Ferrari 458 Speciale, the McLaren 650S and the Porsche 911 GT3.

Which one do you think will be the fastest? And which one would you take home?

[Thanks to Tim for the tip]

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Formula 1 McLaren WEC

Button to make endurance switch in 2015?

2014 British Grand Prix

Mercedes AMG, Red Bull and Ferrari (we think) have locked away their drivers for the 2015 Formula 1 season, leaving all eyes are on McLaren to see who will drive for the Woking-based team next year.

With the return of the McLaren-Honda partnership rumours suggest dual world champion and free agent Fernando Alonso has already signed a deal with the Japanese car maker. If that proves true then it seems logical that one of McLaren’s current drivers will be forced to make way for Alonso.

Will McLaren go for the youth and qualifying pace of Kevin Magnussen or the experience and racecraft of Jenson Button? If it is the 2009 world champion Ron Dennis taps on the shoulder the BBC reports Button may look to follow Mark Webber into the World Endurance Championship.

Button’s manager Richard Goddard said: “Jenson is an incredibly competitive racing driver who wants to race. He’s too good to sit at the back of the F1 grid. So he either gets a competitive car in F1 or he goes to get one elsewhere.”

Apprently Button’s management has already held discussions with Porsche and Goddard has described the WEC as “as formidable series that is gaining strength.”

A Webber–Button partnership at the wheel of a Porsche 919; if nothing else you’d reckon WEC organisers would love that to happen.

[Source: BBC]

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Ferrari Formula 1 Lotus McLaren

Incredible F1 Lego MOCs

RoscoPC Formula 1 Lego MOC

In the world of serious Lego play MOC stands for My Own Creation and Luca Rusconi aka RoscoPC is king of Formula 1 MOCs. So far he has published 12 designs ranging, from a Lotus 43 through to the Williams FW14B you see above.

We’ve assembled a simple gallery below, but make sure you follow the link through to his website’s gallery, the level of detail is quite incredible. Luca’s work has seen him earn Lego Ambassador status and you can even buy the instructions to recreate these designs for yourself.

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2014 Russian Grand Prix in pictures

2014 Russian Grand Prix

The fun has come and gone from the Sochi sun and the Russian Grand Prix passed by without any idiot from the Formula 1 world threatening to “shirtfront” Putin. Which, in some ways, in just as bad as it would have been if some idiot did engage his mouth before his brain.

Anyway, enough of that, let’s just try and enjoy the images from the race. Hopefully, they’re not quite as dull as the on track action ended up.

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McLaren Porsche Video

McLaren P1 v Porsche 918 v Ducati 1199

McLaren P1 v Porsche 918 v Ducati 1199

Here’s a video shootout that’ll have you salivating. Autocar runs the fearsome McLaren P1 up against the amazing Porsche 918 Spyder. And for good measure they bring a Ducati 1199 along for a few laughs. Remember, it’s the superbike which gives its engine to the funky Volkswagen XL Sport.

Of course, there is a lot more to read from Autocar about the merits of these two hyperhybrids, including this bit:

Ultimately, the 918 handles, rides and steers like a big daddy version of every senior-level Porsche from the past 10 years, and that’s exactly how Porsche’s engineers wanted it to feel. Which is great, but…

The P1’s chassis, particularly its aerodynamic grip, really is something else again. At normal road speeds you rarely, if ever, notice what kind of sorcery is going on around you, because to get those wings to do their thing you need to be travelling at least somewhere close to three figures.

Naturally, Autocar wanted the LaFerrari to join in the fun too, but…

There was one simple reason for the absence of Ferrari’s rival hypercar here: Maranello was invited to provide a car for this test but declined. At the same time, Ferrari made it clear that were we to test a private example, we would not be invited back to Maranello any time soon.

[Source: Autocar]

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Formula 1 Honda McLaren

Listen to the 2015 Honda V6 power unit

2015 Honda F1 engine

Here’s your first chance to hear the 2015 Honda V6 power unit that will power McLaren F1 cars next year.

It’s a sign of the times that the best audio is heard during the opening sequence of this video covering Honda’s proud history in F1, while the actual sound of the new 1.6 litre turbo hybrid is almost drowned out by the background music.

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2014 Japanese Grand Prix in pictures

2014 Japanese Grand Prix

Usually we like it when it rains at a grand prix because the images are pretty cool. But the end of this year’s Japanese Grand Prix was not very cool at all.

Forza Jules.

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Caterham F1 in pictures Ferrari Lotus McLaren Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Toro Rosso

2014 Singapore Grand Prix in pictures

2014 Singapore Grand Prix

Victory at the Singapore Grand Prix makes it two wins in a row for Lewis Hamilton and with that he has put himself atop the drivers’ championship standings. No wonder he has such a smug look on his face.

At least Lewis has stopped pulling his hair out over the frustration of mechanical failures. Or has he?

You can see all that and more with our gallery of images below, some of which do literally contain the bright lights of Singapore.

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2014 Italian Grand Prix in pictures

2014 Italian Grand Prix

We’re a little bit later in the week than usual with our Formula 1 photo smorgasbord, but here we are ready to help you relive Lewis Hamilton’s win at the 2014 Italian Grand Prix. How good is that lead image?!

Hopefully you will forgive our lateness, the 120-plus images for you after the break should help with that. And they’re in new 2560x1690px mega sizing too. Oh yeah!

Even more beautiful.

Thanks to Marussia for images of the famed Monza banking right at the end as well.

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Formula 1 Honda McLaren

McLaren could test with Honda engine this year

Eric Boullier, McLaren

The McLaren-Honda reunification could make its track-based return this year, just days after the end of the 2014 season, according to Eric Boullier.

“The safe side is that we’ll obviously be in Jerez with a McLaren-Honda car,” said Boullier, McLaren Racing Director. “But it keeps open to maybe the possibility that if everything is matching in our schedules to run it earlier.”

The only earlier opportunity for McLaren to run with its new Honda power unit would be the post-season Abu Dhabi test which is scheduled for 25–26 November.

“We won’t give a definite answer now because we actually don’t know yet exactly. It’s very likely to be before Jerez. We’ll see,” Boullier added.

Only last week Honda’s Yasuhisa Arai said the company was on track with the development of its V6 power unit and that its debut was expected in the first pre-season test at Jerez in 2015.

[Source: Sky Sports F1 | Pic: McLaren]

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Honda McLaren

Honda on track for 2015 Formula 1 return

Ayrton Senna, 1991 Belgian GP

In an interview with the official Formula 1 website Honda’s Yasuhisa Arai has confirmed the McLaren-Honda deal is exclusive for one season only and that they will consider supplying other teams from 2016 if there is demand.

Arai also stated it is unlikely that Honda will run its V6 power unit in earnest before 2015 pre-season testing begins in Jerez.

“We are absolutely within our development plan,” Arai told Formula1.com. “Our engine—or more precisely our power unit—is ready for a whole system check, but without the chassis. It will still need more time to bring the power unit and chassis together and then be able to run checks with the complete car.

“In the next couple of weeks we will run simulations and at the beginning of next year we will start to run on the track—very likely at Jerez. That will very likely be the first time to show the whole car, the Honda engine and the McLaren chassis—the Honda McLaren.”

Follow the link below for the full Q&A article.

[Source: Formula1.com | Pic: Cahier Archive]