Vodafone McLaren Mercedes officially unveiled the MP4-27 Formula One car at an event at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England, Wednesday.
The new car is an evolutionary advancement on the 2011’s MP4-26, rather than a complete redesign. The rear bodywork and sidepods have been redesigned to improve airflow and to comply with the latest FIA rulings about exhaust outlet placement. The cooling system has also been reworked.
Drivers will again be former champions Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, the same team, which brought McLaren a second place finish in the 2011 Constructors Championship. Button finished second in the Driver’s Championship while Hamilton finished fifth; both earned three wins.
“The whole team is extremely proud of the MP4-27,” Button said in a press release. “It may look like a direct evolution of last year’s car, but we’ve analyzed every area of performance and the whole car has benefited from lots of fresh thinking and new ideas in every area.
“We had a very fast package last year and our race pace was almost always fantastic, but we’re hoping for a further step forward in 2012. With Mercedes-Benz, I think we also had the best overall engine and KERS Hybrid package in the pit lane.
“I’m really looking forward to getting behind the wheel in Spain next week.”
Button will test drive the new McLaren at Spain’s Jerez circuit Feb. 7.
