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McLaren’s Alliance With Toyota Sparks F1 Speculation

At the recent Japanese Grand Prix, McLaren made waves in the motorsport world by announcing a significant development role for Ryo Hirakawa, a successful Toyota factory driver known for his 24 Hours of Le Mans triumph in 2022. This move has deepened the collaboration between McLaren and Toyota, fuelling speculation about Toyota’s potential reentry into Formula 1.

McLaren and Toyota have a longstanding relationship, primarily revolving around wind tunnel access in Cologne. While McLaren now operates its wind tunnel in Woking, they are strengthening their ties through Hirakawa’s career development.

At 29 years old, Hirakawa is not in the typical age bracket for Formula 1 prospects. However, he will have the opportunity to use McLaren’s simulator next year and even test their 2021 car—an unusual chance usually reserved for prospective F1 race drivers.

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Fernando Alonso to drive for McLaren in 2018

After a rocky few months, McLaren’s driver line-up for the 2018 season seems to be set in stone. Former F1 world champion Fernando Alonso, who recently gave the team an ultimatium, has chosen to stick around for another year, according to F1.com.

He will rejoin current teammate Stoffel Vandoorne as McLaren mounts its renewed title hopes next year with new engine supplier, Renault. After several dismal seasons trying to rekindle the glory days of the McLaren-Honda partnership, both companies have decided to go their own separate ways.

The under performing McLarens have lacked the much needed power that would have allowed them to compete further up the grid. Instead, plagued with several reliability issues and a noticeable power deficit, contributed to a lackluster few seasons.

Previously, McLaren F1 cars were powered by Mercedes-Benz engines, the very same ones that allowed the team to be a dominant force in Formula 1 for decades. Now, with Renault power, the UK based team should be able to harness all of its knowledge and resources to make a much needed comeback.

Source: F1.com

Mika Häkkinen to drive legendary McLaren M23 around Laguna Seca

Former Formula One champion and arch rival of Micheal Schumacher, Mika Häkkinen has been tasked with belting a McLaren M23 at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, this August. The car belonged to F1 legend, Emerson Fittipaldi and helped him clinch the 1974 championship.

Häkkinen will complete a couple of 15-minute exhibition laps to entertain fans as well as showcase the capabilities of the vintage racer. Back in the 1970s, Formula was still a crude, unsafe and unfiltered sport that offered both the best as well as the worst of Motorsports racing.

Between 1973 to 1978, this McLaren-Ford M23 won 16 of the 80 grand prixs that it competed in. Three world championship titles were won with it, including the 1974 drivers’ and constructors’ title and 1976 drivers’ title.

Häkkinen will be sitting in for Jenson Button who was the original choice of McLaren. Since the latter wasn’t able to fulfill this task, the automaker turned to its most trusted ambassador and icon of Formula One.

Nicknamed ‘The Flying Finn’. Häkkinen drove 130 grand prixs for the McLaren team between 1993 and 2001, and winning 20 of them. This included two Drivers’ World Championship titles in 1998 and 1999 respectively.

The rivalry between the Finn and Schumacher was extremely fierce, which gave rise to exhilarating edge-of-your-seat action that is seriously lacking in the current F1 era. Their battles were so intense that they have become part of Formula 1 folklore.

“Though we were looking forward to having Jenson Button at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, we are delighted that a driver of Mika’s caliber is able to take his place,” said Gill Campbell, Senior Vice President of Event Operations at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

He later added, “Formula 1 is the pinnacle of racing advancement, and Mika will be able to showcase a car with great racing history during his spirited exhibition laps. Fans will surely enjoy the link between past and present during the exhibitions and throughout the event. Thank you to McLaren for making this happen.”

This year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will be held at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The event will see more than 550 historic cars taking part in the race weekend. Like many shows of this nature, fans will get to see a range of vehicles ranging from the pre-war era cars to more modern ones.