McLaren MCL35

The McLaren MCL35 is a Formula One car designed under the direction of James Key and constructed by McLaren to compete in the Formula One World Championship. The car was originally intended to compete in the 2020 season only, but as the championship was heavily disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic the lifespan of all 2020 cars was extended into 2021. McLaren will produce an upgraded version of the car, the McLaren MCL35M,[5] for the 2021 championship as the team return to using Mercedes engines.[6] The MCL35 made its début at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix after the start of the season was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

McLaren MCL35
McLaren MCL35M
An MCL35 driven by Lando Norris during 2020 pre-season testing.
CategoryFormula One
ConstructorMcLaren
Designer(s)James Key (Technical Director)
Peter Prodromou (Chief Engineer)
Mark Ingham (Head of Chassis Design)
Guillaume Cattelani (Head of Aerodynamics)
PredecessorMcLaren MCL34
Technical specifications[1][2][3][4]
Suspension (front)Carbon fibre wishbone and pushrod suspension elements operating inboard torsion bar and damper system
Suspension (rear)Carbon fibre wishbone and pullrod suspension elements operating inboard torsion bar and damper system
LengthOver 5,400 mm (213 in)
Width2,000 mm (79 in)
Height950 mm (37 in)
Wheelbase3,600 mm (142 in) adjustable ±25 mm (1 in)
EngineRenault E-Tech 20 (2020)
Mercedes (2021)
1.6 L (98 cu in) direct injection V6 turbocharged engine limited to 15,000 RPM in a mid-mounted, rear-wheel drive layout
Electric motorRenault (2020)
Mercedes (2021)
Kinetic and thermal energy recovery systems
TransmissionMcLaren Applied Technologies 8-speed + 1 reverse sequential seamless semi-automatic paddle shift with epicyclic differential and multi-plate limited slip clutch
BatteryLithium-ion battery
Weight746 kg including driver, excluding fuel
FuelBP
LubricantsCastrol
BrakesAkebono
TyresPirelli P Zero (dry)
Pirelli Cinturato (wet)
Competition history
Notable entrantsMcLaren F1 Team
Notable drivers
Debut2020 Austrian Grand Prix
Last event2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
RacesWinsPodiumsPolesF.Laps
170203

The MCL35 was driven by Carlos Sainz Jr. and Lando Norris in 2020, with McLaren finishing in third place in the World Constructors' Championship for the first time since 2012 and achieving podiums at the Austrian and Italian Grands Prix. In 2021, the MCL35M will be driven by Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, as Sainz departs for Ferrari.

Background

Initial design and development

James Key was recruited from Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2019 to replace the outgoing Tim Goss,[7] and was named as the MCL35's lead designer.[8][9] In October 2019 team principal Andreas Seidl stated very little of the MCL34 would be carried over to the MCL35,[10][11] with the aim of the closing the gap to the top three teams to under one second.[9][12][13] Lando Norris stated that one of the team's major areas of focus was to improve the MCL35's cornering ability.[14][15]

Compared to the MCL34, the MCL35 had a greater emphasis on the outwash effect – moving air around the tyre rather than over it – and a higher rear rake. The front wing also had increased outboard loading in order to maximise downforce.[16] The MCL35 featured a thinner nose and a more complex bargeboard,[17][18] with more space between the front axle and the sidepods to better meet the cooling requirements of the Renault engine.[16] The car also utilised a much slimmer sidepod profile as well as a new front nose design,[19][20] with re-designed brake ducts to increase cooling ability over its predecessor.[21][22] Key explained that the suspension geometry of the MCL35 had been redesigned to incorporate developments the team had not been able to implement on the MCL34,[21][23] which include the repositioning of both the upper and lower wishbone elements to influence airflow over the bargeboards and floor.[22]

Livery
See also: 2020 Formula One World Championship § Solidarity campaign

The MCL35 and its livery were originally unveiled in February 2020, featuring the McLaren corporate colours of papaya and blue.[24] Prior to the first race of the season in Austria, McLaren revealed the addition of a rainbow graphic on the sidepod and halo in recognition of Formula One's #WeRaceAsOne campaign.[25][26][27] The changes were interpreted by some as representing the LGBT+ rainbow flag, but McLaren stated the rainbow represented their support for diversity in general and provided recognition for essential workers rather than any specific cause.[25][28]

In contrast to the MCL34 and its gloss finish, the MCL35 featured a matte finish and greater use of black in order to reduce the overall weight of the car.[19][29]

Switch from Renault to Mercedes engines – MCL35M
See also: 2021 Formula One World Championship § Regulation changes

Aside from minor upgrades, 2020-specification cars were meant to be kept largely unchanged for the 2021 season in order to limit the financial strain on teams that would be incurred by developing a new car under the already fragile financial conditions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that McLaren had already signed a contract to use Mercedes engines in 2021 before the decision to reuse 2020 cars was made, they received special permission – subject to FIA inspection – to modify their chassis to accommodate the new engine.[30] This requirement led directly to Formula One's adoption of a token-based system for 2021 vehicle development.[31] Despite switching engines, McLaren will not switch gearboxes and will continue to design and manufacture their own.[32]

Key stated in November 2020 that the planning for the switch had gone smoothly, with the MCL35M to feature "a couple of changes to architecture necessary by the shape of the engine compared to this year's. But it's not fundamentally different." However, Key also stated that the aerodynamic potential of the car could not be maximised due to the FIA's token system,[5] leading McLaren to implement most aerodynamic upgrades for the switch in the 2020 season.[33] In a post-season statement, Key said that knowing the team would be restricted for development in 2021 "changed our approach when it came to developments this [2020] season."[34]

Competition and development history

Pre-season
See also: 2020 Formula One pre-season testing and 2020 Australian Grand Prix
Lando Norris driving the MCL35 at the 2020 pre-season test.

Prior to the beginning of the 2020 season, the team established their aim to defend their status as 'best of the rest' – fourth place in the Constructors' Championship behind the then-leading trio of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull – and close the gap to those respective teams.[9][12][35][36] In preseason testing however, Racing Point, whose car strongly resembled the 2019 Mercedes car,[37] was very quick compared to the other midfield teams, and caused McLaren to be less than optimistic about their chances to secure fourth place.[38] Despite this, Carlos Sainz Jr. said that he was "shocked in a good way" by the MCL35's performance compared to its predecessor,[39][40] and the team stated they were happy with the car's pace.[41] James Key would later say that "we [McLaren] didn't really show our pace in winter testing."[42]

After McLaren's withdrawal from the Australian Grand Prix and the race's subsequent cancellation,[43] the season was heavily disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the calendar was reorganised which delayed the car's début for several months.

Prior the opening round, Renault stated that they would not provide any upgrades to the E-Tech 20 engine. Therefore, the MCL35 used the same specification engine for the entire 2020 season.[44]

Opening rounds

McLaren used a new floor, diffuser, and brake ducts at the Austrian Grand Prix as well as a tweaked front wing.[45][46] Norris qualified in fourth and was promoted to third after a penalty was given to Lewis Hamilton,[47] while Sainz qualified in eighth. This was McLaren's best grid start since the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix.[48] After Norris lost positions in the opening laps to Hamilton and Alexander Albon, both McLarens ran comfortably in the top ten for the remainder of the race. In the closing laps, Hamilton collided with Albon and was given a five-second penalty.[49] Norris, running in fifth, was required to close the gap between himself and Hamilton (running in second place) to under five seconds in order to finish in the top three, overtaking Sergio Pérez (who also had a five-second penalty after a pit lane incident involving Norris) and setting his first fastest lap on the last lap of the race in the process, as well as achieving his first ever Formula One podium.[50] Sainz finished in fifth after also overtaking Pérez. This was McLaren's second podium in three races after the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix, in sharp contrast to their previous gap of 118 races.[51] The result placed McLaren second in the World Constructors' Championship behind Mercedes, with Norris in third and Sainz in fifth in the World Drivers' Championship.[52]

McLaren used a new chin spoiler design during the Styrian Grand Prix.[53][54] Sainz qualified in third, the best outright qualifying position for McLaren since 2014.[55] Norris qualified in sixth but was demoted to ninth after a penalty from free practice was applied.[56] Norris would go on to finish fifth after overtaking both Racing Point drivers on the final lap,[57] while Sainz would finish ninth and set the fastest lap and a new track record in the process.[58] Sainz dropped to seventh in the Drivers' Championship.[59]

McLaren used a new engine cover and T-wing design during the Hungarian Grand Prix.[54][60][61] McLaren had a poor showing in Hungary compared to the Austrian rounds. While Sainz did manage third in second practice,[62] McLaren would only manage to qualify eighth and ninth.[63] Both Sainz and Norris dropped positions while changing tyres on lap four, being held up by traffic in the pit lane.[64] Norris could only recover to thirteenth after being passed by Charles Leclerc. Sainz finished tenth, and was later promoted to ninth after Haas driver Kevin Magnussen received a penalty.[65] Norris dropped to fourth and Sainz to ninth in the Drivers' Championship, while the team was overtaken by Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship and fell to third.[66]

At the British Grand Prix, McLaren removed the T-wing and reverted their engine cover design to the pre-Hungarian version, while using a new front wing, rear wing, and floor design.[67][68] Norris and Sainz would go on to qualify fifth and seventh respectively,[69] and would then run in seventh and fourth in the final laps before a tyre puncture for Sainz dropped him to fourteenth.[70][71] He finished fourteenth but was promoted to thirteenth after Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi was penalised for violating safety car conditions,[72] while Norris finished in fifth. Sainz dropped to tenth in the Drivers' Championship.[73]

The following week at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, Norris qualified tenth and Sainz thirteenth, the latter being the first time a McLaren had failed to reach the final part of qualifying in 2020.[74] Sainz later stated that the team had discovered an overheating issue in third practice, and in order to be able to complete the race the car was required to undergo bodywork changes that in turn compromised his qualifying pace.[75] During the race, Sainz's pitstop was compromised by a wheel gun malfunction. Both drivers listed tyre management as their main challenge as Norris and Sainz went on to finish ninth and thirteenth respectively.[76] McLaren was overtaken by Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship and finished the round in fourth, two points behind Ferrari. Meanwhile, Norris fell to fifth from fourth in the Drivers' Championship after being overtaken by Charles Leclerc, with Sainz dropped to from tenth to eleventh by Esteban Ocon.[77]

Mid-season rounds

At the Spanish Grand Prix, Sainz continued to experience cooling problems on his MCL35 and was issued with a new chassis.[78] When this failed to solve the problem,[79] the power unit on his car was replaced:[80] McLaren later stated the issue had no relation to the chassis.[81] This was the first power unit change for an MCL35 in the 2020 season and successfully fixed the issue.[82][83] Sainz and Norris would go on to qualify in seventh and eighth respectively,[84][85] but were concerned over the impacts of a high temperature race.[83] Despite this, Sainz would finish in sixth and Norris in tenth.[86] The team maintained their fourth place in the standings, with Sainz improving to ninth and Norris falling to seventh. Having scored 62 points already in the Constructors' Championship, they matched their 2018 total in six races. Despite concerns during pre-season testing over the pace of the Racing Point RP20, McLaren became more confident with the performance of the car, with team principal Andreas Seidl stating the team could fight for third place in the Constructors' Championship.[87]

McLaren installed a new rear wing and rear brake duct at the Belgian Grand Prix,[88][89] as well as using a new bargeboard.[90] During free practice, the team tested a new floor and diffuser compliant with 2021 regulations (less aerodynamic parts and slimmer compared to the 2020 regulations).[91][92] Sainz qualified seventh and Norris tenth.[93] After qualifying, Sainz expressed concern at the possibility of a wet race, stating that the car was set up for lower downforce and that McLaren would be "in trouble" should it rain during the Grand Prix.[94][95] Sainz would not start the race after an issue with his Renault power unit failed and "destroyed the right exhaust bank" before the race,[96][97][98] resulting in the first non-finish for McLaren in 2020.[98] Norris climbed three places to finish seventh, 1.062 seconds behind Alexander Albon in sixth.[99] The result meant that Norris overtook Lance Stroll in the Driver's Championship for sixth, while Carlos Sainz fell to eleventh in the standings. McLaren recovered third place from Racing Point.[100]

The MCL35 was equipped with low downforce front and rear wings for the Italian Grand Prix at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza.[101] Despite being third in the second free practice session, Norris was concerned for his race pace after missing the majority of the session with what was later identified as a sensor issue.[102][103] The Italian Grand Prix was also the first race at which the FIA imposed a ban on qualifying engine modes,[104] with both McLaren drivers uncertain of the impact this would have on the team.[105] Sainz would go on to qualify in third and Norris in sixth.[106] Both Sainz and Norris would overtake others on the first lap to end the first lap in second and third respectively, positions they held until the first safety car of the race.[107] After the yellow and red flags caused by Kevin Magnussen of Haas and Leclerc of Ferrari, the McLarens would restart the race in seventh and eighth. Norris would go on to finish fourth while Sainz attempted to catch Pierre Gasly in the lead, reducing the gap down to 0.415 seconds on the final lap but Sainz would finish second.[108] This was Sainz's second career podium and McLaren's second podium of the season. Team principal Andreas Seidl stated that McLaren had been the second-quickest team behind Mercedes and that the team would have finished in second and third had the race been less chaotic.[107] Sainz later credited the red flag caused by Leclerc's crash for his second place, saying that without the red flag and the tyre change advantage it gave to those ahead of him after the safety car, he would have been able to claim first.[109][110] AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost later stated that it was the AlphaTauri team's decision to run a higher downforce on their AT01 and the resulting advantage it gave Gasly through the second sector that allowed him to hold off Sainz over the last laps of the race.[111] Norris also claimed that the red flag and the advantage it gave to Lance Stroll was the reason he could not reclaim third place.[112] The race resulted in McLaren's best finish since 2014,[113] and increased their lead for third place in the Constructors' Championship, while Norris would take fifth and Sainz ninth in the Drivers' Championship.[114]

Lando Norris driving the MCL35 during the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix.

Both drivers as well as Technical Director James Key expressed uncertainty regarding the team's performance at the Tuscan Grand Prix given that Formula One cars have never raced at the Mugello Circuit before.[115] During the first free practice session, McLaren tested a new nose intended to be raced later in the season in order for it to be applied to the 2021 chassis.[116] After the second free practice session, Sainz commented that the car lacked rear stability, but "if we manage to achieve a better balance tomorrow morning, our performance can improve considerably".[117] In qualifying, Sainz would qualify in ninth and Norris in eleventh, the first time in 2020 the latter had not made it to the final stage of qualifying.[118] Both drivers explained that the MCL35 was highly sensitive to wind, particularly tailwinds, but were happy with the performance of the car compared to the practice sessions.[119] During the race, Stroll collided with Sainz on the opening lap causing him to spin.[120] He was then hit by Sebastian Vettel who could not take evasive action, but unlike Vettel, Sainz did not take any vehicle damage. After the safety car restart Sainz collided heavily with Antonio Giovinazzi's Alfa Romeo after Giovinazzi collided with the suddenly slowing Williams of Nicholas Latifi and Magnussen, triggering the first red flag of the race.[120][121] Sainz became the first McLaren race retirement of the 2020 season. Norris would finish the race in sixth.[122] McLaren maintained third place in the Constructors' Championship, while Norris would take fourth in the Drivers' Championship as Sainz dropped to eleventh.[123] At the conclusion of this race McLaren had scored in excess of 100 points in nine Grands Prix, much quicker than the 16 races it took in 2019. After the race Piers Thynne, McLaren's production director, stated that the team had "lost significant parts" in the race.[124][125][126]

At the Russian Grand Prix, McLaren ran the MCL35 with a new front wing,[127] and continued to test the new nose design introduced at the previous race.[128] Sainz reverted to the chassis he had used up until the Spanish Grand Prix after the restart incident at the Tuscan Grand Prix.[81] During the first free practice session, Sainz spun in turn seven and triggered a virtual safety car after damage to his rear wing.[129] Sainz and Norris went on to qualify sixth and eighth respectively.[130] When questioned about his drop from third in free practice three to sixth in qualifying, Sainz explained after qualifying that the team had again experienced issues with the MCL35's wind sensitivity, as they had at the previous race.[131] Seidl also stated that the new nose was "not a step forward really" but that the team was "quite restricted at the moment, with the number of parts" after the incidents at the previous race and in free practice; the new nose would form part of a future upgrade package introduced at the following race.[132][133] Both McLarens had poor starts from the dirty side of the grid.[134] At turn two, Sainz ran off the track and "misjudged [his] entry speed around the bollard" trying to re-join the track, causing him to collide with the wall and retire from the race.[135] Norris was forced to run over debris from Sainz's car, causing a steering issue that compromised his performance for the rest of the race.[136] Norris pitted during the safety car period, but his hard tyres would not last the entire race distance as hoped; forcing him to pit again and dropping him out of the points.[137] McLaren stated this was done since Norris was already likely to drop out of the points on the aging tyres, and was thus aiming to take the fastest lap point away from other teams.[81] This was McLaren's first pointless race since the 2019 Mexican Grand Prix, ending a 12 race point-scoring streak,[138] which reduced their lead for third place in the Constructors' Championship.[139] Neither driver lost positions in the Drivers' Championship but both had their lead reduced.[140]

McLaren announced ahead of the Eifel Grand Prix that the rest of the aerodynamic upgrade which the new nose was a part of would be installed on the car at that race.[133] It was later clarified only Sainz would run the new package.[141] Norris qualified eighth and Sainz tenth,[142] with Sainz saying he was unhappy with the upgrade package.[143][144] McLaren credited Sainz's difficulties to the cancellation of the first two free practice sessions, stating the package had not been properly set up for the track.[141] Despite installing a new power unit overnight,[145] Norris would run in third before an issue arose with his Renault power unit and dropped several positions until he was forced to retire, triggering a safety car.[146] Sainz would finish in fifth.[147] McLaren lost third in the Constructors' Championship to Racing Point, while Norris dropped to sixth in the Drivers' Championship.[148]

The team continued to develop the new aerodynamics package at the Portuguese Grand Prix, as well as introducing additional upgrades to the car.[149][150] The team opted to run the MCL35 with the new nose box, delaying the rest of the package to future races.[151] Despite further issues with wind sensitivity in qualifying,[152] Sainz qualified seventh and Norris eighth.[153] Both McLarens overtook on the opening lap, with Sainz taking the lead from laps two through to five and Norris moving up to fourth.[154] This early advantage was partially attributed to the speed at which the MCL35 brought the soft tyres into the operating window.[155] However, both McLarens began to lose positions as the medium tyre came into its operating window and the drag reduction system was enabled. Lance Stroll attempted to overtake Norris in to turn one, but turned in on him on the apex of the corner,[156] causing damage to both cars and dropping Norris to second-last after his pit stop.[157] Sainz struggled with tyre graining[158] but would finish in sixth, with Norris finishing thirteenth.[159] McLaren maintained fourth place in the Constructors' Championship, with Sainz improving to tenth and Norris dropping to seventh in the Drivers' Championship.[160]

Closing rounds

Norris and Sainz qualified ninth and tenth respectively at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.[161] Sainz would finish seventh and Norris in eighth,[162] with Sainz saying the evasive action required after Red Bull driver Alexander Albon spun in front of him prevented him from attacking during the final few laps.[163] McLaren drew level with Racing Point in the Constructors' Championship, but both were overtaken by Renault. Sainz improved to eighth in the Drivers' Championship.[164] Seidl stated that the team's race was limited by their qualifying position, while Norris said that the team still had competitive pace but were on a run of bad luck.[165]

Several components on the MCL35 were re-designed to account for the high-load nature of the Turkish Grand Prix.[166] Sainz suffered an issue with his power unit's electronics in the first practice session, triggering a virtual safety car and causing him to miss most of the session.[167][168] Norris and Sainz originally qualified eleventh and thirteenth respectively.[169] However, Norris was given a five-place grid penalty for breaching yellow flag conditions,[170] with stewards saying "Car 4 was not attempting to set a quick lap time, due to the changing track conditions he nevertheless did so and thereby breached the referenced regulations."[171] Sainz was given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Perez, which Sainz said was partially due to the weather conditions.[172] Sainz recovered to fifth and Norris recovered to eighth while the latter also set the fastest lap of the race.[173] Sainz overtook Norris for seventh in the Drivers' Championship.[174] The result meant that they exceeded their 2019 total of 145 Constructors' Championship points over 21 races, having scored 149 points in fourteen races.

McLaren spent a portion of free practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix continuing tests with their 2021 floor and diffuser.[92][175] Norris stated he was lacking confidence with the car, alluding to the MCL35's wind sensitivity issues, saying "I didn't feel the most confident throughout today [...] Just because it's quite tricky with the wind, even though it's not very windy."[176] During the second part of qualifying, Sainz's rear axle locked as his rear brakes failed, ending his qualifying session early and limiting his choice of tyre compounds for the race.[177] Norris would go on to qualify ninth, leaving Sainz in fifteenth.[178] Both McLarens exhibited strong race pace, and Norris would ultimately finish fourth in the race with Sainz fifth, meaning McLaren re-took third in the Constructors' Championship by 17 points after both Racing Point cars retired.[179][180][181] Norris overtook Sainz for seventh in the Drivers' Championship.[182]

Sainz predicted ahead of the Sakhir Grand Prix (also held at Bahrain International Circuit, but on a different layout) that choosing the correct setup – particularly downforce levels – would be challenging.[183] McLaren ultimately ran the MCL35 with a lower downforce aerodynamics kit, featuring a "spoon-shaped" rear wing.[184] During the second practice session, Sainz experienced an issue with his gearbox that interrupted his running. Norris damaged the floor of his MCL35 on a kerb and then experienced power issues. Both drivers expressed surprise at their apparent loss of pace from the week before.[185] Sainz qualified in eighth, which he said was "the maximum our car could do",[186] while Norris qualified in fifteenth which he attributed to poor out-lap timing and his own error.[187][188] Norris was required to start nineteenth after replacing his internal combustion engine and turbocharger, exceeding his component limits.[189] In the race, Sainz had a good start and was running in third by the end of the first lap, and briefly challenged Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes for second place.[190] However, shortly after Sainz's second pitstop, a safety car gave rivals who passed him after his pitstop an advantage over him, limiting his ability to challenge the cars in front of him.[191] At the restart, Sainz overtook Bottas to take fourth place, but was disappointed that he did not reach the podium.[192] Norris recovered to finish tenth after being passed by George Russell's Mercedes on the last lap, and said that he lacked the pace to challenge for higher positions,[192] which he attributed to the MCL35's struggle with dirty air.[193] McLaren dropped to fourth in the Constructors' Championship after Racing Point finished first and third, while Sainz took seventh and Albon overtook Norris for eighth in the Drivers' Championship.[194]

Norris qualified fourth and Sainz sixth for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.[195][196] Norris said that he was surprised by the small difference between himself and polesitter Max Verstappen, which was only 0.251 seconds, calling it his best lap of the year.[197] Norris finished fifth and Sainz in sixth, scoring enough points to take third place in the Constructors' Championship,[198][199] McLaren's best finish since the 2012 season.[200] Sainz took sixth in the Drivers' Championship, while Norris finished the season in ninth.[201] The team later called the race "quite possibly our smoothest" of the year in terms of strategy.[202] McLaren did not participate in the post-season young drivers' test, making the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix the final outing for the MCL35.[203][204]

Assessment and characteristics

Although taking third in the Constructors' Championship, the MCL35 was rarely the third fastest car on pure pace and was usually outperformed by the Racing Point RP20 and often the Renault R.S.20.[205][206] Lawrence Barretto summarised the car as "lack[ing] downforce, lack[ing] low speed balance and [not] a fan of a tailwind", but also said that "the overall package was better, with a key strength lying in the high-speed corners", and pointed to Sainz's opening lap performance in Portugal as evidence of the MCL35's performance in cold conditions.[207] Overall, the majority of McLaren's retirements in 2020 where not due to the chassis or driver error; usually retirements were due to incidents caused by other drivers or issues with the Renault E-Tech 20 engine.[42][207][206]

Journalist David Tremayne described the MCL35 as "a consistent points scorer", a characteristic that enabled McLaren to remain competitive in seeking third place in the Constructors' Championship.[208] Barretto made a similar assessment, saying that the MCL35 allowed its drivers "to get the very best out of it more consistently – something Renault or Racing Point could not replicate."[207]

In a reflection on the 2020 season, McLaren Sporting Director Andrea Stella stated that the car's performance early in the season allowed the team to be "very competitive and at the front of the midfield" but this advantage was not retained over the second half of the season, while Technical Director James Key said "Certain tracks and conditions, particularly in the latter part of the season, have not played to our strengths."[42] Comparing the MCL35 to the MCL34, Key said the team had been "only around 50% successful in addressing the [MCL34's] weak spots" but "there's nothing fundamental about the car that is preventing us doing that [improving the car]. It's predominantly aero-related, with some set-up aspects."[209]

Development from the MCL35 to the MCL35M

Due to the restrictions imposed by the FIA's token system for 2021 development, most of the aerodynamic changes for the MCL35M were introduced in the 2021 season.[33][207][210] McLaren has "substantially re-engineer[ed] some areas" of the MCL35 to adapt to 2021 regulations that reduce the overall downforce of the car, while the switch to the Mercedes power unit necessitated the redesign of cooling, electronics,[42] pipework for air and fluids, and control boxes.[211] The MCL35M will also see the introduction of a new gearbox,[42] which McLaren will continue to develop independently.[32] Key described the MCL35M as "akin to a new car".[42]

The rear end of the chassis and the gearbox housing were changed significantly, hence McLaren was the only team required to re-homologate their chassis due to the changes in car architecture.[211] The MCL35M passed FIA crash tests in December 2020.[212][213]

Key identified two target areas for improvement with the MCL35M: low-speed cornering performance and wind sensitivity, two areas in which the MCL35 struggled.[214] Production Director Piers Thynne said that "The number of new parts on the MCL35M is about the same as when we built the MCL35," meaning "essentially, we've been building a new car." However, gearbox internals were not changed, nor were some suspension components as these were allowed to be carried over from 2020 outside of the 2021 budget cap.[211]

Pre-season

After the conclusion of the 2020 season, Seidl stated he did not believe McLaren could directly compete with Mercedes and Red Bull (who finished first and second in the 2020 Constructors' Championship) in the 2021 season, and that the team would instead work to reduce their pace deficit over multiple seasons.[215][216]

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Power unit Tyres Drivers Grands Prix Points WCC
2020 McLaren F1 Team MCL35 Renault
E-Tech 20
1.6 V6 t		 P AUT STY HUN GBR 70A ESP BEL ITA TUS RUS EIF POR EMI TUR BHR SKH ABU 202 3rd
Lando Norris 3F 5 13 5 9 10 7 4 6 15 Ret 13 8 8F 4 10 5
Carlos Sainz Jr. 5 9F 9 13 13 6 DNS 2 Ret Ret 5 6 7 5 5 4 6
2021 McLaren F1 Team MCL35M Mercedes-AMG
1.6 V6 t		 P BHR EMI TBA ESP MON AZE CAN FRA AUT GBR HUN BEL NED ITA RUS SIN JPN USA MEX SÃO AUS SAU ABU – –
Lando Norris
Daniel Ricciardo
Sources:[217]

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