Zoom Working towards the 2009 MP4-24 package

The car launches begin in earnest in January where the press get a good look at the 2009 challengers. However, there is a lot of work taking place behind the scenes and the launch car is rarely the car that will line up on the grid in Melbourne at the end of March.

"The launch car package was finished in the wind tunnel several weeks ago," McLaren's Engineering Director Paddy Lowe explained this week. "The pattern has become that you significantly re-clothe the car between launch and first race in any case – that’s without such drastic changes to regulations. And the launch cars will bear little resemblance to how they appear in Melbourne."

With such sweeping rule changes for the forthcoming season - described by Lowe as 'biggest set of aerodynamic regulation changes in Formula One’s history' - the teams will be making big strides as they adapt to the regulations.

"In these early days, the rate of development is high and each team will be finding a lot more performance because the optimisation is still very embryonic," explained Doug McKiernan. "So every time you spend another two or three weeks in the tunnel, you can probably justify a complete new floor. Another few weeks and you’ll definitely have a new front wing."

"The regulations have basically put a reset button on aerodynamics – and there’s still lots we can play with. That’s what we enjoy!"

Earl ALEXANDER
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