McLaren has finally unveiled its contender for the 2011 Formula One season. By building it in front of a live audience.
In the most dramatic - and bizarre - F1 launches so far, Vodafone competition winners carried in bits of the MP4-26 and handed them over to Important Men from McLaren. Messrs Hamilton and Button were the last to arrive, carrying the steering wheel and headrest.
Unveiled on the site of the old Berlin wall in, err, Berlin, the MP4-26 features KERS and an adjustable rear wing, as per the new rules. Don't forget, McLaren were the first team to win an F1 race with KERS when Lewis snatched a win in Hungary 2009.
The MP4-26 also features an unusual ‘U'-shaped sidepod arrangement which McLaren says is to direct air to the rear of the car more efficiently.
Looks good, right? The new McFormulaOne motor will undergo a private test in Spain next week, followed by team track testing in Jerez on Thursday.
McLaren MP4-26
McLaren MP4-26
Scroll through for more F1 launches, including the return of the famous JPS black and gold livery...
McLaren’s new F1 car
Renault R31
The classic gold ‘n' black Lotus livery returns! Renault - together with backers Group Lotus - has revealed its R31 racer for 2011, which, says Renault, features '92 per cent' worth of new parts compared to last year's.
Vitali Petrov and Robert Kubica will pilot the car, with drivers Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean as third drivers.
See more pictures of the Renault R31
Ferrari F150
Named to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy, the F150 - codenamed 662 - is the 57th single-seat Fezza to race in F1.
New regulations mean the double-diffuser is out, the blown rear-wing makes way for a hydraulically controlled adjustable one, KERS makes a return and brakes are courtesy of Brembo.
Ferrari hasn't modified the engine, but has worked on improving reliability, while the introduction of KERS has rerouted the cooling system, new air exit ducts and changed the front of the engine.
See more pictures of the Ferrari F150
Red Bull RB7
Get ready to see this parked in the winner's parking spot. A lot. Probably.
The Adrian Newey-designed motor is an evolution of last year's championship-winning car, itself ‘an evolution of 2009's RB5'. After all, why mess with a good recipe?
Sure, because of the movable rear-wing and return of KERS, the RB7 is quite different to last year's, but expect it to be fast. World champ Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber will be the team's drivers. Whether they have kissed and made up remains to be seen...
See more pictures of the Red Bull RB7
Mercedes-Benz W02
"The new Silver Arrow for the 2011 season has little in common with its predecessor," explains Merc motorsports' vice president Norbert Haug. "Our engineers have taken a fairly ruthless approach." Yikes.
The new car will hope to set seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher back to his winning ways, alongside ‘team-mate' Nico Rosberg.
Mercedes has implemented ‘a raft of technical innovations' and even given the old girl a fresh lick of paint to make sure it carries none of last year's disappointment.
See more pictures of the Mercedes W02
Team Lotus T128
No, not a new Terminator, but a car hoping to tussle with the midfield. This, the Lotus T128, is now powered by Renault and uses Red Bull transmission systems.
Chief techy Mike Gascoyne reckons this motor will take Team Lotus (the green one from last year) ‘back to the front of the grid', and confirmed the team's unchanged driver line up as Heikki Kovaleinen and Jarno Trulli.
See more pictures of the Team Lotus T128
Sauber C30
The metamorphosis from works to privateer continues as Sauber launches the C30, with the team hoping to better their 8th place in last year's constructors' championship.
The C30 uses a Ferrari engine, new Ferrari transmission and the KERS system, courtesy of, erm, Ferrari. Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi - a man, it seems, with little knowledge of ‘fear' - will pilot the Sauber C30 this season.
See more pictures of the Sauber C30
McLaren’s new F1 car
Toro Rosso STR6
The ‘other' Red Bull has a specific aim for 2011 - 8th in the constructors' championship.
Toro Rosso's sixth year in F1 comes with the admission that this year's car is ‘unconventional'. They've made some 14 changes since last year and have used ‘more mature' wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamic tools.
Jaime Alguesuari and Sebastien Buemi will once again drive for TR, along with reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo.
See more pictures of the Toro Rosso STR6
Williams FW33
The Man Who Was Faster Than Old Stig returns alongside new partner Pastor Maldonado in the Cosworth-powered FW33. Currently shod in blue, the car will adopt a new livery - and new aero upgrade - before the first race in Bahrain in March. Williams has adopted KERS for 2011.
Williams' tech director Sam Michael said there'll be many more upgrades during the course of the year, so watch this space...
See more pictures of the Williams FW33
