McLaren MP4/1

Common card · No. 472580

The McLaren MP4/1 (initially known as the MP4) was a Formula One racing car produced by the McLaren team. It debuted at round three of the 1981 season, the Argentine Grand Prix, and saw continued use in 1982 and 1983. It was one of the first Formula One cars to use a monocoque chassis wholly manufactured from carbon fibre composite, a concept which is now ubiquitous. Whilst the Lotus 88 was the first Formula One car to debut with a composite chassis at the US Grand Prix West at Long Beach that was the opener for the 1981 season, it was banned during that race weekend, so the MP4/1 was the first to actually race with a composite chassis. The chassis was designed by John Barnard, Steve Nichols and Alan Jenkins. The car was initially powered by a Ford-Cosworth DFV engine, which was the standard in Formula One at the time.

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