75 replies to this topic

[Player(1)]

Some stuff should come up soon...just so excited I had to make the thread, sorry if I got anyones hopes up

[ykickamoocow]

Player(1), on Jan 16 2007, 01:54 AM, said:

Some stuff should come up soon...just so excited I had to make the thread, sorry if I got anyones hopes up

I was going to create this thread but only when the first photo's became avaliable which should be within a hour.

[Player(1)]

Am I jumping the gun or does that look new?
Edit: Jumping the gun....#3 is from 2006 ofcourse

Edited by Player(1), 15 January 2007 - 03:17 PM.

[Wez]

Monday 15th January 2007, Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias, Valencia, Spain
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes race drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton will drive through the streets of Valencia in their Formula 1 cars later today to mark the start of an exciting new era for the team.

The event heralds the launch of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, which Vodafone is joining as Title Sponsor and Official Mobile Partner.

Fernando and Lewis, who form one of the youngest driver line-ups in the history of the sport, will unveil the new livery to an expected crowd of more than 150,000 on a bespoke circuit around the Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias in two MP4-21 race cars. This will be followed by the unveiling of the 2007 car, the MP4-22, which Fernando and Lewis will use to contest this year's Formula 1 World Championship.

The 2007 challengers will conduct a shakedown test at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, on Wednesday 17th January. The intensive pre-season testing programme will then commence on Wednesday 24th January at the same track.

Pedro de la Rosa and Gary Paffett join Fernando and Lewis to complete the driver line-up. Pedro and Gary, who are starting their fifth and second years with the team respectively, will continue to support the ongoing technical development of the MP4-22 package during the course of the year alongside Fernando and Lewis.

“This is a fantastic day for me - I am really proud to be introducing myself as a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver in my home country, and of course to help present my new team to the Spanish fans,” said double World Champion Fernando. “Although this is my first public event with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, I have already spent a lot of time with the team and my fellow drivers Lewis, Pedro and Gary, at the McLaren Technology Centre. It is a great team and I am excited about this new beginning. My fans are such an inspiration and it is great to bring the team so close to them. I hope they enjoy watching Lewis and myself drive the cars in their new livery around the streets of Valencia.”

For Lewis, today sees the realisation of a childhood ambition, “Growing up, I saw so many Formula 1 launches in the media, and to be here in Valencia to unveil the new Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team really brings home to me the distance I have travelled to achieve my dream of becoming a grand prix driver,” said Lewis. “There is still a long way for me to go, as I am at the early stages of my career and have a lot to learn, but the passion I have for the sport and this team is immense, I cannot wait to take to the grid in Australia in March. This year will be about firsts for me, starting with today and my first Formula 1 presentation and my first demonstration run. It will be great to take the cars onto the streets and I hope the fans like the new livery as much as I do!”

Ron Dennis, Team Principal of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Chairman and CEO of the McLaren Group added: “This is a very special moment as we officially unveil the team in Valencia today. Vodafone represents only the second title sponsor change in 30 years for the team – something which we as an organization are very proud of."

"McLaren and Mercedes-Benz have enjoyed a very strong relationship for the past 12 years and we are now looking forward to a successful future as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes," continued Ron. "We all want to win but how we win has always been very important to us and this value will remain the driving force behind our new partnership. In parallel we have developed a brand strategy which we hope will capture and project the youthful and dynamic spirit of the new team. In Fernando and Lewis we have two of the most exciting and talented drivers in Formula 1. They both have great potential to inspire others to push hard to achieve their dreams."

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Generalitat Valenciana and in particular the President Mr. Francisco Camps Ortiz and the Conseller Mr. Gerrado Camps Devesa for their support in making today’s event happen. For people to be motivated by something they have to really experience it, and this is what we aim to generate today in Valencia," said Ron.

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “Like DaimlerChrysler, our new partner Vodafone is a global company with more than 190 million customers worldwide. This clearly opens up new opportunities and perspectives in the area of communications for the team. With the 2007 line-up of double world champion Fernando Alonso and F1 newcomer Lewis Hamilton, we have both the youngest driver pairing on the starting grid and in the history of the team. Furthermore, when Fernando and Lewis make their debut for the team in the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne, it will mark the tenth anniversary of the first McLaren-Mercedes F1 victory at the same circuit."

“Vodafone is delighted to be deepening our involvement in motor racing by becoming Title Sponsor and Official Mobile Partner of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team," said Arun Sarin, Chief Executive of Vodafone. "We are very excited about the opportunities the team will offer us to continue to build our brand. Motor racing is all about 'Making the most of Now' and similarly, we want all our customers both business and consumer to get the most out of their time. We wish the team all the best for the 2007 season,”

The event will also see the announcement of three new exclusive special edition consumer handsets from Samsung and Sharp to support the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team.

As Vodafone McLaren Mercedes moves into 2007, the team has welcomed new companies to its prestigious group of Corporate and Technology Partners, including aigo, Mutua Madrileña and Santander. “As we start the 2007 season, the team is benefiting from the valuable support of our world class Partner group and today extend our thanks to our existing sponsors,” said Ron Dennis. “With the likes of Santander, aigo and Mutua Madrileña joining us from this season, we have a Partnership portfolio that is unmatched in Formula 1 or indeed in the field of sports sponsorship.”

[Wez]

News from the official site, The car will be unveiled in exactly 37 Minutes... 6pm my time!!!

[c21]

Wez, on Jan 15 2007, 04:26 PM, said:

News from the official site, The car will be unveiled in exactly 37 Minutes... 6pm my time!!!

The Mclaren website says 1 hour and 15 minutes from now.

7 pm in England

6 pm here

[Wez]

3 min till launch... Here is a pic ive found so far...

[Wez]

The launch is taking place as we speak... Im still waiting for official launch pics...
Here dome more in the mean time...

[Player(1)]

Amazing Wez, very nice work.

Well we know one thing....no chance of Bruce McLaren orange livery it seems

[Wez]

I should have the official pics in 10 min... hang in there guys!

[ykickamoocow]

Edited by ykickamoocow, 15 January 2007 - 04:24 PM.

[Wez]

Here they are.... AWESOME!!!






This is gotta be the livery of 2007... I dont care what the rest look like.
Now we just need to hope it goes as well as it looks!!!

Edited by Wez, 15 January 2007 - 04:25 PM.

[ykickamoocow]

Wez, on Jan 16 2007, 03:23 AM, said:

This is gotta be the livery of 2007... I dont care what the rest look like.
Now we just need to hope it goes as well as it looks!!!

I beat you. I won you lost, i won you lost, i am so great, i am so great. I am the best  

[Wez]

ykickamoocow, on Jan 15 2007, 06:29 PM, said:

I beat you. I won you lost, i won you lost, i am so great, i am so great. I am the best  

No... Your browser loaded Mclaren.com quicker than mine, BUT I suggest you see my initial post about 20 min before yours, They hardly had the car off the truck and I had already posted the pics for my adoring fans Sooooo, Like Alonso.... I WON!

[mikeashworth]

Why does alonso look like Juan Pablo Montoya is that picture? Anyway the car is stunning, and I love the front wing and how its curve is very smooth.

[ykickamoocow]

Wez, on Jan 16 2007, 03:36 AM, said:

No... Your browser loaded Mclaren.com quicker than mine, BUT I suggest you see my initial post about 20 min before yours, They hardly had the car off the truck and I had already posted the pics for my adoring fans Sooooo, Like Alonso.... I WON!

Nope the photo's you posted were unofficial and the car had covers over bits of it. I was the first to post the official photo's. I am the winner    

[c21]

mikeashworth, on Jan 15 2007, 05:39 PM, said:

Why does alonso look like Juan Pablo Montoya is that picture? Anyway the car is stunning, and I love the front wing and how its curve is very smooth.

Its not a bad car, not massively different than last year, looks like they went the evolution route.

And about the front wing, did you notice how big the foot plates are?

[monza gorilla]

Now that is a truly ugly car.

[ykickamoocow]

monza gorilla, on Jan 16 2007, 03:54 AM, said:

Now that is a truly ugly car.

So far the only truely new car we have seen is the Renault. All the other new cars we've seen (Toyota, Ferrari and McLaren) all look simular to the 2006 spec cars.

[Player(1)]

Damn I was expecting alot of flat nearly dark red, its pretty orangy aswell right? my eyes arent decieving me are they?

[Jean Todt]

ykickamoocow, on Jan 15 2007, 04:29 PM, said:

I beat you. I won you lost, i won you lost, i am so great, i am so great. I am the best  

     
Looks good, I belive they will do much better this year, however, I think they will be worldchampions in 2008!

[suomenpankki]

looks like a diet pepsi can...that has been....hit with pressure...


method used in designing

[monza gorilla]

Great Scott! She's terrifying.

[Player(1)]

Funny how close it is to the 3d rendered concepts I posted, shame my favourite part of the concept (the Renault style front wing upper planes) didnt make it into the launch model.

But then again they say most of the aero will be revised before the first race so still a chance of it

[whiskee]

That thing has a lot of wing and complex-looking aero....  

If something in the car wouldn't break in every second race, I'd almost say Alonso has a chance to fight of the 2nd place in the champ. It's like a tradition at McLaren to have an unreliable car.

[F1 FANatic]

WOW...... looks just the same except for the fins on the side pods

[Quiet One]

suomenpankki, on Jan 15 2007, 05:56 PM, said:

looks like a diet pepsi can...that has been....hit with pressure...
method used in designing

Best description of how it looks!

My totally unbiased opinion is that Renault still has the most beautiful 2007 car  

[aussief1]

c21, on Jan 16 2007, 02:44 AM, said:

Its not a bad car, not massively different than last year, looks like they went the evolution route.

And about the front wing, did you notice how big the foot plates are?

Yes the end plates on the front wing are massive.

Interesting how McLaren have opted for the extra centre mounting on the rear wing, much like the Renault.

[F1 FANatic]

the center mounting is stipulated in the FIA safety regs for 07, the Ferrari has it as well and the reason Toyota don't i think is because they just used a stand in rear wing for the show.

[funkejay]

monza gorilla, on Jan 15 2007, 10:54 AM, said:

Now that is a truly ugly car.

I couldn't agree more.....