McLaren today launched their Formula One car for the 2013 season and in their 50th year in motor racing, are bullish about their chances of returning to the top table.
By Declan Whooley
With Lewis Hamilton after departing for pastures new, Jenson Button and Mexican Sergio Perez will form the McLaren partnership that will hope to improve on their third place in the 2012 Constructor’s Championship, though they did score as many wins as eventual winners Red Bull (7).
Button will be eager to improve on his fifth place finish in the 2012 championship as he seeks to become a double world champion.
The new MP4-27 car doesn’t appear too different from last year’s model, but Button has admitted that plenty of changes have gone on under the hood.
“It is exactly the same colour scheme and I think it looks similar to last year, but it is completely different to last year under the skin,” he said.
“We know the regulations haven’t changed much since 2012 but it’s enough to make a difference.”
They will just hope that the reliability issues that forced Button and Hamilton to come a cropper on occasions last season will not be repeated when the season kicks off in Australia on St. Patrick’s Day.
