McLaren MCL33
The MCL33, driven by Fernando Alonso, during the Austrian Grand Prix | |||||||||||
| Category | Formula One | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | McLaren | ||||||||||
| Designer(s) | Tim Goss (Technical Director) Matt Morris (Engineering Director) Peter Prodromou (Chief Engineer) Christian Schramm (Head of Racing Technology) Stefano Sordo (Head of Vehicle Performance) Mark Ingham (Head of Chassis Design) Guillaume Cattelani (Head of Aerodynamics) Simone Nulli Rinalducci (Head of CFD) | ||||||||||
| Predecessor | McLaren MCL32 | ||||||||||
| Successor | McLaren MCL34 | ||||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||||
| Chassis | Carbon fibre composite monocoque with survival cell | ||||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Carbon fibre wishbone and pushrod suspension elements operating inboard torsion bar and dampers | ||||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Carbon fibre wishbone and pullrod suspension elements operating inboard torsion bar and dampers | ||||||||||
| Length | 5,480 mm (216 in; 18 ft) | ||||||||||
| Width | 2,000 mm (79 in; 7 ft) | ||||||||||
| Height | 950 mm (37 in; 3 ft) | ||||||||||
| Axle track | 2,000 mm (79 in; 7 ft) front and rear + excluding tyres | ||||||||||
| Wheelbase | 3,580 mm (141 in; 12 ft) with -/+25 mm (0.9843 in) adjustable by adjusting the toe depending on circuit layout | ||||||||||
| Engine | Mecachrome-built and assembled Renault R.E.18 1.6 L (98 cu in) direct injection V6 turbocharged engine limited to 15,000 RPM in a mid-mounted, rear-wheel drive layout | ||||||||||
| Electric motor | Renault kinetic and thermal energy recovery systems | ||||||||||
| Transmission | McLaren 8-speed + 1 reverse sequential seamless semi-automatic paddle shift with epicyclic differential and multi-plate limited slip clutch | ||||||||||
| Battery | Renault lithium-ion battery | ||||||||||
| Weight | 733 kg (1,616 lb) | ||||||||||
| Fuel | BP Ultimate | ||||||||||
| Lubricants | Castrol EDGE Supercar | ||||||||||
| Brakes | Akebono brake-by-wire system with carbon discs and pads | ||||||||||
| Tyres | Pirelli P Zero dry slick and Pirelli Cinturato treaded intermediate and wet tyres Enkei 13" magnesium racing wheels | ||||||||||
| Clutch | AP Racing electro-hydraulically operated, carbon multi-plate | ||||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||||
| Notable entrants | McLaren F1 Team | ||||||||||
| Notable drivers | |||||||||||
| Debut | 2018 Australian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| Last event | 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | ||||||||||
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The McLaren MCL33 is a Formula One racing car designed and constructed by McLaren to compete in the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship. The car was driven by two-time World Drivers' Champion Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne, with additional testing and development work carried out by reigning European Formula 3 champion Lando Norris and McLaren's regular test driver Oliver Turvey. The MCL33 is the first car built by McLaren to use a customer Renault engine after the team terminated its engine supply deal with Honda after three years and also first McLaren car to utilize a French-licensed engine manufacturer since the Peugeot-powered MP4/9 in 1994. It made its competitive debut at the Australian Grand Prix. The car was launched with an orange and blue livery designed as a tribute to some of the team's earliest cars.
After criticising their engine supplier in the previous seasons, a switch to customer Renault engines in 2018 exposed issues with the McLaren chassis. The car could manage just two top 10 qualifying times throughout the season, both by Fernando Alonso, and the team's drivers were eliminated 21 times in the first qualifying session. McLaren had the second worst average qualifying ranking of any team in 2018, only ahead of Williams. Reliability however was improved from the previous year, and the team greatly benefitted from their rivals' problems to score points from the early races. The team finished sixth in the constructors' championship after Force India's points from the first 12 races were excluded. Alonso retired from Formula One at the end of the season, while Vandoorne couldn't match his own points tally from 2017 and left the sport.