Mclaren F1

The Mclaren F1 Team....

Team Principal	Ron Dennis
Technical Director	Paddy Lowe / Neil Oatley
Formed	1963
Championships Won	8
Chassis	MP4-23
Engine	Mercedes-Benz
Tyres	Bridgestone
Drivers	Heikki Kovalainen | Lewis Hamilton

McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren, the team is based in Woking, Surrey, UK. Bruce McLaren began constructing his grand prix cars in 1966. Although never quite good enough to win the world championship in their creator's lifetime, the McLarens proved competitive, taking both McLaren himself, and team-mate Denny Hulme, to race wins - a legacy continued through to the current day.

The M23 chassis proved to be the first McLaren capable of winning the Drivers' and Constructors' titles.

The current team was formed by the merger of the Bruce McLaren racing team with the Project 4 team in 1981. The team is managed by Ron Dennis and is part of McLaren Racing, a member of the McLaren Group. Engines are supplied by McLaren shareholder Mercedes-Benz.

2007 should have been a great year for McLaren, but ultimately the Woking-based concern missed out on both the drivers' and constructors' titles. The rivalry between drivers Alonso and Hamilton, who was sensational in his debut year, proved to be destabilising.

Fernando became increasingly paranoid as the year went on and less and less pleased that he wasn't given preferential treatment, something he felt he deserved as a double world champion.

By the end of the season he and Dennis weren't even on speaking terms and it was no surprise when McLaren confirmed in November that the two would part company, a 'joint decision' said to be in the 'best interests' of all concerned.

In 2007 the team won eight races in total - four apiece going to Alonso and Hamilton. Both also ended the year with 109 points, just one less than Raikkonen, who snatched the drivers' title at the season finale, the Brazilian GP. Lewis ended up taking the runners-up spot though on the count-back as he had more second places.

Hamilton debut year was just unbelievable and he would - and probably should - have taken the drivers' crown in his rookie season. He had a poor end to the year however and crucial problems in China and Japan cost him.

With Alonso now gone, Lewis will assume the role of th Mclaren F1 team leader in 2008, and he will be joined by Heikki Kovalainen, who also had an impressive debut year in '07, but with Renault.