MAY 13, 2004

McLaren Technology Centre is opened

HRH Queen Elizabeth II opened the McLaren Technology Centre yesterday in Woking, five and a half years after work began on the $500m factory. The facility, where the Mercedes SLR sportscar is being produced, employs 1000 people in the area and according to mcLaren boss Ron Dennis is designed so that McLaren will remain at the forefront of British engineering. There were a host of VIPs present for the event including former World Champions Alain Prost, Niki Lauda, Mika Hakkinen and Jody Scheckter and current drivers Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard.

With the big event now out of the way McLaren can get back to the business of trying to win in F1, something which has not happened since the start of last year. The last time there was such a long gap was back between victories was back between 1994 and 1996 when the team went three years without a win.