JUNE 24, 2003

McLaren delays again

McLaren has again delayed the introduction of the new MP4-18 on the basis that it is wisest to have the car fully reliable before it is introduced in races.

McLaren has again delayed the introduction of the new MP4-18 on the basis that it is wisest to have the car fully reliable before it is introduced in races. The new car is expected to be faster than the existing MP4-17D but it has so far failed to produce any lap times that would indicate that it is the quantum leap forward that the team is looking for and it is not felt that it is worth a risk when the MP4-17D is as competitive as it is. Although this may be seen as disappointing for the team, it is fair to say that the Ferrari F2003 GA was also delayed and also failed to provide a huge leap forward in terms of competitiveness. The problem is that the cars are now so finely-tuned that finding a large amount of time is increasingly difficult and involves a great deal of money in research and development.