JUNE 25, 2003

McLaren's crash test

McLaren has delayed the introduction of the new MP4-18 until the British Grand Prix because, officially at least, it wants the car to be more reliable before it is raced. We hear that the delays actually have rather more to do with the fact that the car cannot be raced because it has yet to pass the FIA's crash-tests.

McLaren has delayed the introduction of the new MP4-18 until the British Grand Prix because, officially at least, it wants the car to be more reliable before it is raced.

We hear that the delays actually have rather more to do with the fact that the car cannot be raced because it has yet to pass the FIA's stringent side-impact crash-tests. It is not unusual for cars to fail crash-tests as teams are always trying to get as light a chassis as possible and so cut things as fine as possible - and sometimes they go a little too far.

The failure in a crash test does not stop the teams from taking part in testing but it does mean that cars cannot be raced.