Dick Glover, Technical Director at McLaren Automotive is responsible for the 50-strong Testing and Development team and the eight development (XP) cars that have featured in the 2009 programme: "I am really proud of what the team has achieved this year," he said.
"Having to develop a brand new range of cars from scratch to the standards expected of McLaren, featuring ground-breaking new structures and powertrain is the ultimate challenge and one we are relishing. Sure, we have challenges - that is why we go to these places that absolutely push the cars to their limits and beyond - but now we know just what the 12C is capable of, we are able to push on into 2010 and deliver cars of which McLaren will be rightly proud."
The 2009 testing programme has focused heavily on two of the most famous tracks in the world - the notorious Nordschleife Nurburgring and the circuit seen by millions on-screen, the BBC Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome. Both tracks push cars to their limits. But the success of the programme will also rest on McLaren's technological innovation and experience.
The results of a testing session's road and track performance are rapidly assessed within MTC. Simulation and rapid engineering practices - two core aspects of a successful Formula 1 team - are then employed to re-calibrate the XP test cars in-situ ready for the following day, or night's, development targets.
Chris Goodwin, professional racing driver and Chief Test Driver at McLaren Automotive, summed up the self-imposed pressures on the development team: "McLaren has always set itself the highest standards. We are the most successful ever motor racing team, we designed and built one of the world's most iconic sports cars in the world in the McLaren F1, and pioneered carbon fibre development on race and road cars.
"We took those standards into the development programme for the MP4-12C in order to launch a new high performance sports car comparable with past achievements and offering new levels of performance for the future. For us, these targets were simply starting points and that attitude requires the most thorough development possible. We believe that our global testing is delivering incredible strides for the 12C."
photo:McLaren
"Having to develop a brand new range of cars from scratch to the standards expected of McLaren, featuring ground-breaking new structures and powertrain is the ultimate challenge and one we are relishing. Sure, we have challenges - that is why we go to these places that absolutely push the cars to their limits and beyond - but now we know just what the 12C is capable of, we are able to push on into 2010 and deliver cars of which McLaren will be rightly proud."
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| Dick Glover, technical director at Mclaren Automotive |
The 2009 testing programme has focused heavily on two of the most famous tracks in the world - the notorious Nordschleife Nurburgring and the circuit seen by millions on-screen, the BBC Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome. Both tracks push cars to their limits. But the success of the programme will also rest on McLaren's technological innovation and experience.
The results of a testing session's road and track performance are rapidly assessed within MTC. Simulation and rapid engineering practices - two core aspects of a successful Formula 1 team - are then employed to re-calibrate the XP test cars in-situ ready for the following day, or night's, development targets.
Chris Goodwin, professional racing driver and Chief Test Driver at McLaren Automotive, summed up the self-imposed pressures on the development team: "McLaren has always set itself the highest standards. We are the most successful ever motor racing team, we designed and built one of the world's most iconic sports cars in the world in the McLaren F1, and pioneered carbon fibre development on race and road cars.
"We took those standards into the development programme for the MP4-12C in order to launch a new high performance sports car comparable with past achievements and offering new levels of performance for the future. For us, these targets were simply starting points and that attitude requires the most thorough development possible. We believe that our global testing is delivering incredible strides for the 12C."
photo:McLaren