McLaren MP6/P: a futuristic vision of the British single-seater

The return of Honda to Formula 1 came hand in hand with the partnership with McLaren to build a competitive single-seater. The drivers chosen for the task were Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, although things are not going smoothly for the British team. Retirements and breakdowns are the order of the day for McLaren, and they remain well down the standings, where Button has managed just four points while the Asturian has yet to score.

Nevertheless, Nathan Dearsley, a young designer, predicts a promising future for the Woking team, especially with the design of a fictional single-seater called the McLaren MP6/P, which features Honda’s mechanics and Marlboro sponsorship (it includes the tobacco company’s logos, despite that being something eliminated years ago), and he has built a story around it that offers some hope for the manufacturer and for Formula 1 fans.

Dearsley takes us to the year 2056, when the MP6/P has just finished its development and is presented as the ultimate tool for dominating races. The project began in the 1990s and the first prototypes were tested by human drivers (good imagination), although Bernie Ecclestone will not allow robots to drive the races of the future.

For his part, Nathan specifies that the McLaren MP6/P has a primitive approach aimed at providing maximum grip and airflow without causing turbulence at the rear, to facilitate overtaking manoeuvres. These advantages make the car unpredictable when overtaking after heavy braking.

Imagination aside, we liked the idea that Nathan Dearsley has equipped it with a hybrid propulsion system for the front axle and a combustion engine for the rear axle, preferably a V12 block, as well as an aesthetic that may well guide the evolution of Formula 1 single-seaters in the years to come, with a body full of edges, muscular and with a much more intimidating appearance.

Via | CarScoops