This is what the McLaren F1 of 2050 would look like according to McLaren Apllied Tecnologies

Nobody knows the path the current Formula 1 is taking. But the McLaren Apllied Tecnologies division shows us what the McLaren F1 of 2050 could look like

In truth, this is not a future project of what Formula 1 single-seaters could be more than three decades from now. It is an exercise in current engineering and imagination. Far from having any semblance of reality, it is nonetheless a fascinating interpretation of technology applied to racing, the racing of the future, that much is certain.

Welcome to the future of the MCLE

The McLaren F1 of 2050 is called MCLExtreme, although its closest associates also know it as the MCLE.

This car is surprising for two reasons: it runs on wheels and it is driven by a human. This is how the McLaren department and the group of enthusiasts who took part in the joint brainstorming of the Formula 1 of the future understand it.

According to the manufacturer, backed by the opinion of fans, the Formula 1 of the future cannot run on any surface other than asphalt and the participating vehicles cannot rest, quite literally, on anything other than wheels.

Therefore, the MCLExtreme is a car that rolls, it does not fly. And it is driven, not autopiloted or remote-controlled.

The McLaren F1 of 2050 will be driven by a human being who will take part in the Grands Prix and who will use big data to plan race strategies, always assisted by artificial intelligence rather than by the “pit wall” engineers, as happens now.

The aerodynamics and performance of the McLaren F1 of 2050

If we have learned anything, even contradicting those who laid the foundations of this competition, it is that finding the aerodynamic key matters almost more than having an extraordinarily powerful engine.

Of course, if instead of pressing a single key on the piano, a complete melody like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony played out, the result would be perfect.

That is why the MCLE is a car with active aerodynamics. Although this is currently banned, McLaren believes that, based on a principle of adapting to circuits which would bring a gain in speed, future F1 cars will be able to modify their “body” according to each Grand Prix.

Thanks to this active shaping capability of the car, the MCLExtreme could reach a top speed of 500 km/h. An authentic surface-to-surface missile, since, with unprecedented levels of aerodynamic downforce, this car could travel practically glued to the ground.

An electric McLaren

All car manufacturers for road cars are looking at electricity as the energy source of the medium and long-term future. Racing car builders or, as in this case, the departments of brands such as McLaren that sell their road-homologated cars and also cars exclusively for track use, adopt electric solutions for their mobility.

Although for five years now there has been a discipline in which more than two dozen electric single-seaters compete for victory in each e-Prix, Formula 1 will need to take the step towards full electrification, gradually leaving behind its initial configuration as thermal-engine cars and later as hybrid racing cars.

And McLaren knows a great deal about Formula E, since from the 2018 season onward the McLaren Apllied Tecnologies department has supplied the batteries to all competing cars, the cars known as second generation or Gen2.

https://youtu.be/JgZGZcb3Zyg

The McLaren F1 of 2050 would then be an electric car which, with active aerodynamics, would allow it to run glued to the asphalt at speeds currently unreachable and be driven by a human being assisted by artificial intelligence. It does not seem at all like an unimaginable proposal.