In the same day Ferrari presented their Formula 1 car and team for the 2008 season, McLaren also introduced it’s new McLaren MP4-23, in which Lewis Hamilton and new teammate Heikki Kovalainen will try to get the best results. The car is powered by the Mercedes-Benz FO 108V engine, an improved version of last year’s. From the press release:
“New to the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23, as well as to any other cars competing in the 2008 Formula 1 World Championship, will be a standardised Electronic Control Unit (ECU) for powertrain control and data logging. This ECU has been developed by McLaren Electronic Systems together with its Technical Partner Microsoft on behalf of the FIA and must run FIA-approved software. One of the main technical features of the new ECU is the elimination of all driver aids, including traction control, which allowed maximum traction without wheel spin. Without traction control the driver’s abilities to control the car become even more significant.
Other engine regulations have remained unchanged. The 19,000rpm operating limit for the engines has been effective since 2007. Since then, basically anything which is inside the FIA seals cannot be changed, but ancillaries outside, for example the fuel system, airbox or other elements of the engine which will affect its packaging in the chassis can be altered. So there is still a degree of scope within which Vodafone McLaren Mercedes can operate from the standpoint of engine development. Also the rule requiring one engine to be used on two consecutive race weekends remains in place for the 2008 season.”
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