231027 Collection Digital Cover 1 - Flipbook - Page 128
“Its Applied Technology division takes F1
innovation into other spheres, including data
gathering, transport and bio-medicine.”
Old foe Ferrari was predominant again in the early Noughties,
Hakkinen’s great rival Michael Schumacher delivering five
championships in a row for the Italian legends. By now, though,
Dennis had aspirations beyond motor racing, his grand vision
culminating in the construction of the McLaren Technology Centre.
Opened by HM Queen Elizabeth on May 12th 2004, this majestic
building was designed by Norman Foster and was said to have cost
£300m. Depending on who you ask, this was either the clearest sign
yet of Dennis’s monomania, or McLaren’s peerless engineering and
thought leadership made visible. Perhaps both.
Highlights include five artificial lakes containing water which is pumped
through a series of heat exchangers to cool the building and manage
the heat generated by the F1 team’s wind tunnel. The central boulevard
features a tantalising line-up of historic cars, and the display cabinet
bulges with the accumulated silverware. The elevators glide up and
down like pistons in a cylinder, and there’s a palpable atmosphere of
high achievement. The days of oil-stained floors and casually placed
cups of tea are long gone. The company also recently opened a carbon
fibre manufacturing facility in Sheffield.
And so, to today. The F1 team is now under the command of Californian
businessman and former racer, Zak Brown. The MCL60 F1 contender
is now challenging for podium positions after a slow start to the 2023
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season. Australian rookie Oscar Piastri has joined British ace Lando
Norris to complete a driver line-up that’s arguably the most exciting
in F1. Both are future world champions.
McLaren has also diversified. Its Applied Technology division takes
F1 innovation into other spheres, including data gathering, transport
and bio-medicine. And an underground walkway connects the MTC
main building to another high-profile part of the business, McLaren
Automotive. Having collaborated with Mercedes on the spectacular SLR
supercar in the early Noughties, a standalone automotive division was
created in 2010, building on the intense innovation demonstrated by the
original McLaren F1 road car. Sure, it has taken time to establish a clear
identity, but there’s an intellectual rigour here that contrasts with the
more extrovert cars created by Ferrari. The 750S has just been launched,
a machine that exemplifies McLaren’s commitment to technology,
innovation and above all, driver focus. And the hybridised Artura points
to a future in which electrification will allow the company to preserve
performance while reducing emissions.
There’s no doubt that more imperial phases await. The question is,
how many?
