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New McLaren not before Spielberg

Having first said Imola, and then Barcelona, McLaren now say that they will not be using their 2003 car until Spielberg.

The Mercedes engine is ready. Given the name F0110P, it has been on the test bench since the 28th January. However, it is thought to be still lacking in power.

As for the chassis, McLaren is four weeks behind schedule. Alexander Wurz will only be starting tests on the new car the week after Imola. The MP4/18 will therefore only make its first appearance at Spielberg, or even Monaco! The root of the problem is the difficulty in producing some of the mechanical parts and the changes made in the design office following the new regulations. For example, the geometry of the suspension has to take into account the ban on traction control that was initially intended for Silverstone, but has now been put back until 2004.

Following a remark made by Williams to the FIA, McLaren have also been forced to have another look at their clutch. The original system used hydraulic elements and was too much like a continuously controled variable transmission system, which is not allowed under the new rules.

Bron: www.gp2003.com