The first of those successes came on April 3, 1988, when Alain Prost won that year’s Brazilian GP . Enjoy, in this article, the technical secrets that make the MP4/4 an icon of Formula 1.
If we go through the history books of F1, we can see fleeting moments where the stars align and, suddenly, a team has all the necessary ingredients to enjoy the winning recipe: an incredibly talented pair of drivers, the ideal engineers for the design, a very efficient management structure, an incomparable engine and an impeccable chassis.
In 1988, McLaren had it all, a brilliant cocktail that ultimately produced one of the most dominant cars motorsport has ever seen.
That is not to say that it was easy, because when they joined the Honda motorcyclist, they created the MP4/3B , a test car that already had the Japanese power unit and that served both to develop the engine and the single-seater for the 1988 season.
But, just four months after the first race of the season, the MP4/4 still didn’t exist. Moreover, there was not even its design.
With so little margin, McLaren resorted to a strategy that seemed pointless, that of not giving any part of the car more importance than the others, as they sought to create a totally solid ‘off-roader’.
Steve Nichols, Gordon Murray, Neil Oatley
Outside of McLaren there is still debate as to who actually designed the MP4/4, as with the arrival of Gordon Murray from Brabham following the departure of John Barnard to Ferrari it was Steve Nichols who filled the void left.
Looking at the cars of that time, it is clear that McLaren, like the rest of his rivals, had already copied the idea that Murray was applying, and also began to recline his drivers in the cockpit.
Whether it was the natural evolution of McLaren’s single-seaters during that period or the fact that they now had Murray with them, the BT55 DNA was clearly in their cars.
But the new rules required drivers’ feet to be behind the front axle, and the size of the fuel tank reduced, allowing McLaren to go further in 1988.
McLaren MP4-2C de 1986
The decision was also made to move away from Barnard’s tendency to create a V-shaped monocoque (seen above on the 1986 MP4/2c) resulting in a flat floor, which not only had aerodynamic benefits, but which also greatly improved the cars torsional stiffness.
On top of that, McLaren used their own autoclave, something that had come at a great cost but allowed the team to control manufacturing internally.
Hercules Aerospace had been key in McLaren’s first full carbon fiber monocoque, introduced in the MP4/1, but in this new single-seater it would only provide the prepreg materials.
McLaren, being short on time, took an alternative route in the design and manufacture of the monocoque, as while most of the grid had decided to use a female mould, McLaren continued to use male tooling.
That also allowed him to quickly adapt his bodywork if he made a mistake or found wiggle room for development. It also meant that, with its flat panel, it would have an advantage over those using a female mould, as McLaren could use unidirectional carbon fiber cloth in its production.
The final piece in the monocoque puzzle was the integrated structure called the ‘bathtub’. It essentially made up the entire cabin region, seat back, dash, and side panels. It was to be formed from a single piece and would further improve structural integrity and torsional rigidity.
The quality of the cockpit improved over time, but the process of its construction always left it with a worse fit than desired and a slightly different color than the rest of the monocoque.
Not excelling in any one dominant factor, the MP4/4 had no outstanding features when it came to the car’s aerodynamics, which is strange when we think of modern F1 cars.
However, the car did present three different aerodynamic configurations during the season, in order to have the flexibility to adapt to each circuit.
The design team had also literally flipped the script to create the pontoons. The Barnard-style top outlet was now off to the side, as seen in the MP4/1c below.
Vista detallada del McLaren MP4-1C de 1983
Ayrton Senna’s arrival from Lotus also coincided with the team’s switch to Honda engines, which would supply McLaren with its 1.5-litre turbo engine it had been developing alongside Lotus and would continue to supply as well.
Producing around 700bhp, the RA168-E was a new design that was not only extremely powerful, but also highly fuel efficient and, even by modern standards, incredibly reliable.
The RA168-E was designed as a result of the FIA’s desire to regulate turbocharged engines and restore some parity with its naturally aspirated siblings.
The 1988 regulations limited the boost pressure to 2.5 bar, instead of 4 bar, while the total fuel at its disposal was reduced from 195 liters to 150 litres. Turbo engines were also given a minimum weight handicap of 40kg over naturally aspirated cars, which were also allowed to carry 215 liters of fuel.
To recover any potential losses, Honda worked on a special fuel blend with Shell to prevent premature detonation and required preheating of the fuel, due to its exotic aromatic hydrocarbon content.
This potent mix helped deliver ample torque that made the car much easier to drive than the rest of the now-shrunken turbocharged pack, yet still had an advantage over naturally aspirated cars.
Mechanics working on Alain Prost’s McLaren MP4-4 Honda
The Honda engine had a low crankshaft and was paired with a small clutch that had been developed by Tilton for Lotus in 1987.
The Tilton carbon clutch was only 5.5″ in diameter and while everyone else struggled with 7.25″ clutches, the Tilton clutch gave superior heat management, smoother engagement, low inertia and high capacity. of torque that helped McLaren cope with the demands of the Honda engine.
With such a low crankshaft and such a small clutch, some lateral thinking was needed when it came to McLaren’s gearbox design.
To overcome these problems, Gordon Murray approached Pete Weismann, with a wealth of Brabham experience, to collaborate on the design.
Together they decided on a triple-shaft layout that would allow them to keep the engine as low as possible and not adversely affect driveshaft angles, a problem that Lotus, by comparison, tried to overcome by tilting the engine slightly upwards while using a two shaft gearbox arrangement.
Gearbox design, like the Honda engine, paid special attention to the oil system, which used a dry sump to improve temperature control, reliability, reduce drafts, and tolerate the enormous G-forces exerted on the engine. the single-seater
The MP4/4 was undoubtedly an era-defining machine and one of the most complete cars ever seen in Formula 1. Conquering all who dared to oppose it, it provided a strong ending to the first foray F1 in single-seaters with turbocharged engines.
Gallery: the most victorious cars in the history of Formula 1
(If you can’t see the photos, click on ‘Full version’ at the end of the article)
Races: 21
Wins: 19
Winning drivers: Lewis Hamilton (10) and Nico Rosberg (9)
Champion: Nico Rosberg
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Races: 80
Wins: 16
Winning Drivers: James Hunt (6), Emerson Fittipaldi (5), Denny Hulme (2), Peter Revson (2), and Jochen Mass (1)
Champion: Emerson Fittipaldi (1974), James Hunt (1976)
Photo by: Ford Motor Company
Races: 19
Wins: 16
Winning drivers: Lewis Hamilton (11) and Nico Rosberg (5)
Champion: Lewis Hamilton
Photo by: Mercedes AMG
Races: 19
Wins: 16
Winning drivers: Lewis Hamilton (10) and Nico Rosberg (6)
Champion: Lewis Hamilton
Photo by: Charles Coates/Motorsport Images
Races: 16
Wins: 15
Winning drivers: Ayrton Senna (8) and Alain Prost (7)
Champion: Ayrton Senna
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 19
Wins: 15
Winning drivers: Michael Schumacher (11) and Rubens Barrichello (4)
Champion: Michael Schumacher (2002 and 2003)
Photo by: Ferrari Media Center
Races: 18
Wins: 15
Winning drivers: Michael Schumacher (13) and Rubens Barrichello (2)
Champion: Michael Schumacher
Photo by: Shell Motorsport
Races: 21
Wins: 15
Winning drivers: Lewis Hamilton (10) and Valtteri Bottas (4)
Champion: Lewis Hamilton
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Races: 18
Wins: 14
Winning drivers: Alberto Ascari (11), Piero Taruffi (1), Mike Hawthorn (1), and Giuseppe Farina (1)
Champion: Alberto Ascari (1952 and 1953)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 49
Wins: 14
Winning Drivers: Jim Clark (14)
Champion: Jim Clark (1963 and 1965)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 19
Wins: 13
Winning drivers: Sebastian Vettel (13)
Champion: Sebastian Vettel
Photo by: Andrew Hone/Motorsport Images
Races: 16
Wins: 12
Winning drivers: Alain Prost (7) and Niki Lauda (5)
Champion: Niki Lauda
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Races: 16
Wins: 12
Winning drivers: Damon Hill (8) and Jacques Villeneuve (4)
Champion: Damon Hill
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 19
Wins: 12
Winning drivers: Sebastian Vettel (11) and Mark Webber (1)
Champion: Sebastian Vettel
Photo by: Andrew Hone/Motorsport Images
Races: 20
Wins: 12
Winning drivers: Lewis Hamilton (9) and Valtteri Bottas (3)
Champion: Lewis Hamilton
Photo by: Alessio Morgese
Races: 17
Wins: 11
Winning drivers: Michael Schumacher (9) and Johnny Herbert (2)
Champion: Michael Schumacher
Photo by: LAT Images
Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
Races: 16
Wins: 10
Winning drivers: Ayrton Senna (6) and Alain Prost (4)
Champion: Alain Prost
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 16
Wins: 10
Winning drivers: Nigel Mansell (9) and Riccardo Patrese (1)
Champion: Nigel Mansell
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 16
Wins: 10
Winning Drivers: Alain Prost (7) and Damon Hill (3)
Champion: Alain Prost
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 17
Wins: 10
Winning drivers: Michael Schumacher (9) and Rubens Barrichello (1)
Champion: Michael Schumacher
Photo by: Team copyright
Races: 20
Wins: 10
Winning drivers: Michael Schumacher (10)
Champion: Michael Schumacher (2001 and 2002)
Photo by: Ferrari Media Center
Careers:
Victories :
Winning drivers : Kimi Räikkönen (7) and Juan Pablo Montoya (3)
Champion : Fernando Alonso
Photo by: McLaren
Races: 15
Wins: 9
Winning Drivers: Stirling Moss (5) and Tony Brooks (4)
Champion: Juan Manuel Fangio (Maserati, 1957), Mike Hawthorn (Ferrari, 1958)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 15
Wins: 9
Winning drivers: Niki Lauda (6) and Clay Regazzoni (3)
Champion: Niki Lauda
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 16
Wins: 9
Winning drivers: Nigel Mansell (5) and Nelson Piquet (4)
Champion: Alain Prost
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 16
Wins: 9
Winning drivers: Nigel Mansell (6) and Nelson Piquet (3)
Champion: Nelson Piquet
Photo by: LAT Images
Races:
Victories :
Winning drivers : Mika Häkkinen (8) and David Coulthard (1)
Champion : Mika Häkkinen
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 18
Wins: 9
Winning drivers: Michael Schumacher (7) and Felipe Massa (2)
Champion: Fernando Alonso
Photo by: Ferrari Media Center
Races: 17
Wins: 9
Winning drivers: Kimi Räikkönen (6) and Felipe Massa (3)
Champion: Kimi Raikkonen
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
Races: 19
Wins: 9
Winning drivers: Sebastian Vettel (5) and Mark Webber (4)
Champion: Sebastian Vettel
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Races: 43
Wins: 8
Winning drivers: Juan Manuel Fangio (6) and Stirling Moss (2)
Champion: Juan Manuel Fangio (1954 and 1957)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 16
Wins: 8
Winning Drivers: Jackie Stewart (8)
Champion: Jackie Stewart (1971)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 39
Wins: 8
Winning Drivers: Ronnie Peterson (7) and Emerson Fittipaldi (1)
Champion: Jackie Stewart (Tyrrell, 1973), Emerson Fittipaldi (McLaren, 1974), Niki Lauda (Ferrari, 1975)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 31
Wins: 8
Winning drivers: Niki Lauda (6) and Carlos Reutemann (2)
Champion: Niki Lauda (1977)
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Races: 16
Wins: 8
Winning drivers: Ayrton Senna (7) and Gerhard Berger (1)
Champion: Ayrton Senna
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Races: 16
Wins: 8
Winning Drivers: Michael Schumacher (8)
Champion: Michael Schumacher
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Races: 17
Wins: 8
Winning drivers: Jacques Villeneuve (7) and Heinz-Harald Frentzen (1)
Champion: Jacques Villeneuve
Photo by: Williams F1
Races: 19
Wins: 8
Winning drivers: Fernando Alonso (7) and Giancarlo Fisichella (1)
Champion: Fernando Alonso
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 18
Wins: 8
Winning drivers: Fernando Alonso (7) and Giancarlo Fisichella (1)
Champion: Fernando Alonso
Photo by: Renault F1
Careers:
Victories :
Winning drivers: Lewis Hamilton (4) and Fernando Alonso (4)
Champion : Kimi Raikkönen
Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images
Races: 18
Wins: 8
Winning drivers: Felipe Massa (6) and Kimi Räikkönen (2)
Champion: Lewis Hamilton
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
Races: 17
Wins: 8
Winning drivers: Jenson Button (6) and Rubens Barrichello (2)
Champion: Jenson Button
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 23
Wins: 7
Winning Drivers: Emerson Fittipaldi (7)
Champion: Emerson Fittipaldi (1972)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 31
Wins: 7
Winning Drivers: Mario Andretti (5), Gunnar Nilsson (1), and Ronnie Peterson (1)
Champion: Mario Andretti (1978)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 16
Wins: 7
Winning drivers: Nigel Mansell (5) and Riccardo Patrese (2)
Champion: Ayrton Senna
Photo by: Williams
Races:
Victories :
Winning drivers : Mika Häkkinen (5) and David Coulthard (2)
Champion : Mika Häkkinen
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 17
Wins: 7
Winning drivers: Mika Häkkinen (4) and David Coulthard (3)
Champion: Michael Schumacher
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 12
Wins: 7
Winning drivers: Michael Schumacher (5) and Rubens Barrichello (2)
Champion: Michael Schumacher (2003)
Photo by: Ferrari Media Center
Races: 20
Wins: 7
Winning drivers: Sebastian Vettel (5) and Mark Webber (2)
Champion: Sebastian Vettel
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
Races: 20
Wins: 7
Winning drivers: Lewis Hamilton (4) and Jenson Button (3)
Champion: Sebastian Vettel
Photo by: Andrew Ferraro/Motorsport Images
Races: 6
Wins: 6
Winning drivers: Giuseppe Farina (3) and Juan Manuel Fangio (3)
Champion: Giuseppe Farina
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 10
Wins: 6
Winning drivers: Juan Manuel Fangio (5) and Stirling Moss (1)
Champion: Juan Manuel Fangio (1954 and 1955)
Photo by: Daimler AG
Races: 24
Wins: 6
Winning Drivers: Jack Brabham (2), Stirling Moss (2), and Bruce McLaren (2)
Champion: Jack Brabham (1959 and 1960)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 31
Wins: 6
Winning Drivers: Graham Hill (6)
Champion: Graham Hill (1962)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 34
Wins: 6
Winning Drivers: Graham Hill (4) and Jackie Stewart (2)
Champion: John Surtees (Ferrari, 1964) Jim Clark, (Lotus, 1965), Jack Brabham (Brabham, 1966), Dennis Hulme (Brabham, 1967) and Graham Hill (Lotus, 1968)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 18
Wins: 6
Winning Drivers: Jim Clark (5) and Graham Hill (1)
Champion: Graham Hill (1968)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 26
Wins: 6
Winning Drivers: Mario Andretti (5) and Ronnie Peterson (1)
Champion: Mario Andretti (1978)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 13
Wins: 6
Winning drivers: Gilles Villeneuve (3) and Jody Scheckter (3)
Champion: Jody Scheckter
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 16
Wins: 6
Winning Drivers: Alan Jones (5) and Clay Regazzoni (1)
Champion: Alan Jones (1980)
Photo by: Williams F1
Carreras: 16
Victorias : 6
Pilots ganadores : Alain Prost (5) and Niki Lauda (1)
Champion: Alain Prost
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 16
Wins: 6
Winning Drivers: Ayrton Senna (6)
Champion: Ayrton Senna
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 16
Wins: 6
Winning drivers: Alain Prost (5) and Nigel Mansell (1)
Champion: Ayrton Senna
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Races: 16
Wins: 6
Winning Drivers: Michael Schumacher (6)
Champion: Mika Hakkinen
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 16
Wins: 6
Winning Drivers: Eddie Irvine (4) and Michael Schumacher (2)
Champion: Mika Hakkinen
Photo by: LAT Images
Careers:
Victories :
Winning drivers : Lewis Hamilton (5) and Heikki Kovalainen (1)
Champion : Lewis Hamilton
Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images
Races: 17
Wins: 6
Winning drivers: Sebastian Vettel (4) and Mark Webber (2)
Champion: Jenson Button
Photo by: Charles Coates/Motorsport Images
Races: 19
Wins: 6
Winning Drivers: Jenson Button (3) and Lewis Hamilton (3)
Champion: Sebastian Vettel
Photo by: Andrew Ferraro/Motorsport Images
Races: 21
Wins: 6
Winning drivers: Sebastian Vettel (5) and Kimi Räikkönen (1)
Champion: Lewis Hamilton
Photo by: Lionel Ng / Motorsport Images
Races: 18
Wins: 5
Winning drivers: Juan Manuel Fangio (3), Peter Collins (2) and Luigi Musso (1 – shared with Fangio)
Champion: Juan Manuel Fangio (1956)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 21
Wins: 5
Winning drivers: Jack Brabham (5)
Champion: Jack Brabham (1960)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 25
Wins: 5
Winning drivers: Tony Brooks (2), Mike Hawthorn (1), Peter Collins (1), and Phil Hill (1)
Champion: Mike Hawthorn (1958)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 13
Wins: 5
Winning drivers: Wolfgang von Trips (2), Phil Hill (2) and Giancarlo Baghetti (1)
Champion: Phil Hill (1961)
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Races: 27
Wins: 5
Winning drivers: Jim Clark (5)
Champion: Jim Clark (1965)
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Races: 10
Wins: 5
Winning drivers: Jackie Stewart (5)
Champion: Jackie Stewart
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Races: 21
Wins: 5
Winning drivers: Graham Hill (3), Jo Siffert (1) and Jochen Rindt (1)
Champion: Graham Hill (1968)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 10
Wins: 5
Winning drivers: Jochen Rindt (4) and Emerson Fittipaldi (1)
Champion: Jochen Rindt (1970)
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Races: 18
Wins: 5
Winning drivers: Jacky Ickx (3), Clay Regazzoni (1) and Mario Andretti (1)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 22
Wins: 5
Winning Driver: Jackie Stewart (5)
Champion: Jackie Stewart (1973)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 14
Wins: 5
Winning drivers: Alan Jones (4) and Carlos Reutemann (1)
Champion: Alan Jones
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Races: 14
Wins: 5
Winning drivers: Ayrton Senna (3) and Gerhard Berger (2)
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Races: 16
Wins: 5
Race-winning driver: Ayrton Senna (5)
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Races: 8
Wins: 5
Winning drivers: Damon Hill (4) and Nigel Mansell (1)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 17
Wins: 5
Race-winning driver: Michael Schumacher (5)
Photo by: LAT Images
Races: 19
Wins: 5
Winning drivers: Lewis Hamilton (3) and Jenson Button (2)
Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images
Races: 19
Wins: 5
Race-winning driver: Fernando Alonso (5)
Photo by: Andrew Ferraro/Motorsport Images
Races: 20
Wins: 5
Race-winning driver: Sebastian Vettel (5)
Photo by: Charles Coates/Motorsport Images
