2017 McLaren F1 car Spy Photos (Update)
Team boss Eric Boullier has confirmed that the Honda-powered team will change color, but a spokesperson denied that images circulating on the internet are "leaked".
"We've seen these fake MCL32 pics," the team said on Twitter. "It's not our car.
"You'll have to wait a bit longer for the real thing."
It has been a busy winter for McLaren, with long-time supremo Ron Dennis leaving and new chief Zak Brown having alarmingly declared the team will not win a race in 2017.
"Do not pay attention to everything that is published," team boss Eric Boullier told the Spanish daily Marca.
As for rumors McLaren is preparing a technical "surprise" with its 2017 car, the Frenchman added: "There are no surprises, just a great job done by the whole team. Stop talking about rumors."
Boullier admitted, however, that Brown's comments may not have been wide of the mark.
"McLaren is ready to win, but Honda may not be," he is quoted as saying.
"We have already started the engine, Fernando Alonso will be in the car from day one and expectations are always high," Boullier added.
Meanwhile, it is rumored that Toro Rosso will also have a new livery for 2017.
"And no, I don't know if it will be orange," Auto Motor und Sport's Tobias Gruner joked on Twitter.
Rumors indicate the car will be light blue, to promote the sugar-free Red Bull drink.
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| Could this be the 2017 McLaren? |
02/15/17
It's very possible that the images in this article are that of the new McLaren car for 2017 or are at least very similar to what you'll see running in Barcelona.
These leaked pictures were obtained via one of McLaren's partners, a graphical studio based in the UK. Apparently, the studio have worked for McLaren before several times going back to 2009 so it does lend some credibility to the images.
Of course McLaren have denied that these pictures are renderings of their new 2017 car – the MCL32. Their Twitter account strenuously tweeting that it isn't their car. It might well be that these pictures are purely a hoax or at least an early iteration of the car.
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The MCL32 is due for it's first public display on 24th February at McLarens Woking base in Surrey, England. New CEO Zak Brown has promised that fans will be “excited" by the new livery and he confirmed that the design of the new car would not be conventional.
Indeed, if these renders are anything to go by, the nose is of particular interest with the section ‘scooped' out in what would be an odd aerodynamic solution, not too dissimilar to the 2009 Red Bull RB5 nose.
If true, McLaren and Alonso fans could be somewhat worried about such an unconventional concept of both car and engine. Honda revealed yesterday that their new 2017 Power Unit was a 'high risk' design now that F1's token system has been abolished. The Judge 13