I would like to credit the McLaren MP4/1’s success to one man’s idea, but a Formula 1 car is a collective effort, not a one-man show. But then again, one man was crucial to the MP4/1’s success.
That man is John Barnard. Born in London in 1946, John is now designing carbon fiber furniture. Before this, John worked for Lola as a junior racecar designer. After his first stint at Lola, the man joined McLaren in 1974, where he helped with the development of the McLaren M23. More than that, Barnard was much involved in the IndyCar project.
John’s biggest hit at McLaren, however, is the MP4/1. This racing car went to win 6 races and post 5 fastest laps during the 1981, 1982, and 1983 seasons. By comparison, the preceding M30 and M29 are remembered for their lack of competitiveness and, to some extent, reliability. So what made the MP4/1 so great and why does it have a different naming convention?
The /1 stands for first and MP4 stands for Marlboro Project 4. Project what? Project 4 Racing, the team founded by Ron Dennis. Yes, that same Ron Dennis who is the head honcho at McLaren these days.
Without further beating around the bush, John Barnard was the main engineer for the MP4/1 and he suggested to use carbon fiber composite for the monocoque. These days, carbon fiber is the norm in Formula 1 and road-going McLaren cars, but back in 1981, it was witchcraft.
In the video below, John Barnard will talk you through the fine details of the MP4/1.
P.S.: Barnard is also known for introducing the semi-automatic transmission in Formula 1. The Ferrari 640 was the first racecar to employ the electronic gear shift mechanism and flappy paddles.
On its debut at the 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix, Nigel Mansell took the Ferrari 640 to victory. Two technical revolutions in Formula 1 in less than a decade, how about that? Dear John, you’re a top lad!
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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