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The McLaren MP4/2 was a Formula One car developed by McLaren for the 1984 Formula One Season. The McLaren MP4/2B iteration was used in 1985 and the McLaren MP4/2C was used in 1986. The design was closely based on the MP4/1E, which McLaren was using as a test car for the new TAG-Porsche turbocharged engine at the end of 1983.

Like it's predecessor, the MP4/2 was constructed out of carbon fibre. The car was also one of the few cars to use carbon brakes at the time, which gave them an advantage at most circuits, except for street circuits and hot conditions, since steel brakes had better longevity in these conditions.

The new TAG-Porsche turbo engine brought the team on par with their rivals, with turbo engines proving to significantly out-perform the naturally aspirated engines of the time. The car's aerodynamic package was very refined and improved with each iteration of the car.

The car was a dominant force, as proven in only the second round of 1984 at South Africa, in which both McLaren cars managed to lap every other car in the field. This was despite Alain Prost starting the race from the pit lane. McLaren won 12 of the 16 races that year, securing the World Constructors' Championship for the first time since 1974. Niki Lauda scored his third and final World Drivers' Championship title in the car.

For 1985, the team introduced a B-spec car with an improved aerodynamic package. The wings of the car were also redesigned to comply with the new regulations which banned winglets on the rear wing. The car's suspension was also modified to accommodate the switch to Goodyear tyres after Michelin withdrew from the sport.

The rest of the teams had made up some lost ground to McLaren, providing better competition for McLaren, who were very much running a race of their own in 1984. A string of mechanical retirements in the first half of the season seriously hindered Lauda's championship performance, leaving Prost to win his first of four championship titles with 11 podium finishes, 5 of which were victories. McLaren also comfortably secured the constructors' title ahead of Ferrari.

The team again made some aerodynamic tweaks to the car, declaring it the MP4/2C. Keke Rosberg joined the team following the retirement of Lauda. However, the car did not suit Rosberg's driving style and he was not allowed to make any setup changes to the car. This hurt his performance and it wasn't until he announced that he was retiring at the end of the season.

As with the season prior, other teams had made progress in their cars and were able to challenge McLaren. Williams took over McLaren's spot at the top of the championship by the end of the season, although Prost still managed to narrowly secure a second championship title for himself with another 4 race wins from 11 total podiums.

Bernard left the team at the end of the season to take a job on Ferrari, leaving Steve Nichols to develop the successor to the MP4/2, the MP4/3.


Race Victories[]

Year Event Driver Notes
1984 Brazilian Grand Prix France Alain Prost Fastest lap
South African Grand Prix Austria Niki Lauda
San Marino Grand Prix France Alain Prost
French Grand Prix Austria Niki Lauda
Monaco Grand Prix France Alain Prost Pole and fastest lap
British Grand Prix Austria Niki Lauda Fastest lap
German Grand Prix France Alain Prost Pole and fastest lap
Austrian Grand Prix Austria Niki Lauda Fastest lap
Dutch Grand Prix France Alain Prost Pole
Italian Grand Prix Austria Niki Lauda Fastest lap
European Grand Prix France Alain Prost
Portuguese Grand Prix France Alain Prost
1985 Brazilian Grand Prix France Alain Prost Fastest lap
Monaco Grand Prix France Alain Prost
British Grand Prix France Alain Prost Fastest lap
Austrian Grand Prix France Alain Prost Pole
Dutch Grand Prix Austria Niki Lauda
Italian Grand Prix France Alain Prost
1986 San Marino Grand Prix France Alain Prost
Monaco Grand Prix France Alain Prost Pole and fastest lap
Austrian Grand Prix France Alain Prost
Australian Grand Prix France Alain Prost

Complete Formula One Results[]

Complete Formula One Results
Car Tyre Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1984 Flag of Brazil (1968–1992) Flag of South Africa 1928-1994 Flag of Belgium Flag of San Marino Flag of France Flag of Monaco Flag of Canada Flag of the United States Flag of the United States Flag of the United Kingdom Flag of Germany Flag of Austria Flag of the Netherlands Flag of Italy Flag of Europe Flag of Portugal
MP4/2 M France Prost 1st 2nd Ret 1st 7th 1stP 3rd 4th Ret Ret 1stP Ret 1stP Ret 1st 1st
Austria Lauda Ret 1st Ret Ret 1st Ret 2nd Ret Ret 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 4th 2nd
1985 Flag of Brazil (1968–1992) Flag of Portugal Flag of San Marino Flag of Monaco Flag of Canada Flag of the United States Flag of France Flag of the United Kingdom Flag of Germany Flag of Austria Flag of the Netherlands Flag of Italy Flag of Belgium Flag of Europe Flag of South Africa 1928-1994 Flag of Australia
MP4/2B G France Prost 1st Ret DSQ 1st 3rd Ret 3rd 1st 2nd 1stP 2nd 1st 3rdP 4th 3rd Ret
Austria Lauda Ret Ret 4th Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 5th Ret 1st Ret PO Ret Ret
United Kingdom Watson 7th
1986 Flag of Brazil (1968–1992) Flag of Spain Flag of San Marino Flag of Monaco Flag of Belgium Flag of Canada Flag of the United States Flag of France Flag of Great Britain Flag of Germany Flag of Hungary Flag of Austria Flag of Italy Flag of Portugal Flag of Mexico Flag of Australia
MP4/2C G France Prost Ret 3rd 1st 1stP 6th 2nd 3rd 2nd 3rd 6th Ret 1st DSQ 2nd 2nd 1st
Finland Rosberg Ret 4th 5th 2nd Ret 4th Ret 4th Ret 5thP Ret 9th 4th Ret Ret Ret
Key
Symbol Meaning Symbol Meaning
1st Winner Ret Retired
2nd Podium finish DSQ Disqualified
3rd DNQ Did not qualify
5th Points finish DNPQ Did not pre-qualify
14th Non-points finish TD Test driver
Italics Scored point(s) for Fastest Lap DNS Did not start
18th Classified finish (retired with >90% race distance) NC Non-classified finish (<90% race distance)
4thP Qualified for pole position [+] More Symbols
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V T E McLarenLogo McLaren Racing
Founder
Bruce McLaren
Notable Personnel
Éric Boullier · Ron Dennis · Tim Goss · Jonathan Neale · Neil Oatley · Peter Prodromou
Former Notable Personnel
John Barnard · Gordon Coppuck · Pat Fry · Norbert Haug · Robin Herd · Paddy Lowe · Neil Martin · Teddy Mayer · Sam Michael · Gordon Murray · Adrian Newey · Steve Nichols · Jo Ramirez · Nicholas Tombazis · Martin Whitmarsh
Drivers
4. United Kingdom Lando Norris · 81. Australia Oscar Piastri
World Champions
Brazil Emerson Fittipaldi (1974) · United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton (2008) · United Kingdom James Hunt (1976) · Finland Mika Häkkinen (1998, 1999) ·
Austria Niki Lauda (1984) · France Alain Prost (1985, 1986, 1989) · Brazil Ayrton Senna (1988, 1990, 1991)
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