McLaren MP4/5

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The McLaren MP4/5 was a Formula 1 car designed by Neil Oatley. It was loosely based on its predecessor, the all conquering McLaren MP4/4. McLaren used the new car for the 1989 and 1990 seasons, earning back to back drivers' and constructors' world titles with the type.

1989 was the first year where naturally aspirated engines were compulsory for all teams after the banning of the turbocharged units at the end of the previous season. To this end, Honda built a 3.5 litre V10 engine, developed throughout most of the latter half of 1988. The MP4/5 was unveiled for pre-season testing and it was instantly on the pace, as well as reliable. Developed by Alain Prost, the MP4/5 looked like the car to beat in the new season. While the Ferrari that season was a faster all around car particularly at the hands of Nigel Mansell, it was also chronically unreliable, giving further advantage to McLaren.

McLaren took 10 victories during the season, 6 for Ayrton Senna and 4 for Prost. This was at a time when the relationship between the two men was at breaking point, so their rivalry pushed the development of the car far ahead of the other teams as they tried to out-do each other. Although Senna had more wins, he also had a string of retirements, many more than Prost, mostly down to engine failures while leading which cost him vital points. However Senna and Prost's combined points total meant McLaren easily won a second straight constructors' championship.

At the Japanese Grand Prix, Prost knew that if Senna failed to finish the race he, Prost would be world champion. Prost had a superior race setup and led for much of the distance, until Senna gained on him in the latter part of the race. In a notorious collision, Prost took Senna out of the race and claimed the title for himself, then announced he would drive for Ferrari in 1990.

Senna responded the following year with a modified version of the MP4/5. The wings were redesigned and the rear bodywork reprofiled around larger radiators. The engine was tweaked and Senna did much development work to ensure he would have better reliability in the new season. He and Gerhard Berger took the fight to Prost and Ferrari in 1990, winning another 6 races and snatching the constructors' championship.

It was in that year's Japanese Grand Prix that Senna took his revenge for the previous season, when he rammed Prost from behind at 160 miles per hour at the first corner of the first lap, winning himself the drivers' championship.

The MP4/5 took 16 wins, 27 pole positions and 263 points before it was replaced by the McLaren MP4/6 for 1991.

/ McLaren Formula One cars

1960s: M2B (1966) | M4B (1967) | M5A (1967-68) | M7A (1967-69) | M7C (1969-71) | M9A (1969) 1970s: M14A (1970-71) | M7D (1970) | M14D (1970) | M19A (1971-73) | M19C (1972-73) | M23 (1974-78) | M26 (1977-79) | M28 (1979) | M29 (1979-81) 1980s: M30 (1980) | M29F (1981) | MP4 (MP4/1) (1981) | MP4/1B (1982) | MP4/1C (E, 1983) | MP4/2 (1984) | MP4/2B (1985) | MP4/2C (1986) | MP4/3 (1987) | MP4/4 (1988) | MP4/5 (1989) 1990s: MP4/5B (1990) | MP4/6 (1991) | MP4/6B (1992) | MP4/7A (1992) | MP4/8 (1993) | MP4/9 (1994) | MP4/10 (B, C, 1995) | MP4/11 (B, 1996) | MP4-12 (1997) | MP4-13 (1998) | MP4-14 (1999) | 2000s: MP4-15 (2000) | MP4-16 (2001) | MP4-17 (2002) | MP4-17D (2003) | MP4-18 (2003) | MP4-19 (B, 2004) | MP4-20 (2005) | MP4-21 (2006)