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The McLaren M23 was a Formula 1 car designed by Gordon Coppuck with input from John Barnard. It was an F1 development of the McLaren Indycar M16, but was mostly inspired by the Lotus 72, sharing the same basic shape and layout. The same Ford DFV engine was used, but was prepared by specialist engine tuning company Nicholson Engines. This helped push the DFV's horsepower output to around 490bhp. It was a very angular car, which helped it to be very aerodynamically efficient.
It was introduced for the 1973 season, and scored pole position with Denny Hulme on its very first outing. Hulme and Peter Revson took 3 wins between them that season, while fiery rookie Jody Scheckter nearly added a fourth. Scheckter was responsible for one of the biggest accidents F1 has ever seen at the 1973 British Grand Prix, spinning his M23 in front of the pack. This was before Emerson Fittipaldi joined McLaren from Lotus in 1974. His knowledge of the Lotus 72 helped McLaren develop the M23 and that season, Fittipaldi gave McLaren its first drivers' and constructors' world championships, beating Ferrari, Tyrrell and Lotus.
A McLaren M23 with much of its bodywork and front wing removed,
Cosworth DFV visible in the rear. Note the exposed pedals between the front wheels and minimal upper-body crash protection, very different from today's F1 cars.
Further development in 1975, including a 6 speed gearbox-a novelty for the time, helped Fittipaldi and McLaren to second in both championships behind Niki Lauda, who had the benefit of Ferrari's excellent 312T chassis. The team experimented with different bodywork styles, including aerodynamic kickups in front of the rear wheels, different nose profiles and extended bodywork in front of the rear wheels, housing the oil coolers. Most of these changes were adopted for the M23 and its successor, the M26. At the end of 1975 Fittipaldi, in a shock decision left the team to join his brother's Copersucar-sponsored Fittipaldi Automotive team. He was replaced by the charismatic and determined James Hunt, who went on to win a dramatic and controversial 1976 season with the final evolution M23.
When the replacement McLaren M26 proved troublesome, Hunt and Jochen Mass relied on the M23 in the early part of the 1977 season, and even though the car was now 4 years old, it was still competitive.
The M23 was never the most technically advanced F1 car, but sound preparation and continual development helped it win 16 grands prix, 2 drivers' and a constructors' world championship in its lifetime.
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Cars that competed in the 1973 Formula One season |
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Brabham BT37 • Brabham BT42 • BRM P160C/P160D/P160E • Ensign N173 • Ferrari 312B2 • Ferrari 312B3 • Iso Marlboro FX3B • Iso Marlboro IR • Lotus 72D/72E • March 721G • March 731 • McLaren M19A/M19C • McLaren M23 • Shadow DN1 • Surtees TS9B • Surtees TS14A • Tecno PA123B • Tecno E731 • Tyrrell 004 • Tyrrell 005 • Tyrrell 006 |
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Cars that competed in the 1974 Formula One season |
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Amon AF101 • Brabham BT42 • Brabham BT44 • BRM P160E • BRM P201 • Ensign N173 • Ensign N174 • Ferrari 312B3 • Hesketh 308 • Iso Marlboro FW • Lola T370 • Lotus 72E • Lotus 76 • Lyncar L006 • Maki F101B • March 731 • March 741 • McLaren M23 • Parnelli VPJ4 • Penske PC1 • Shadow DN1 • Shadow DN3 • Surtees TS16 • Token RJ02 • Trojan T103 • Tyrrell 004 • Tyrrell 005 • Tyrrell 006 • Tyrrell 007 |
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