MP4/5

The McLaren MP4/5 is a Formula One car that McLaren Honda used for the 1989 and 1990 Formula One World Championships.

Contents [hide]

1 History

1.1 MP4/5

1.2 MP4/5B

2 Drivers

2.1 MP4/5 (1989)

2.2 MP4/5B (1990)

The McLaren MP4/5 and improved version the MP4/5B are a series of Formula One cars that McLaren Honda used for the 1989 and 1990 Formula One World Championships. The MP4/5 is largely based off the highly successful MP4/4 from 1988.

History

MP4/5

In 1989, Ayrton Senna (the then current world champion) and Alain Prost fought that year's championship, with Prost emerging the winner. Before the end of the season, Prost had announced he would leaving McLaren to drive for Ferrari, largely due to the fierce rivalry between him and Senna.

MP4/5B

In 1990, the MP4/5 was modified into the MP4/5B. As Prost had left, his seat was filled by former No.2 Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger. Senna was able to win that season's championship against Prost and the Ferrari 641, although this was due to a controversial collision at the penultimate race in Japan at Suzuka. Several MP4/5Bs were brought by McLaren as spares at the 1991 United States Grand Prix due to uncertainty over the new and largely untested McLaren MP4/6.