F1 – tagged "Motorsport"– duPont REGISTRY News

McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

A collage of Formula 1 events: McLaren drivers on the podium, Lando Norris lifting a trophy, and two McLaren cars racing at the British GP.

By Khris Bharath – July 06, 2025

F1 Diamond Jubilee Thriller: Lando Norris Wins British GP...

2025 marks 75 years since the inaugural Formula 1 World Championship began, and while F1 had precursor races between 1946 and 49, 1950 is officially when the start of the World Championship era truly began, and Silverstone was the first ever race. Fitting, then, that this historic circuit, once again, delivered an epic race today, one that saw a British driver, Lando Norris, triumph on home soil. Another big moment, Nico Hülkenberg, finally earned a long-overdue podium. Add in championship leader, Oscar Piastri’s penalty, Max Verstappen’s dramatic spin, and classic British summer weather, and you truly had a race worthy of the sport’s diamond jubilee. From the moment the lights went out, chaos reigned as the track was only dry-ish with polesitter Verstappen leading the field away. While George Russell and Charles Leclerc gambled early on slicks, the track was still treacherous in the final sector. Up ahead, by the time the first drops of rain hit the tarmac under race conditions, the Aussie wasted no time snatching the lead from the reigning champion on lap 8, just before conditions deteriorated considerably. As showers intensified by lap 11, strategy came into play. Lance Stroll and Hülkenberg made the decisive call to bolt on fresh intermediates, a move that would pay massive dividends to climb up the order. On lap 14, the first Safety Car of the race was deployed, bunching up the field and erasing Piastri’s advantage. Then came a major flashpoint. Isack Hadjar rear-ended Kimi Antonelli on the first restart on lap 18, a consequence of a soaked track and poor visibility from the spray, bringing out the safety car again. In a dramatic turn of events, upon the second restart on lap 21, Verstappen spun on cold tires and dropped from second to ninth. But most notably, Piastri was handed a 10-second penalty for slowing down dramatically before leading the pack away from that second Safety Car. By lap 30, Lewis Hamilton in P6 began his surge into contention, thrilling the home crowd in his first British Grand Prix with the Scuderia. With 15 podiums at Silverstone, including nine wins, Hamilton who is also a wet-weather champion, remains unmatched at this venue. But a small off-track moment after his final stop saw the hopes of adding a 16th fade away. Meanwhile, Hülkenberg, who by the way started P19, was driving the race of his life. The German driver, who at age 37 is also one of the oldest on the grid, capitalized on the chaos, nailed his strategy, and used DRS to snatch third place from Lance Stroll on Lap 35. He would then hold off Hamilton, all the way up to the closing stages of the 52-lap race. After 239 Grand Prix, Hülkenberg finally became a Formula 1 podium finisher in P3, with Hamilton crossing the line in fourth. Up ahead, as Piastri served his penalty during his final stop, teammate Norris took the lead. The Brit kept his cool and managed to keep Piastri at bay, finishing 6.812 seconds ahead of the Aussie when the chequered flag dropped, for a spectacular McLaren 1-2 finish. After round 12 of the 2025 season, Piastri continues to lead the championship with 234 points and an eight-point advantage over Norris’ 226. Verstappen is third and has a lot of ground to cover with 165 points as we head to Spa-Francochamps next. Catch the " title="YouTube video" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen> here. With this year’s historic British GP behind us, the upcoming Festival of Speed set to roar to life at Goodwood later this week, is set to continue to provide plenty more from the U.K., including more F1 action. Watch this space. https://twitter.com/F1/status/1941889045132402689 Source: Formula 1, McLaren

A group of five men in suits pose together outdoors; to the right, two men—possibly at the European Premiere of F1 The Movie—stand separately by a backdrop with "THE MOV" partially visible.

By Khris Bharath – June 24, 2025

Tom Cruise Shows Up At European Premiere of F1: The Movie

We’re just days away from F1: The Movie roaring into theaters and just a week after the star-studded world premiere in New York, transformed the heart of Times Square into a high-octane pit lane with much of the current F1 grid and a of A-listers in attendance, it was London’s turn to roll out the red carpet for the film’s European premiere. After all, the U.K. isn’t just home to legendary circuits like Silverstone, but the spiritual birthplace of Formula 1 itself. The first official World Championship Grand Prix was held there in 1950, and today, eight of the ten F1 teams are headquartered in Britain. Leicester Square in the heart of the British capital, lit up with stars from the worlds of motorsport, music, tech, and Hollywood, including one of the biggest of them all, Tom Cruise. The actor, known for pulling off his own death-defying stunts, made a surprise appearance to lend his support for the film, electrifying an already charged British crowd. View this post on Instagram A post shared by FORMULA 1® (@f1) Cruise posed with longtime collaborator Jerry Bruckheimer, director Joseph Kosinski, Brad Pitt, and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. (Kosinski and Bruckheimer, notably, also teamed up with Cruise for Top Gun: Maverick.) Pitt and Cruise, for their part, last shared the screen in 1994’s Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles. While we've seen Cruise in everything from F14 Tom Cats to fast bikes and cars, he notably" title="YouTube video" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen> As for F1: The Movie, it features Brad Pitt as veteran racer Sonny Hayes and Damson Idris as rising rookie Joshua Pearce, competing for the fictional APEX GP team. The film was shot on real Grand Prix weekends at tracks like Spa, Silverstone, and Abu Dhabi, with minimal CGI. Pitt and Idris drove the cars themselves, specially modified Formula 2 chassis wrapped by Mercedes-AMG to resemble F1 cars, often at speeds approaching 180 mph. Apple Original Films, in partnership with Warner Bros., backed the project, and Apple’s Senior VP of Services, Eddy Cue, revealed that iPhone cameras mounted directly on the cars captured some of the film’s most immersive moments. The film’s soundtrack is equally star-studded. The likes of Ed Sheeran, Tate McRae, Peggy Gou, Ray, and Hans Zimmer all contributed to the music, all of whom attended the premiere. On the acting front, Kerry Condon and Sarah Niles were praised for portraying women in high-performance technical roles. Seven-time F1 world champion, Sir Lewis Hamilton, who is also a co-producer of the film, wanted to ensure racing authenticity in the film and revealed in an interview that he’d be on Zoom calls on Mondays, post-race weekend, going over every line of the script in detail. His mission was to make F1: The Movie the most authentic racing film ever made. We won’t have to wait long to find out. The film opens in theaters internationally on June 25 and in North America on June 27, with an IMAX experience built to match the adrenaline of the sport itself. " width="680"> Source: Apple, Formula 1, Warner Bros Instagram

Three people drive colorful LEGO Drivable Life-Size F1 Cars on a track in Miami, waving to the crowd; an inset shows a close-up of a LEGO car dashboard with digital-style stickers.

By Khris Bharath – May 05, 2025

How LEGO Built 10 Drivable Life-Size F1 Cars We Saw At Th...

Despite the overcast skies, Miami put up quite a spectacle for the inaugural round of the U.S. leg of the 2025 season. However, even before all the drama unfolded on the racetrack, fans arriving at the Grand Prix were met with an unexpected surprise: 10 life-size, drivable LEGO F1 cars. With both drivers of each team seated in the cockpit, this time one behind the other, we saw each car complete a lap of the 3.36-mile circuit. The LEGO Group, which partnered with F1 and all 10 teams on the grid, showcased these unique 1:1 scale builds during the " title="YouTube video" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen> Each LEGO F1 car takes inspiration from the company’s Speed Champion series, a popular line of scaled-down motorsport models. https://twitter.com/autosport/status/1919122339322548711 But unlike the actual F1 Grand Prix car that weighs just under 1,800 pounds, these LEGO cars, made up of nearly 400,000 bricks and mechanical components, weigh twice as much, coming in at 3,300 pounds. Besides the colorful liveries and detailed sponsor decals across all 10 models, each car was fitted with Pirelli soft-compound tires. Top Speed? 12.4 mph. Pulling off this spectacle took a coordinated effort, requiring a massive undertaking from a team of 26 specialists at LEGO’s Klando factory in the Czech Republic. Taking design, engineering, and assembly into consideration, each car took 22,000 hours to complete. Drivers were particularly enthusiastic to take these race cars out on track conditions that still looked damp. During the drivers parade, we saw track action in the form of gentle nudges with no real pecking order. Following their Miami debut, expect the LEGO F1 cars to show up at more Grand Prix races throughout the season, as they’re about to embark on a global tour. Shop The Best Automotive-Inspired LEGO Sets Sources: LEGO, F1, X

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