6 replies to this topic

[Formula Once]

Nigel Mansell did not fit properly in the 1995 McLaren MP4/10 so they built him a B-version. Now I wonder: were those first four B-version cars (chassis 1, 2, 3 and 4) four converted original MP4/10s or entirely new cars?

Edited by Formula Once, 08 February 2012 - 11:13.

[AAGR]

And then he found that he couldn't be competitive in the B spec. car either, and walked out on the team .... So how much did his strop cost McLaren ?

[Formula Once]

Depends a bit on the anwser to my question

[f1steveuk]

I went (as part of one of FOM's camera crews), to film the crash test of the first B spec' momocoque, and altough more interested in the Maverick land speed car that had been left out (!!), I did take the time to ask about the mod's needed for "Our Noige", and was shown quite considerable differences in the driver areas of the first and B spec tubs, and no simple 'cut a hole and let in a new piece' engineering either (if it had been a ali' tub it would have been beyond a "Manchester Feeler Gauge" as well!!) I suspect therefore, that the Bs were all new composite lay ups and incapable of being converted back, though I seem to recall that it was all in the waist and shoulder areas, so when Mark took over, expanded foam would easily have filled the areas back in again as part of the seat.

[Formula Once]

I went (as part of one of FOM's camera crews), to film the crash test of the first B spec' momocoque, and altough more interested in the Maverick land speed car that had been left out (!!), I did take the time to ask about the mod's needed for "Our Noige", and was shown quite considerable differences in the driver areas of the first and B spec tubs, and no simple 'cut a hole and let in a new piece' engineering either (if it had been a ali' tub it would have been beyond a "Manchester Feeler Gauge" as well!!) I suspect therefore, that the Bs were all new composite lay ups and incapable of being converted back, though I seem to recall that it was all in the waist and shoulder areas, so when Mark took over, expanded foam would easily have filled the areas back in again as part of the seat.

Thank you Steve, intertesting stuff.

McLaren did the first 2 races of the year with 10-2 and 10-3 for Blundell and Hakkinen respectively, using 10-4 as a spare car. When Mansell replaced Blundell for round 3, he drove what was called the 10B-1 (Mansell's pre-season test car adapted?) and Blundell's 10-2 was used as a spare. For round 4, the spare became a 10B-2 (10-2 adapted for Mansell?) whilst Hakkinen continued to race 10-3 all the time, even in round 5, in which Blundell drove 10B-1. For round 6 Hakkinen got a 10B-3.

So now I wonder if those three Bs where modified samples of chassis 10-1, 2 and 3. It would make sense, or did McLaren really build seven cars for the first 6 races of the year? In any case I think the B-version must have featured more than just a wider cockpit to get Mansell in, ottherwise why built more Bs for drivers other than Mansell (even after he had walked out)?

[Rob]

I understand that Hakkinen stuck with the 10B to the end of the season as he preferred it to the original.

[f1steveuk]

I'm not so certain the B spec' wasn't just to accomadate the , er, wider Mansell. The first versions of the car had an appaling understeer problem, and it may also be that the mod's needed in an attempt to dial this out may also have been taken into account in re-numbering the cars, as my records only show one "widened" car.