McLaren is the second most successful Formula 1 team, behind Ferrari. The team have won races in five different decades of F1 racing, with 12 Drivers' and 8 Constructors' Championships to their name having been one of the top teams from its earliest years, in the 1960s. In the early 1980's it made a successful transition to new management, when Ron Dennis took over running the team and revitalised the team sparking the team's golden era with Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna forming one of the strongest partnerships in F1 history. However, the team have never been far from controversy from the infamous battles between Senna and Prost right through to the spying saga of 2007.
2010 sees much change as the Woking based team try to bounce back from a disappointing 2009. From the high of 2008, McLaren found themselves at the back of the grid too much last year as Ron Dennis handed over the reigns to Martin Whitmarsh. In Germany, the team found much of its form, taking two victories in Hungary and Singapore and probably only a defective brake pad standing between them and a third in Abu Dhabi. The question is how that transfers over to the 2010 season. Ferrari elected to switch focus, whereas McLaren preferred to get to grips with what was wrong with the MP4/24 first. That may help them in 2010 although the car still didn't like high-speed circuits. There have been two major changes at McLaren. Firstly, despite the team name, Mercedes have left although continue to supply engines, while Jenson Button joins ensuring the team will again run with numbers 1 and 2. It also means they have two World Champions to keep happy and McLaren will be hoping that it is a happier relationship than Fernando Alonso's stopover and indeed Senna and Prost's.
2009 Position: 3rd, 71 Points
Jenson Button
The reigning World Champion faces a new challenge for 2010 as he switches teams to McLaren in order to defend his crown. However, many are questioning his ability to match Lewis Hamilton in the same car but that may serve to reduce the pressure on him as he carries the prestigious number 1 throughout the season. Furthermore, one of Jenson's biggest strengths is race pace and looking after the tyres – and that's going to be paramount in 2010.
2009: 1st, 95 Points
Lewis Hamilton
The 2008 World Champion finds himself alongside yet another World Champion and McLaren can only hope the relationship is better than last time around. That sees Lewis relegated to carrying the number 2 but then the number seems to have been lucky for him in F1 so maybe he won't be too bothered. Besides, the consensus is that he is still the ipso facto leader at McLaren and has more wins to his name than his more experienced compatriot.
2009: 5th, 49 Points
Gary Paffett
Assuming he is McLaren's test driver for 2010 (he came via Mercedes), Gary looks set to have a more prominent role in 2010 as Pedro De la Rosa moves on. Gary has been at McLaren since 2005 while simultaneously running in Germany's DTM, becoming the champion in 2005 and the runner-up last season. However, as lead test driver, he may have to leave some of that behind this year. Tipped for a race seat in 2007, Gary was beaten to it by Lewis.
2009: Test Driver
Nationality: British
Base: Woking, UK
Website:www.mclaren.com
THE CAR Chassis: MP4-25
Engine: Mercedes-Benz FO 108X
THE TEAM Chairman: Richard Lapthorne
Team Principal: Martin Whitmarsh
Managing Director: Jonathan Neale
Design and Development Director: Neil Oatley
Head of Aerodynamics: John Iley
Chief Aerodynamicist: Doug McKiernan
Engineering Director: Paddy Lowe
Chief Engineer MP4-25: Tim Goss
Chief Engineer MP4-24: Pat Fry
Head of Vehicle Engineering: Mark Williams
Team Manager: David Redding
Operations Director: Simon Roberts
