Talk in the Spanish media of 200+ bhp gains year on year is nonsensical but Honda has taken a step forward.

Honda continues with a very small power unit especially considering that it features a variable inlet (the smallest in F1 we think). The rear end remains remarkably tight as McLaren attempts to benefit from the size zero concept. There is a small cooling duct under the main airbox inlet. As with the MP4-30 the main airbox is split horizontally, with the lower segment feeding combustion air to the Honda V6 engine and the upper segment feeding coolers above the bellhousing. This is something which will save weight high on the car and in turn reduce the centre of gravity but it is the result of some serious FEA time to get it through the crash tests.

McLaren has adopted a new concept here, it has dropped the remote supports used on the MP4-29 and MP4-30 in favour of a very small aluminium stay under the main roll hoop. The rear suspension is again a pullrod layoutĪround the cockpit the new rules see bigger head protection introduced but the biggest changes come around the roll hoop area. The front suspension remains a pushrod actuated torsion bar layout, more on this once the front bulkhead is revealed. The 2016 car retains the S-duct utilised on the late season MP4-30 but in a mildly revised form as is to be expected. Compare the 2016 nose (above) with the 2015 (below) The nose design is similar to that of the MP4-30 late variant which allows for better under nose air flow than the ’15 Ferrari style long nose that the McLaren started with last year. The overall car concept seems to be a second attempt at making ‘size zero’ work for the McLaren-Honda partnership and there are few immediately remarkable features about the MP4-31, though as the car develops it will become clear if it has all worked this time round. Opting for an online launch images of the MP4-31 were leaked well ahead of the planned time.

The McLaren MP4-31 is a clear continuation of the theme started with the MP4-30, this is perhaps not surprising as the 2015 car never really got to show its full potential.

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