The McLaren MP4-28 Gets A Nose Job And A New Wheelman

Woking had a party today as the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team revealed its newest Formula-1 car, the MP4-28. They even fired up some of the old race cars in the house, which is always nice to see (and hear). Next to McLaren's star driver Jenson Button was young Sergio Perez instead of Lewis Hamilton, who was quick to assure everybody that his only goal is to become World Champion in the 2013 season... you hate to see an athlete with such small ambitions.

The new race car looks pretty similar to the previous one, but Button claims that everything under the carbon fiber is brand new. It got a nose job, but McLaren still won't go for the duck-look, which is better news than anything involving a Dacia Sandero.

The suspension added a pullrod setup similar to what Ferrari featured last year. As we move to the rear, the first thing you'll notice are the new sidepods. The back is even more radical and sports redesigned exhaust pipes. If you are keen on the numbers and specs, jump over to McLaren. They know best.

Technical director Paddy Lowe did not attend the event, and according to boss Martin Whitmarsh, while he will stay with the team this year, the same can't be said about 2014.

But will they have what it takes to beat Alonso and Vettel? We'll find out when the F1 circus hits up the Australian GP in March.

Photo credit: Getty Images