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Preparing the 3D model
Carbon fibre becomes the survival cell
John Barnard designed the original MP4/1 around a narrow carbon-composite monocoque manufactured by Hercules in the United States. It delivered far greater stiffness for its weight than aluminium construction and proved its protective strength in John Watson's violent 1981 Monza accident. The 1C adapted that architecture to the flat-floor rules of 1983.
From twenty-second to victory
At Long Beach in 1983, John Watson started 22nd and Niki Lauda 23rd. They climbed through the field to finish first and second, setting a record for the lowest starting position of a Grand Prix winner that still stands. It was the final victory for the naturally aspirated MP4/1 line before McLaren's turbo era.
This non-official visualization uses Dave Love SketchFab's model under CC BY 4.0. It is not an official McLaren scan. Hero photograph: John Chapman (Pyrope), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. McLaren, Marlboro and the displayed marks belong to their respective owners.