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The MP4/11 Launch
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Ron Dennis, Managing Director of McLaren International,
introduced today a new look Marlboro McLaren Mercedes team
during an open media day at the Autodromo do Estoril,
Portugal.

Alongside him were Norbert Haug, Head of Mercedes-Benz
Motorsport and the 1996 driver line-up of Mika Hakkinen,
David Coulthard and test driver Jan Magnussen, as well as
Alain Prost. 

Mika was making his first public appearance since his
accident during qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix
last November and was welcomed back to the team by Ron
Dennis. "Mika has made a remarkable recovery", he said
"and he has astonished everybody last week at the Paul
Ricard Circuit."

"There are no words to describe how happy I am to be
here", commented the Finn. "The support I received from
the team and all the fans throughout my convalescence was
a great help and I would also like to thank the media for
their understanding.

I realised how much people cared and it makes me all the
more eager to go racing again. I have been training very
intensively for the last four weeks so as to be as fit as
possible for the first Grand Prix of the season in
Melbourne, and I just can't wait to sit in the new car!". 

Ron Dennis then introduced the team's new driver, David
Coulthard: "I am delighted to welcome David as Mika's team
mate." he said. "David has enormous potential and the
pairing of these extremely talented young drivers will no
doubt bring the best out of them both." 

"Additionally", he continued, "it gives me great pleasure
to greet an old friend of the team, Alain Prost, who will
make a significant contribution to our racing and testing
programme in his capacity as member of Marlboro McLaren
Mercedes Technical Group." 

The Frenchman carried out the first shakedown of the
MP4/11, which features a longitudinal six-speed gearbox,
new suspension installation and attachment concepts, as
well as the new TAG 2000 integrated engine and chassis
control data acquisition system.

Alain's car was powered by last year's V10 Mercedes
engine. The new development stage Mercedes-Benz FO110
engine, designated Phase 3 will be run in the early part 
of the week. 

On 10th October 1995, Mario Illien started designing the
new V10 engine which ran on the dyno for the very first
time on 3rd February 1996 at 7.36pm. Despite the fact that
the outward appearance and the dimensions remain the same
as last year's version, the Phase 3 is a brand new engine
but for the water and oil pumps, featuring an optimised
torque range designed to form a good basis for further
development stages. 

"Following a learning year with a new engine specially
built for the inaugural season of the 3-litre formula,"
commented Norbert Haug, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport,
"the new Mercedes-Benz engine will be a step forward and
a sound basis for achieving our objectives of finishing
one place better than our best results in our first year
with McLaren.

Our people did a very good job so far and worked day and
night to make the progress everybody likes to achieve
this year." 

Four MP4/11chassis will be built by McLaren in time for
the first round of the 1996 world championship on 10th
March. "Our commitment to Formula One is greater than
ever", explained Ron Dennis.

"We are hungry for success and this strategy, which will
enable us to carry out intensive testing at home whilst
the race cars will be on three long hauls, gives only a
glimpse of the effort put in by everybody in the team to
make such success come our way." 

Presentation of the Marlboro McLaren Mercedes MP4/11
Formula One Car and Driver Line-Up 

Estoril 11th February 1996


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Source: McLaren
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