Last year’s car was a good step forward. It reacted well to the upgrades we applied and a lot of what we learnt went straight into the MCL35. The architectural changes to this year’s car are motivated only by performance development and have come off the back of some good development directions from the team. An example of this is the wheelbase, which has been modified to help certain areas of the car’s aerodynamics and layout. It’s one of the key changes for this year’s car and it’s something we learnt during the development of the MCL34.

The MCL35 has got a very narrow nose and it has lost the nostrils that featured on the MCL34. These changes were driven by aerodynamics in tune with what the rest of the car required, and they were no mean feat. A narrow nose makes it harder to pass the FIA crash tests, but the team worked well to ensure it’s strong enough.

One of the more obvious changes is the width of the bodywork. It’s really narrow compared to last year, and a lot of effort went into packaging. Having a bit more time to design and develop the MCL35, as well as beginning work on the engine installation a little earlier with Renault, helped us achieve this.

Moving down the car, the kinematics of the rear are different with our redesigned suspension, which complements aerodynamic development and improves mechanical grip over what we had last year.

Under the skin, there are a huge number of changes. The cooling layout and exhaust system are very different this year. Underneath its bodywork, the MCL35 is a real work of art – particularly the packaging within the sidepods and underneath the radiator ducts, which is how we’ve achieved our updated bodywork geometry.

The diffuser is affected by all the changes made upstream, so the updated architecture we have put in place naturally has knock-on effects to the back of the car. We have some developments in this area which will be part of the upcoming Melbourne-spec car.