Carlos Sainz ended 2019 on a high, most notably at the penultimate race of the season, with his first F1 podium. However, the start of last year’s campaign certainly wasn’t near those heights. Despite showing plenty of pace, reliability cut short his Australian Grand Prix. And then contact in races two and three put paid to his chances of points. Carlos will no doubt look to get this season off to a far smoother start.

Having captured hearts and minds with his exploits inside and outside the cockpit, Lando Norris looks to build on the immediate success of his debut season. “I was a lot more nervous at this point in 2019 with all the new things I had to contend with: rules, information, strategies, ways of working, everything really,” he has revealed. “Whereas now, I know a lot of this stuff. I feel more relaxed and not so nervous. Instead of wondering whether I’m ready for the first race, this time I know I am and that’s why I’m so excited.”

The eagerly-anticipated reveal of our 2020 F1 challenger took place at the McLaren Technology Centre, where it was unveiled to fans, partners and the world’s media. But soon after the excitement of car launch, the MCL35 was despatched to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya where it completed 2,320 miles of running during pre-season testing. “This test has been the best for McLaren for some time, with strong reliability enabling us to complete our programme as planned and collect valuable information for analysis,” explained McLaren F1 Team Principal Andreas Seidl.

With minimal changes to F1’s technical regulations for 2020, the MCL35 looks similar to its predecessor. However, there’s no mistaking the car’s slimmer appearance with its svelte, sculpted sidepods and chiselled nose. “One of the more obvious changes is the width of the bodywork,” says McLaren F1 Technical Director James Key. “It’s really narrow compared to last year, and a lot of effort went into packaging. 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.”

The MCL35 continues to sport the striking McLaren papaya and blue, the original colours chosen by founder Bruce McLaren – representing the team’s 57-year legacy in the sport. But while the colours are the same, you may notice that that for the first time in the team’s history, the livery has a matte finish. “There’s a slight twist on the colour and the branding side of things which is very clean in terms of its look,” explains Key. “But there are technical benefits to it. There’s a weight benefit, certainly, but there are other things as well.”

It might seem a little strange to mention 2021 before the 2020 season has even begun, but talk of how teams are preparing for one of the most comprehensive regulation changes in the history of F1 will be a common theme throughout this year. “The key is to take a pragmatic approach, balancing the cars accordingly and making sure you can get the best of all worlds as much as possible,” says Key. “You could prioritise one car over another and put a lot more focus on trying to ensure a stronger long-term future at the expense of the short term, but that’s often very difficult to do in this sport.”