McLaren MP4/7A

The MP4/7A ofAyrton Senna on display at theHonda Collection Hall
Category	Formula One
Constructor	McLaren International (chassis, gearbox) Honda Racing F1 (engine)
Designers	Neil Oatley(Executive Engineer) Matthew Jeffreys(Head of Vehicle Design) David North(Head of Transmission) David Neilson(Head of Suspension) Dieter Gundel(Head of Systems Engineering) Bob Bell(Head of R&D) Henri Durand(Head of Aerodynamics) Osamu Goto(Engine Technical Director (Honda))
Predecessor	MP4/6B
Successor	MP4/8
Technical specifications[1]
Chassis	Carbon fibremonocoque
Suspension (front)	Double wishbones, pushrods
Suspension (rear)	Double wishbones, pushrods
Engine	Honda RA122E/B, 3,496 cc (213.3 cu in), 75°V12NA (max: 15000 rpm)mid-engine,longitudinally mounted
Transmission	McLaren transverse 6-speedsemi-automatic
Power	764–805 hp (570–600 kW; 775–816 PS) @ 14,500 rpm
Fuel	Shell
Tyres	Goodyear
Competition history
Notable entrants	HondaMarlboroMcLaren
Notable drivers	1.Ayrton Senna 2.Gerhard Berger
Debut	1992 Brazilian Grand Prix
First win	1992 Monaco Grand Prix
Last win	1992 Australian Grand Prix
Last event	1992 Australian Grand Prix
Races Wins Podiums Poles F/Laps 14 5 11 1 2
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0

TheMcLaren MP4/7A is aFormula One car designed byMcLaren International andHonda Racing F1 for use by McLaren in the1992 season. It is a follow-up to their successfulMP4/6 from1991.

TheWilliams-Renault combination was getting faster and more reliable and became a formidable challenger to McLaren's dominance. McLaren used the MP4/6 chassis, now designated MP4/6B for slightly modified front wing aerodynamics, for the first two races of 1992. The all-new MP4/7A was expected for the Spanish Grand Prix, the fourth race of the year. However, due toWilliams' speed in pre-season testing (as well as their dominance of the first two rounds of the season), McLaren team principalRon Dennis made the decision to bring the car out one race early, at theBrazilian Grand Prix. This was one month earlier than expected.

This was the first McLaren to use asemi-automatic transmission; it was a McLaren-designed electro-hydraulic clutch and paddle-shift unit with semi-automatic activation (a semi-automatic transmission had been tested during the previous season with the MP4/6 and was on track during practice for the 1991 Hungarian Grand Prix, but the team elected to retain that car's original manual transaxle for the entirety of that car's use in competition). The team's technology partnerTechniques d'Avant Garde (TAG) helped with development. This system allowed the driver to keep his foot on the pedal, without lifting from it since thethrottle cable was replaced with an electronic sensor. It also controlled engine speed, rev-matching, and clutch actuation automatically during gear changes.^[2] The MP4/7A also gainedtraction control at theHungarian Grand Prix.^[3]

A variant of the car, dubbed MP4/7B, featuring an experimental active suspension system, was introduced in testing for that year'sPortuguese Grand Prix, though it proved insufficiently reliable and was not used for the remainder of the 1992 season. The system would, however, be used on the MP4/7A's replacement,1993'sMP4/8.

WithHonda pulling out of Formula One at the end of the 1992 season (after 69 wins as an engine supplier since1983, 44 of them with McLaren), the team would be forced to use customerFordV8 engines in 1993, thus the MP4/7A was the last McLaren to use the Japanese engines until the McLaren Honda partnership was renewed prior to the2015 season; the failure of that partnership to produce a race-winning car means the MP4/7A remains the last Honda-powered McLaren Formula One car to win a Grand Prix.

For the first time since1987, McLaren failed to capture the Constructors' or Drivers' Championship title. It was, therefore, the first time the team had failed to win the championships with Honda power, as the years1988 to1991 had all been successful in this respect. While the MP4/7A showed that it was able to keep up with the Williams FW14B in a straight line on several occasions, the active suspension on the Williams allowed it to better utilize its aerodynamic package, thus relegating the passively-suspended McLaren to 'best of the rest' status. The MP4/7A also suffered from teething troubles early on: both Senna and Berger dropped out of the car's debut race in Brazil with electrical problems. Defending champion Senna also suffered three straight DNFs during the middle of the season, effectively ending any hopes he may have had at defending his title. Five Grand Prix victories were recorded by the drivers: three forAyrton Senna, in his fifth season for the team, and two forGerhard Berger in his third and final season for McLaren before switching back to Ferrari for 1993.^[4]

• 
  Ayrton Senna driving the MP4/7A at the1992 Monaco Grand Prix
• 
  Honda RA122EV12 engine
• 
  McLaren MP4-7 front view Honda Collection Hall
• 
  McLaren MP4-7 rear-right Honda Collection Hall
• 
  McLaren MP4-7 right Honda Collection Hall

(key) (results inbold indicate pole position, results initalics indicate fastest lap)

* 9 points scored using theMcLaren MP4/6B

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMcLaren MP4/7.

• 1992 Formula One season cars
• McLaren Formula One cars

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from October 2017
• Use British English from October 2017
• All Wikipedia articles written in British English
• Commons category link is on Wikidata