While you could lay claim to the notion that the MP4-29 is built on a âproduction lineâ, itâs a little more complex than that â the cars are rarely used in sequential order. Chassis #01 has so far done the majority of 2014âs legwork; it was the car placed under the spotlight at the car launch on January 24, and itâs the chassis that did the Jerez test in early February. Itâs since been returned to MTC, re-built, modded and painted and freighted to Bahrain, where it was the spare at last weekâs test, and will be pressed into service again later this week.
Chassis #03 was the running car for the first Bahrain test, and will also undertake testing duties this week â it then hurries back to MTC, gets dressed (ie: it gets a new paintjob) and is rushed out to Melbourne, where itâs the last of three cars to arrive for the Australian Grand Prix. As such, itâs the car that will sit in the back of the garage in stripped-down tub-form â only being pressed into service if we damage one of the two fully built-up race cars.
Chassis #01, the star of Jerez, also goes back to MTC for a wash and a scrub, but it and its sibling, chassis #04, fly to Melbourne five days earlier than the spare chassis, becoming the two race cars that are currently slated to contest Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain and China.
Chassis #02? Itâs not due to take to the track until the post-Bahrain Grand Prix test in early April.
Of course, the best-laid plans are always subject to change â and invariably do if a chassis becomes damaged or needs repair. Last year, the mechanics replaced Sergio Perezâs tub on Friday night after the Mexican dropped the car at Spoon during free practice at the Japanese Grand Prix. While the tub wasnât irreparably damaged, a detailed analysis quickly showed it was quicker and easier to build up the spare tub than to carry out sub-optimal in-the-field repairs.
It takes a mountain of paperwork just to cover the logistics of the tubs â imagine the further complexity of managing all the bodywork, the list of new components â most of which invariably get flown out to the tests and races at the last minute, front and rear wings, and the thousands of little spares, screws, spacers, fixings and tools that accompany the cars around the world.
Chassis #03 was the running car for the first Bahrain test, and will also undertake testing duties this week â it then hurries back to MTC, gets dressed (ie: it gets a new paintjob) and is rushed out to Melbourne, where itâs the last of three cars to arrive for the Australian Grand Prix. As such, itâs the car that will sit in the back of the garage in stripped-down tub-form â only being pressed into service if we damage one of the two fully built-up race cars.
Chassis #01, the star of Jerez, also goes back to MTC for a wash and a scrub, but it and its sibling, chassis #04, fly to Melbourne five days earlier than the spare chassis, becoming the two race cars that are currently slated to contest Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain and China.
Chassis #02? Itâs not due to take to the track until the post-Bahrain Grand Prix test in early April.
Of course, the best-laid plans are always subject to change â and invariably do if a chassis becomes damaged or needs repair. Last year, the mechanics replaced Sergio Perezâs tub on Friday night after the Mexican dropped the car at Spoon during free practice at the Japanese Grand Prix. While the tub wasnât irreparably damaged, a detailed analysis quickly showed it was quicker and easier to build up the spare tub than to carry out sub-optimal in-the-field repairs.
It takes a mountain of paperwork just to cover the logistics of the tubs â imagine the further complexity of managing all the bodywork, the list of new components â most of which invariably get flown out to the tests and races at the last minute, front and rear wings, and the thousands of little spares, screws, spacers, fixings and tools that accompany the cars around the world.
