McLaren Collector - John Barnard: “I was guided by a vision”

Few engineers have revolutionized motorsport like John Barnard. The Briton recounts how a relationship of extreme trust with Ron Dennis helped him design the first carbon monocoque at the turn of the 1980s. A high-tech heart that carried McLaren on the highway to success for the rest of the decade.

Published on 11/08/2024 à 15:40

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McLaren Collector – John Barnard: “I was guided by a vision”

This article can be found in our Collector McLaren. 100 pages retracing the history of the British team in motorsport! Available in our online store in paper format or numerical format.

Everyone knows you for your F1 1980s and 1990s, but you had already tried to work at McLaren in the 1970s…

I actually contacted McLaren when I was 20 years old. They didn't have room for me, and that's why I went to Lola, where I created my first racing cars, like the Super Vee. In 1974, I came back to McLaren, who at that time wanted to participate in the F5000 championship, which was popular in the United States. The idea was to stick a Chevrolet V8 engine on the base of the M23 from F1, designed for a Cosworth V8. I quickly adapted the chassis, because the Chevrolet engine was not at all suitable. The manufacturer Trojan was to be responsible for the sale of this car. We did a test at Silverstone with Denny Hulme… and that was it. She never appeared in the public eye. Funny thing, this was the last car painted "papaya" orange before Marlboro came on board as a sponsor. But I have my own idea of the reason for this failure.

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