Motor Sport
McLaren GT: A Legend Reinvigorated.
McLaren is a name synonymous with high speed, both on a race track and for performance luxury cars. Early 2020 and the legendary brand releases a new GT, a complete reimagining and new addition to their high performance stable.
Here’s what has been made available for the 2020 McLaren GT.
The Engine.
It’s a 4.0L twin turbo V8 with 32 valves and Variable Valve Timing. It will whistle the GT to 100kph in a blink lasting just 3.2 seconds. The 200kph mark is astonishing at 9.0 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 326kph. Peak power is 456kW. Torque is 630Nm with 95% of that available at 3,500rpm. Those velocities are thanks to a dry weight of 1,466kg. Transmission is a seven speed dual-clutch auto. Claimed consumption of fuel is a UK figure of 11.9L/100km for a combined cycle. Maximum revolutions per minute are 8,500.
The Body.
It’s an evolution of the design ethos that underpins McLaren’s road cars. The body has a base construction of a bespoke MonoCell II-T carbon fibre chassis for maximum strength but minimum weight. It’s perhaps not as wild looking as some of the range but it’s purposeful, fast whilst standing still, and belies it’s 4,683mm overall length. It looks…tidier…with a sculpted front and rear, with an integrated lip spoiler. There are large rear quarter air intakes and a pair of smaller vents on the flanks and directly above the rear wheels. A subtle crease line grows from the bottom of the front air-dam to the rear of the headlight cluster, and in profile brings to mind the McLaren boomerang motif.
2020 McLaren GT upper view
Inside the 225/35/20 (front) and 295/30/21 (rear) wheels are brakes that will haul down the McLaren GT to zero from 124mph in 417 feet, or from 62mph in 105 feet. The suspension is a bespoke double wishbone layout, with adaptive settings that also allow for ride height changes, especially when parking, from 1,213mm to 1,234mm.
It’s broad, at 2,095mm and when the forward hinged, upward lifting, doors reach their highest point, it’s 1,977mm above the tarmac. The tray is completely flat and makes for exceptional high speed stability.
There is an outstanding range of colours to choose from. The default colour is the famous McLaren Silver, however a buyer can specify from the Special range colours such as Onyx Black or Storm Grey, Amaranth Red or Namaka Blue from the Elite, then go more distinctive with Helios orange or Papaya Spark, just two from the MSO Defined range.
McLaren GT front profile
The Inside.
Rather than stamp the GT with the expected wood and leather designs to say it’s a luxury sports car, McLaren embody the functional feature ideal. With optional interior trims available, McLaren have fitted brand new seats, designed and engineered for the GT. Immaculate surface detail is obvious on the trim, and that translates to the dash and console. It’s clean, uncluttered, minimalistic, yet everything is within a fingertip’s reach, including the vertically oriented touchscreen, and knurled solid aluminum switchgear as part of option packs. Black leather and aluminum trim combine for a comfortable and eye-catching steering wheel and console look.
McLaren GT interior
There are also McLaren’s own luggage components that can be purchased which will fit the cargo compartments and complement the looks. Above the passengers is an electrochromatic glass roof that has five preset shading levels and in a roof view, runs into the glazed engine cover. This also provides the lid for a 420L luggage compartment along with 150L for the “frunk” or front trunk. Cooling for the rear compartment comes from the same air intakes that push air into the engine’s radiators.
Pricing starts from US$213,200.
McLaren GT
A Star On The Horizon: Hugh Barter.
Karting is one of the avenues that aspiring motorsport drivers utilise in order to potentially further a racing career. In Australia many of the top tier Supercars drivers came from the karting ranks. For Formula 1, it’s a similar progression, and of course there are the feeder categories such as Formula 4.
Melbourne based teenager and kart racer Hugh Barter is one of those with the dream, and with the aspiration to move into Formula 4. The end game here is Formula 1.
Like many, Hugh isn’t a single category driver. He’s competing in two championships in an effort to both broaden the racing experience and to gain insight into how different organisations work.
Japanese born Hugh has been interested and racing in karts for over a decade. At the age of three Hugh attended a race event at Phillip Island and was captivated by the small yet rapid karts. A race simulator on site quickly had the youngster drawing a crowd as he battled both the just too far away pedals and a simulated Mount Panorama.
Gaming simulators at home followed and helped Hugh develop his love and his racing techniques. On his fifth birthday a kart was a main present and at the age of seven, the minimum age requirement to obtain a kart driving license, he was able to properly get out on the tarmac and put those simulated hours to good use.
One of the aims for 2020 and one still possibly available depending on the global Covid-19 situation, is a trip to France to represent Australia in December. The event is the Richard Mille Shootout, and if that name looks familiar, it’s one found on the sides of the cockpits of F1 cars.
The Swiss based watchmaking company is also responsible for the Richard Mille Young Talent Academy, and it’s the bridging point between karting and F4. What marks Hugh’s attendance here is something to consider: only one person from a country is selected and from Australia, Hugh is that person.
But to get there requires more than the occasional weekend blat on a kart track. Naturally there’s no chance of Hugh relying on a monthly run, instead he’s out every weekend and either practicing or competing in the Rotax Pro Tour and the Australian Karting Championship.
It’s the Rotax Pro Tour that has opened the door to the international aspirations for Hugh. However, for 2020 the tour has been postponed, whereas he’s been able to get one Australian series event under the tyres.
That was at the karting circuit at Tailem Bend, the new and spectacular circuit near the capital of South Australia, Adelaide. Competing in the KA2 Junior category and racing a kart backed by Ricciardo Karts (http://www.ricciardokart.com/) under the banner of Patrizicorse, run by Michael Patrizi, the weekend would prove to be a testing one due to inclement weather and a lack of trackside vegetation allowing dirt and sand to be blown across the tarmac.
Hugh would claim his first overall round victory in this category. Hugh says the schedule for such a weekend is quite intense, especially with categories oversubscribed.
With four qualifying heats and with placings counting towards the final race grid positions, Hugh says the 12 laps in each before a final race count of 20 are crucial in ensuring a better finish.
Technical knowledge in motorsport is also crucial in assisting a team’s setup. In the case of karting, that team tends to consist of the driver and perhaps one or two others. Hugh describes the difference between racing in the Rotax Pro Tour and the Australian Championships in a mental preparation sense as not being that different.
What is different is the driving styles required as the Rotax series runs a different engine and tyre package to the karts in the Australian series. Grip levels, performance levels, and even a driver’s physical size make a difference in how a kart is set up and this is an area that Hugh has nailed down.
What happens for Hugh for the rest of 2020 will now depend on the world’s Covid-19 situation. The goal, still, is to travel to France and have a tilt at the Richard Mille Shootout.
Backed by father Chris, and mother Natsuki, Hugh Barter has his sights firmly set on one goal, and that is to be a Formula 1 championship winner. 
(Pictures courtesy of Pace Images and Chris Barter).
Azerbaijan F1 Postponed, Where Now For 2020?
The latest update for the 2020 F1 season is that the round scheduled for Azerbaijan in June has now also been postponed. This is the round that the organisers had tentatively penciled in as the start round after the Australian, Bahrain, Vietnam, Chinese, Dutch, Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix had all been sidelined.
However, Baku City officials have been working with F1, FIA, and World Health Organisation staff, and have concluded that this date appears to be no longer suitable as a starting point for 2020. Given that this takes the season close to the halfway point, a decision on what will happen in regards to the structure must be made soon.
Chase Carey, the CEO of Formula 1, said in a statement released on March 19, said: “At the meeting there was full support for the plans to reschedule as many of the postponed races as possible as soon as it is safe to do so. Formula 1 and the FIA will now work to finalise a revised 2020 calendar and will consult with the teams, but as agreed at the meeting the revised calendar will not require their formal approval. This will give us the necessary flexibility to agree revised timings with affected race promoters and to be ready to start racing at the right moment.”
What this means for the rules and regulations that were set to be implemented for 2021 have now been pushed back to 2022. It also puts a cloud over the mooted driver and team swaps. One thing that has come out as almost certain is that the drivers for 2021 are very likely to be the same as those in 2020. There had been talk that Lewis Hamilton may have gone from silver to red, however this appears to now be virtually impossible. 
The key reason is simple: the cars to be raced in 2021 have to use the same chassis as those developed for this year’s season. With early testing seeming to forecast the Mercedes chassis would be superior to the Ferrari’s, it would make no sense, apart from potentially a huge financial incentive, for Ferrari to open the door to the current world champion. This is crucial in the context that Hamilton is out of contract with Mercedes at the end of 2020, and it’s rumoured that the team would aim for a two year deal to carry Hamilton through the time required to stabilise under the forthcoming regulations.
Adding to the confusion is the constant murmurs that Ferrari will drop Sebastian Vettel, also out of contract come December 2020, and say hello to Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian is on a two year contract at Renault and after a sub-standard, by his standards, 2019, the lure of a top tier team surely must be strong. However the crux of this is what Ferrari would wish for Vettel. If talk that Ferrari’s Mattia Binotto has stated Vettel is their choice to drive alongside Charles Leclerc is true, then this would appear to lock down Ferrari for 2021 at least.
Red Bull have no such issue as both Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon are pencilled in for the next couple of years.McLaren also appear to be stable with Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris however the Ferrari equation comes into play with Sainz. His name also has been floated as a possible for the Italian team but there’s not much else to suggest anything other than simply conjecture.
Alfa Romeo are another team with a question mark and that is in the form of Kimi Raikonnen. He’s out of contract at year’s end, and turns 41 in October. This combination, plus a lacklustre 2019, may be enough for the Finnish driver to call time on a stellar career. What this means for Alfa Romeo is who to select to slot next to Antonio Giovinazzi, and could they throw a rope to Nico Hulkenberg? Or, even more intriguing is the possibility of signing one M. Schumacher. Mick has been driving well and has been garnering attention.
Who's Hugh? An Aussie On The Rise Barters For The Future.
Go-karting is one of the avenues that many high level drivers have used to enter motorsport. Be they a V8 Supercar driver or in the F1 family, karting is in the bloodline of many. One of the high profile Australians in motorsport, Daniel Ricciardo, started in karting.
There’s a “new kid on the block” in the form of Hugh Barter. Aged 13, Barter already has close to a decade’s worth of karting experience, and is looking to drive in the upper echelons of motorsport. Hugh was admitted to the AWC Motorsport Academy earlier this year. The academy has joined with former V8 Supercars driver Marcus Ambrose to help train and coach the “next generation” of drivers.
Hugh’s path to the academy has included the Rotax Pro Tour. 2019 sees him in his second year in the Junior Max class, a category recognised around the globe for junior drivers. The tour kicked off in Port Melbourne and proved to be a challenge first up. Round 2 of the tour and Round 1 of the Australian Kart Championship in Ipswich, Queensland, showed promise in each of the heats however mechanical issues arose and took Barter out of contention in most of the heats. These hiccups has Hugh start in 11th in the round’s final race, and it all came together with the chequered flag seeing Hugh across the line in 1st.
Rounds at Eastern Creek and Newcastle had good results, with high placings getting Barter up into the top 3 of the championships. Extra experience came with Barter running two different karts. KA4 Junior Light Class and KA3 Junior Class are configured for different weight and grip levels. This flexibility has paid dividends with the rest of the season seeing Barter improve and gain some valuable points to finish overall in 5th in the Pro Tour over halfway into the season and was in 2nd in the Karting Championships.
Puckapunyal in Victoria played host to Round 4 of the Rotax Pro Tour and Barter was in a new kart from Praga. Immediately there was improvement and the weekend finished with Hugh up into 3rd overall.
Results in his career so far now have Hugh Barter ready to head to Italy this month to represent Australia in the Rotax World Titles. With his experience in both time and the different classes, Barter is looking to use this trip to further his ambitions in motorsport. You can follow his progress via hughbarter.com.au
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