Mercedes the most impressive, says McLaren's chief engineer

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McLaren's chief engineer Peter Prodromou has been most impressed by Mercedes new W08 which was unveiled last week.

Speaking at the McLaren MCl32's launch, Prodromou pointed to the T-wing device featured on both the Mercedes and the Ferrari, adding that McLaren itself was evaluation the novel aerodynamic concept.

"There is an area, one of the regulations boxes that wasn’t covered in the way people expected when they were designing the regulations, which has allowed these T-wings to go in that area," said the engineer.

"It is something we are looking at.

"The car that has impressed me so far is the Mercedes. Clearly Mercedes has put a huge amount of man hours into the car. That’s the one thing that stands out.

"In terms of major surprises, I don’t think we have seen anything yet that looks like a big loophole."

The McLaren MCL32 makes its track debut!

Prodromou offered insight into the design of the team's MCL32, revealing that it had been initiated as far back as the autumn of 2005.

"We spent quite a long time defining the fundamental concept for this car," he said.

"We actually started this project a good 18 months ago. The lion’s share of our time has been aimed at putting together a good foundation.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.