MINICHAMPS - McLAREN - F1 M28 TEAM FORD N 7 SEASON 1979 JOHN WATSON

The McLaren M28 was the first ground-effect single-seater built by the English factory and this gave it a place in the history of Formula 1. This despite the lack of competitiveness shown during 1979. Excessive weight and bulky dimensions made the project be shelved already in the middle of the season, when the car was replaced by the M29. This despite the third place taken by Irishman John Watson in the debut Grand Prix in Argentina. Born from Gordon Coppuck's pencil, the McLaren M28 had a monocoque aluminum frame and was characterized by large sides. The gearbox used was a 6-speed sequential manual McLaren / Hewland plus reverse. The disc brakes were made of steel, while the front and rear rims were 13 "in size and were rubberized with Goodyear tires. The Ford Cosworth / Nicholson DFV 8-cylinder V-shaped longitudinal rear engine of 90 ° had a displacement of 2,993 cm3 and a maximum power of 490 hp, with a maximum rotation speed of 10,600 rpm. John Watson and Patrick Tambay drove the car, the latter clinching a seventh place at Silverstone, in the British Grand Prix, with the M28C model, a further evolution of the original car.