A quick check-up: Servicing the McLaren F1

Before any spanners are laid on the car, Tsouris or one of his team give every F1 a thorough safety check and lengthy test drive, including a run at the Millbrook proving ground, from which is generated a detailed report, some of it downloaded from the archaic 1990s Compaq laptop that plugs into one of the F1’s three electronic brains, which are fairly simple by today’s standards. 

In terms of routine maintenance, the F1 is in many respects fairly straightforward. As you’d expect, every car gets its fluids and filters changed as a matter of course, while there are some ‘lifed’ items that need replacing at set intervals: the fuel cell is renewed every five years, while dampers are swapped out after 10. Some items such as the spark plugs and their coil packs give virtually no trouble, needing little more than an inspection. Pads and discs are also checked, but wear rates are good and most cars don’t do enough miles to demand frequent replacements. The car’s carbonfibre structure is also checked but, apart from accident damage, there have so far been no reported issues. 

More likely is the need to change a clutch. The carbonfibre item isn’t temperamental as such, but it doesn’t like being slipped, and with quite a few cars shuffled on and off transporters at regular intervals, abuse can occur. It’s not a huge job to replace, but the cost of the parts is astronomical. Think five figures. 

However, in reality there’s rarely such a thing as ‘routine’, the car’s advancing years meaning no two services are the same. And it’s here that McLaren excels. Yes, it has a warehouse full of new ‘old’ stock parts, but the firm is also continuing to develop new components in an effort to futureproof the F1. 

“The electronics are starting to suffer,” explains Reinhold. “Rebuilding the various control units can be extremely difficult, so we are developing a modern system that owners can use if they want. We’ve also had to develop a new coating for the magnesium wheels because the original one is extremely toxic, plus we’re just at the end of a five-year programme to create replacement windscreens and glass. And the brake pad material has been constantly refined to improve pedal feel and response.” 

Some tasks are trickier than others though, as Tsouris reveals: “Replacing the gold heat shield is fiddly and time consuming. To do a whole car takes around two weeks.” And the best job? “The phone call or email from the owner when they get the car back and want to tell you how well it’s going after the service. That’s the buzz.” Then he pauses and smiles before adding: “And the driving.” 

What's involved in a 'routine' F1 service?

Of all the service procedures on a McLaren F1, arguably the most involved is the replacement of the fuel cell, which is required every five years. Below is a full rundown of the process, including the hours required for each job. As you can see, while the car is ostensibly in for the cell change, McLaren’s technicians do a lot more to the car to ensure it leaves the workshop as the factory intended. 

- Carry out initial road test (time includes commute to Millbrook and back) - 7.5 hours 

- Remove and refit engine - 28.5 hours

- Prep fuel cell aperture with tank tape and replace fuel tank - 8 hours 

- Replace all breather and fuel hoses and carbon canisters - 8 hours 

- Rebuild fuel tower and carry out pressure test to fuel tank - 8 hours 

- Replace anti-corrosion tape to engine mounts - 3 hours 

- Clean and detail engine, gearbox and ancillaries - 6 hours 

- Carry out full suspension set-up - 8 hours 

- Carry out final sign-off road test 7 hours 

Total time - 83.5 hours