McLaren to wait until Britain to debut new car?

Team West McLaren-Mercedes have warned that their new car - the MP4-18, might not make it's debut until the British Grand Prix, nearly three quarters of the way into the 2003 FIA Formula One World Championship season.

It had been thought that the new model might be ready in time for the Spanish GP, on May 4, however this has now been dismissed by the powers that be at the Woking based concern.

McLaren boss Ron Dennis told Reuters: "We will race it [the new car] when we feel that it is as reliable as our existing car [the MP4-17D].

"That does not mean to say that we are not going to run it soon or that it is not going to be quicker. We know it will be quicker but to finish first, first you have to finish.

"With the rules as they are currently, you have got to have reliability or else you are history.

"The cost of unreliability in practice is severe and so we don't actually know when we'll race the MP4-18. I'd say no sooner than Canada, no later than Silverstone."

Adrian Newey, McLaren's technical director, added: "It certainly won't be before Canada. We hope to be testing it in the not too distant future but then you've obviously got to allow yourself de-bugging time and you've got to be confident in its reliability before racing it."

The Canadian Grand Prix, round eight, takes place on June 15, while the British GP, round 11, takes place on July 20.