Papercraft model of the McLaren MP4/3B, the updated 1987 chassis Ayrton Senna used in 1988 preseason testing while development of the MP4/4 was completed.
| Manufacturer | McLaren |
|---|---|
| Season | 1988 (pretemporada) |
| Category | Racing |
| Scale | 1:24 |
| Difficulty | High |
| Estimated time | 4-5 hours |
| Print format | 3 A4 sheets |
| Source | Fórmula 1 em Papel |
What you'll need: 200-250 gsm paper or cardstock, scissors or a craft knife, a ruler and glue stick.
The MP4/3B was an evolution of the 1987 MP4/3 briefly used by McLaren-Honda in early 1988 testing. The car Senna actually won his first title with that year was the MP4/4, not this transitional model.
The McLaren MP4/3 was the car the British team raced in the 1987 Formula 1 World Championship, powered by a TAG-Porsche turbo V6 and driven by Alain Prost and Stefan Johansson. That season marked the end of an era: from 1988 onward McLaren switched engine suppliers entirely, partnering with Honda, a change that coincided with Ayrton Senna joining the team. Senna, arriving from Lotus, teamed up with Prost to form one of the most celebrated line-ups in Formula 1 history, though the car he actually raced in 1988 was the all-new MP4/4, not the previous season's MP4/3.
The 1988 season was defined by McLaren-Honda's near-total dominance: the MP4/4 won 15 of the championship's 16 races, a win rate that remains a historic benchmark in Formula 1. It was with that car, in that season, that Senna claimed his first world title. The transitional cars of 1987-1988, like the MP4/3, are remembered today as the final link in the McLaren-TAG era before the start of the hugely successful Honda partnership that would define the rest of the decade.