Friday saw the McLaren team launch their 2010 F1 challenger during a ceremony at the Vodafone Headquarters in Newbury, UK. The covers were pulled back on the MP4-25 by drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.

The event began at 11:00 GMT and was successfully broadcast live to the internet in its entirety. The car again featured a silver livery not wildly differing from last year, while the chassis was notable for its extended 'shark-fin' engine cover. The underside of the nose features an unusual arrangement of turning vanes that should help direct airflow to the tightly packaged sidepod intakes.

The team's official press release described the revised bodywork as a "radical aerodynamic overhaul" and was keen to stress the importance of the ongoing relationship with engine partners, and now on track rivals, Mercedes.

Horsepower once again comes from our friends in Stuttgart. Mercedes-Benz's FO 108X V8 subtly improves upon an engine which has become the benchmark in Formula 1, winning the last two drivers' world championships.

New team member, Jenson Button was ecstatic to see his world champion's number one displayed on the nosecone for the first time.

I’m incredibly proud to be standing here today knowing I'll be carrying the number one for the whole season: that's a great responsibility but also a great honour. It's something I’m relishing. It looks so cool too!

I've got a great team around me, and I already feel very at home here. I just can't wait to get in the car and start driving again. It really can’t come soon enough!

Meanwhile, team mate Lewis Hamilton spoke of his faith in the team's strength in depth.

We have a tremendous engineering team – people who have been here for many, many years and who have worked with some of the sport’s greatest champions and helped design and build some of Formula 1's most iconic cars. They really want to deliver another fantastic car for the 2010 season.

The car will run for the first time during testing in Valencia on Monday.