McLaren's Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton unveiled the Formula One car that they hope will win races and deliver them the world championship.
The MP4-27 was presented to reporters at the team's shiny factory in Woking.
This year's car features rear bodywork which is more tightly-waisted to improve air flow and the sidepods are re-designed as a result of new exhaust regulations.
Outwardly similar to last year's car, almost every component has been redesigned or updated. The drivers are hoping the new car will be more competitive earlier than last year's car.
"There are a lot of differences. I mean Formula One cars don't change much in appearance anyway through the years, it's very difficult to see the differences," said Jenson Button. "But in the way the car will work and the mechanical aspect of the car and the aerodynamics of the car are very different to what we had before and very different to 2011."
Last year McLaren, without a constructors' title since 1998, finished distant runners-up after launching their car with great optimism and then struggling to get an elaborate exhaust system to function properly in testing.
The 2011 car improved markedly later in the season and finished strongly. However Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, and 2009 world champion Button, overall runner-up in 2011, only won three races each last year while Red Bull won both championships for the second year in a row.
Almost every season teams come up with innovative devices on their cars. If they prove successful then other teams quickly copy them.
Button hinted that the new car had innovations.
"I am not going to give too much away but it is going in a very interesting direction and hopefully one that is going to make that difference that we need to really fight for a championship," said Button.
This year there will be scrutiny of Hamilton, whose contract comes up for renewal at the end of the year. Last season Hamilton rather lost his way with a series of crashes reducing his points tally. The 2008 champion said at the launch that he was stronger this year.
"I am feeling quite positive coming into the year. I think the car is going to be great. I think the team is ready and I am ready so there's no reason why we can't win this year."
Team boss Martin Whitmarsh acknowledged that the start of 2011 had not seen the team at its best but he is more confident after this close season.
"It's no surprise to anyone that we are here to win both world championships this year. That's what you would expect from us. We've set tough targets and now, as we close in on the first race we are going to meet those targets, and whether they are the right targets, whether we will be good enough, we don't know in truth but we think we have done a good job this winter. It depends on what our competitors do. We have got some formidable competitors but we are very much focused on winning the championship this year."
The team launch also presented Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey as test drivers for 2012.
The season, which starts in Australia on March 18, will have a new race in Austin, Texas, and an unprecedented six champions on the starting grid: Vettel, Hamilton, Button, Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen and Alonso.
Reuters