In a unique event attended by hundreds of fans, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes this morning brought together members of the public to construct and reveal its new MP4-26 chassis, the team's challenger for the 2011 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Revealed at Berlin's Potsdamer Platz, the famous public space that sits on the fringe of the old Berlin Wall, the car was built up by dozens of Vodafone competition-winners, fans and customers carrying components into the arena, where the new chassis was gradually pieced together in front of a crowd.

This culminated in McLaren's race drivers - 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton and 2009 world champion Jenson Button - assembling the very final pieces to reveal the completed racecar.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said that the car would be developed aggressively before the start of the season - and confirmed that the team gave little away about its design in Berlin, beyond its U-shaped sidepods.

"Be warned, you haven't seen it all," he said during a media conference. "I think there are some really interesting bits on the car that you can see. But there are some bits we have hidden from you and our competition.

"Naturally, we have not shown you and our competitors our full hand today. Still, I think there are enough interesting things to see. I think it's a beautifully packaged car. I'm brimming with excitement, I think it's a fantastic car."

Looking radically different from last year's race-winning chassis, MP4-26 features a range of aerodynamic features designed to take advantage of new rules significantly limiting the amount of downforce that can be derived from the car's underbody.

These most notably include distinctive U-shaped sidepods - to feed air more efficiently to the car's rear-end - and a drag reduction system (active rear-wing), introduced for 2011 to increase the potential for overtaking.

Beneath the skin, the car houses an all-new electric KERS hybrid system. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, along with its engine partners Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines, became the first-ever Formula 1 team to win a grand prix using a hybrid device in 2009, and this new system is expected to further refine that race-winning package.

The team continues for 2011 with the proven driver pairing of world champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Between them, they helped Vodafone McLaren Mercedes to five grands prix victories, three one-two results and second overall in the 2010 constructors' championship.

Following today's launch, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes' Gary Paffett will shake down MP4-26 during a private session at the Idiada Proving Ground in Spain on Tuesday February 8 before the team begins track testing at the Circuito de Jerez on Thursday February 10.

MP4-26 Technical Specifications

Chassis

Monocoque: McLaren-moulded carbonfibre composite incorporating front and side impact structures
Front suspension: Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pushrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Rear suspension: Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pullrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Electronics: McLaren Electronic Systems. Including chassis control, engine control, data acquisition, dashboard, alternator, sensors, data analysis and telemetry.
Bodywork: Carbon-fibre composite. Separate engine cover, sidepods and floor. Structural nose with intergral front wing Driver-operated drag reduction system [active rear wing
Tyres: Pirelli P Zero
Radio: Kenwood
Race wheels: Enkei
Brake callipers: Akebono
Master cylinders: Akebono
Batteries: GS Yuasa Corporation
Steering: McLaren power-assisted
Instruments: McLaren Electronic Systems
Paint solutions: AkzoNobel Car Refinishes using Sikkens Products

Engine

Type: Mercedes-Benz FO 108Y
Capacity: 2.4 litres
Cylinders: 8
Maximum rpm: 18,000
Bank angle: 90°
Piston bore maximum: 98mm
Number of valves: 32
Fuel: ExxonMobil High Performance Unleaded (5.75% bio fuel)
Spark plugs: NGK racing spark plugs specially designed for Mercedes-Benz F1 engine
Lubricants: Mobil 1 - combining greater performance, protection and cooling with increased economy and lower emissions
Weight: 95kg (minimum FIA regulation weight)

KERS [hybrid]

Type: Mercedes-Benz
e-Motor: Engine-mounted electrical motor/generator
ESS: Integrated energy storage cells and power electronics
Power: 60 kW

Transmission

Gearbox: McLaren-moulded carbon-fibre composite. Integral rear impact structure
Gears: Seven forward and one reverse
Gear selection: McLaren seamless shift, hand-operated
Clutch: Carbon/carbon, hand-operated
Lubricants: Mobil