McLaren M23: Yorkshire apprentices get chance to work on iconic McLaren F1 car
It’s not every apprentice who gets to work on a piece of motoring history.
But the young people at a training centre in South Yorkshire get their hands on a McLaren racing car which 50 years ago won the admiration of motor racing enthusiasts around the world.
AMRC Training Centre apprentices have proven their skills in the stunning restoration of McLaren Racing’s M23, chassis number 15 – a sister car to Emerson Fittipaldi’s M23 that brought the Formula 1 team its first ever World Championship 50 years ago.
In 2024, amidst a trove of racing artifacts, the long-lost chassis number 15 was discovered in McLaren’s heritage collection. McLaren Racing’s Heritage team then embarked on a mission to rebuild this never-raced M23 chassis to inspire the racing team’s young engineers.
As part of McLaren’s relationship with the AMRC (Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre) Training Centre, talented apprentices from the University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre work with the team at McLaren Racing on composite and metallic manufacturing.
Apprentices Iolanthe Jones, Thomas Fishwick and Tobie Redpath are currently in the third year of their level three machining apprenticeship.
They supported the manufacture of crucial components of the M23-15 rebuild, including a new steering wheel – the central part of which is 3D-printed, making it the one modern element on the car – steering release, suspension components, pedals, bracketry, and oil system components.
Meanwhile, second-year composites apprentices at the McLaren Racing’s Composites factory – Catherine Meech, Jasmine Ralfs and Grace Walbeoffe – recreated key bodywork elements and the distinctive high-rise airbox.
The apprentices tackled challenges, including completing missing parts and familiarising themselves with specialised skills required for working with materials like glass fibre – once commonplace in Formula 1, but now rare – to return the car to its former glory.
The apprentices also met McLaren Racing legend Emmerson Fittipaldi who visited the workshop during the undertaking.
Apprentices reunited with the iconic M23 for a day when it made an appearance at the AMRC Training Centre to kick off National Apprenticeship Week 2025.
Nikki Jones, director of the AMRC Training Centre, said: “We immensely value our wonderful partnership with McLaren which provides our apprentices with fantastic opportunities.
“We’re incredibly proud of our apprentices and their remarkable achievements on this project as part of their apprenticeship.
"The project provided them with a unique opportunity to contribute to McLaren Racing’s rich racing heritage, a chance to touch motorsport history and shape the future."
The McLaren M23-15 holds a special place in McLaren’s history, symbolising a pivotal moment that inspired the team’s engineering philosophy and design simplicity.
Over four seasons, it achieved remarkable success, securing 16 wins, 14 pole positions and ten fastest laps.