Magny-Cours - - -Town in central France, south of Nevers, site of the FRENCH GRAND PRIX since 1991. The 4.25-km race track has been particularly kind to Germany's MICHAEL SCHUMACHER, who has won four of the last five races there (1994-95 and 1997-8), the first two with BENETTON, the latter pair with FERRARI.
Maranello - - -Home of FERRARI SpA, midway between Milan and Bologna in northern Italy.
March - - -British race car manufacturing company formed by current FIA President, Max Mosley, along with Alan Rees, Graham Coaker and Robin Herd. Produced highly successful cars for a range of formulas, including Formula One. Like Lola, had several tries at Grand Prix racing, the first in 1970 and the last in 1992, scoring three victories along the way.
Maserati - - -Another famous Italian name, Maserati's Formula One history is tied to the early days of the sport. It competed for a decade, between 1950 and 1960, and during that time, Maserati drivers recorded nine wins and two World Drivers' Championships (JUAN-MANUEL FANGIO, 1954 and 1957).
Matra - - -French aerospace company that became involved in the design and construction of racing cars and engines, including entries for the Le Mans 24-hour race. Matra's greatest success in Formula One came when it collaborated with KEN TYRRELL's fledgling operation, in 1968 and 1969. Young Scottish charger, JACKIE STEWART, finished second in 1968 and then won the World Drivers' Championship in 1969. A disagreement over the use of Matra's V12 engine saw Matra and Tyrrell go their separate ways the following year.
Maximum capacity - - -The maximum capacity of a current Formula One engine cannot exceed 3000 cc. The capacity is the displacement described by the bore and stroke of an engine times the number of cylinders.
McLaren, Bruce - - -New Zealander probably most famous for designing, building and racing a series of highly successful CanAm sports cars. McLaren branched into Formula One as a constructor and driver in 1966. He took one Grand Prix win in a car carrying his own name - the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix. Bruce McLaren was killed at Goodwood, England, in June 1970 while testing his latest CanAm car.
McLaren Team - - -Began as Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd in 1963, and made its F1 debut at MONACO in 1966, with BRUCE MCLAREN at the wheel. McLaren was killed in testing in 1970, and Team McLaren, as it was then called, continued through 1974, racing in Formula One, Indy car and the Can-Am series. A merger with Project Four Racing created McLaren International in 1980. John Watson won the new team's first Formula One race (BRITISH GRAND PRIX) a year later in a McLaren-Ford. Three years after that, the team dominated with 12 victories in 16 races, and then Alain Prost reeled off two straight World Drivers' Championships, in 1985 and 1986. In 1988, McLaren-Honda obliterated the competition, its drivers winning 15 of 16 races. The team went on to win the Constructors' as well as the Drivers' Championship three more times over the next three years (1989, Prost, and 1990-91, Senna). In 1995, McLaren signed a long-term agreement with Mercedes Benz. That association paid off in 1998 as MIKA HAKKINEN won the Drivers' Championship, and McLaren Mercedes the Constructors' Championship. The team's official designation is now West McLaren Mercedes.
Mecachrome - - -Engine preparation specialist which took over development and maintenance of Renault's Formula One engines when the French manufacturer decided to withdraw from Grand Prix racing at the end of the 1997 season. A new company, Supertec Sport, headed by Flavio Briatore, has taken over responsibility for marketing the former Renault Sport Formula One engines for 1999.
Melbourne - - -Australian coastal city, capital of the state of Victoria, site of ALBERT PARK, current home of the AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX.
Mercedes Benz - - -Famed German car manufacturer, first entered Formula One as a constructor in 1954, and promptly won the World Championship in 1954 and 1955 with JUAN MANUEL FANGIO. Withdrew at the end of the 1955 season in the wake of anti-motor racing backlash resulting from a horrendous Le Mans accident earlier that year. Returned to Formula One with McLaren in 1995, and won the 1998 World Championship with Finnish driver, MIKA HAKKINEN.
Mexican Grand Prix - - -The third most frequently run Formula One race in North America with 15 events staged to date (1963-70 and 1986-92). All 15 took place on the HERMANOS RODRIGUEZ circuit, just outside Mexico City, which was 5 km in length in the first eight years, then shortened to 4.421 km for the last seven races. Jim Clark (1963, 1967), Nigel Mansell (1987, 1992) and Alain Prost (1988, 1990) were all double winners in Mexico.
Minardi - - -Small Italian Formula One team, founded by motor racing enthusiast, Gian Carlo Minardi, that has bucked the odds to remain in Grand Prix racing since first appearing in 1985. Has yet to score a win.
Minimum weight - - -The minimum weight of an F1 car may not be less than 605 kg, including driver.
Mobil - - -U.S. and European based oil and lubricants supplier, and sponsor of the West Mclaren Mercedes team.
Monaco - - -Principality on the French Riviera, east of Nice, annual site of the GRAND PRIX DE MONACO since 1955.
Monsanto - - -A 5.42-km track that was a one-time site of the PORTUGUESE GRAND PRIX (1959). Stirling Moss of Great Britain took pole position and won the race in his Cooper T51.
Monte Carlo - - -Municipal configuration of the Principality of Monaco and annual site of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Montezemolo, Luca di - - -Aristocratic Italian businessman who teamed with Niki Lauda to lead a FERRARI resurgence in the 1970s. The combination returned to Ferrari in the 1990s with the intention of taking up where they had left off, but found circumstances within the team had changed considerably with the arrival of former World Champion, Michael Schumacher, and engineers Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne from BENETTON. Di Montezemolo took time off from Formula One to oversee arrangements for Italy's hosting of the football World Cup in 1990.
Montjuich Park - - -A 3.79-km track near Madrid, Spain, home of the SPANISH GRAND PRIX in 1969, 1971, 1973 and 1975.
Montreal - - -Major Canadian city, situated in the province of Quebec, providing a permanent home to the GRAND PRIX OF CANADA since 1978 (the CIRCUIT GILLES VILLENEUVE on ILE NOTRE-DAME in the St. Lawrence River). Emotional winner of the first Canadian Grand Prix, in 1978, was GILLES VILLENEUVE, father of 1997 World Champion, JACQUES VILLENEUVE.
Mont-Tremblant Circuit - - -A 4.265-km circuit in the Laurentian mountains north of Montreal, played host to the GRAND PRIX OF CANADA twice (1968 and 1970). New Zealander Dennis Hulme won the first in a McLaren M7A, and Belgium's Jacky Ickx won in 1970 in a Ferrari 312B.
Monza - - -Home of the ITALIAN GRAND PRIX for every race in the modern era (1950 to date) with the exception of 1980. Located south of Milan in northwestern Italy, the current Monza circuit layout is 5.770 km in length.
Mosley, Max - - -President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).
Mosport - - -A challenging road circuit, situated near Bowmanville, east of Toronto, and home of the GRAND PRIX OF CANADA in 1967, 1969 and 1971-77.
Mount Fuji circuit - - -Site of the JAPANESE GRAND PRIX in 1976-77, the race subsequently moved to SUZUKA, near Nagoya, in 1987, where it has remained since
Mugen Honda - - -Japanese motor racing company, specialising in engine design and development, run by Hirotoshi Honda. First entered Formula One in 1992; currently supplies Jordan Grand Prix with its V10 engines on an exclusive basis