2023 - McLaren Formula 1 Team

[FittingMechanics]

"Starting off where we finished last year" is the bare minimum imo. This is the year that I think will define if McLaren truly has the potential to kick on and challenge for WCs in the near future. Although Zak is always on the side of managing expectations tbf.

Minimum expectation of being second fastest team that is almost able to challenge Verstappen for a win has a high chance of leaving you disappointed and frustrated.

I'd be happy if the team is close to the front from the start. Depending on how other teams do it depends, but I'd think a good offseason would be if the gap to the Red Bull (or other top team) is reduced in race pace. If that happens we will be a steady podium finished that challenges for wins on merit.

[BMMR61]

"Starting off where we finished last year" is the bare minimum imo. This is the year that I think will define if McLaren truly has the potential to kick on and challenge for WCs in the near future. Although Zak is always on the side of managing expectations tbf.

Minimum expectation of being second fastest team that is almost able to challenge Verstappen for a win has a high chance of leaving you disappointed and frustrated.

I'd be happy if the team is close to the front from the start. Depending on how other teams do it depends, but I'd think a good offseason would be if the gap to the Red Bull (or other top team) is reduced in race pace. If that happens we will be a steady podium finished that challenges for wins on merit.

I concur FM.

The Austria/Silverstone upgrades which were so visually obvious produced hugely improved aero efficiency while the Singapore upgrade appears to have sorted some of the slower corner entry speed issues. After that the team worked on optimising the package and as such would have learned a lot. After Silverstone the expectations were on competing for podiums though the confidence in Hungary wasn't so high, at which point it became clear the package was more than a high speed only rescue job and heading more towards an all-rounder. Spa exposed the lack of low drag rear wing, Singapore was expected to expose the slow corner turn in properties which was pleasant surprise number two.

The team seem to know a lot about what properties the 60 has and quite a lot about optimisation and will have collected a tremendous amount of data pertaining to this. That's why I'm hopeful to the point of confident they will have the edge at least early on, over Mercedes who are starting from scratch. Ferrari likewise, are talking a whole new car, but I can't believe McLaren will be throwing the drawings out the window, such was the learning curve. So I have hopes of competing with Ferrari for number two with a significantly decreased gap to RB on race pace.

[De Wet]

You never know what can happen. Red Bull could screw this up as it's not the first time Andrian Newey has screwed up a concept and we may be on a surprise seeing our team leading.

Like your optimism... Unlikely RB will screw up... But we can produce a winner...

[mwillems]

It would be great to reduce the gap to RB from the seasons start, but even that is possibly optimistic. With RBs greater time developing the car for next season they will have an advantage over Mclaren so maintaining the gap means we would have had a much more effective off season. Shrinking the gap would be something very special, but not impossible by any means.

Maybe they are getting towards diminishing returns and that will help us, and maybe they will slip up and make a very rare development mistake, but a betting man wouldn't pay too much mind to those possibilities yet.

To add some context, RB have already openly stated that the RB20 is quite mature and they have turned their eyes already to developing the RB21 so that when 2025 arrives they can devote the year to the new regs.

You never know what is bluff and what is not, but I'd really reign in your expectations for next year. Personally I'm expecting a tough fight with Ferrari and Merc.

[FittingMechanics]

It's definitely optimistic but that's why I am here. I do think we need to keep our expectations in check. It's a tough competition and other teams are trying to do the same.

About RB20, I don't think you can expect them to pull out an even bigger gap (even though they had plenty of time to develop it). Their reduced development time and diminishing returns should start to affect them. If that was not the case then Red Bull would be unbeatable as it would have an edge each year allowing them to focus on next year before other teams.

[organic]

New team thread for 2024 here

viewtopic.php?t=31494

[mwillems]

New team thread for 2024 here

viewtopic.php?t=31494

Cheers, totally forgot to do that as I got called into a meeting to do some actual work

[Mostlyeels]

Get both Lando and Oscar performing where Checo fails to back Max up and you are exploiting another weakness.

Could be a path to the constructors.