Vodaphone McLaren Mercedes MP4-24

[De Jokke]

Here you go: http://www.f1network.net/boards/read/s1 ... 4,10323644

[natef1]

Here you go: http://www.f1network.net/boards/read/s1 ... 4,10323644

Hmm..

There's nothing in that except someone posting what Jonathan Legard said might be happening. And I wouldn't trust Legard with getting news!

I'm sure they have something in development, but Bahrain seems a little early. The consensus is Barcelona. Either way I hope McLaren do get their act together with Ferrari, Red Bull and BMW to challenge those Brawns. I would hate to see them run away with the early season.

[vall]

Either way I hope McLaren do get their act together with Ferrari, Red Bull and BMW to challenge those Brawns. I would hate to see them run away with the early season.

don't write Renault off

[nudger]

i think Martin is being very possitive to claim a win in spain.
i think a significant aero upgrade is to appear at china. it will probably involve a first generation double decker diffuser...hopefully better, but not a match for the brawns.

early forecast for sepang is saying rain! not sure if that is good or bad news for mclaren

[chepoi]

Ha ha ha where is Hamilton?
Best driver ever? Hamilton without best car is as weak as PIquet.
Vettel, Kubica this are very best drivers even without good car.
Hamilton must still learn a lot.!!!

wow!!!! Hamilton learn a lot as fast as his last year car!!!! ***LOL***

i just wondering if he learn a lot more then...... hmmmm

You did some research about every Q of the track? If McLaren engineer can do some tweak to improve the Q1 and Q3.. then mclaren is somewhere near to podium..... BUT... it only if the rain during the race.....

They can't change the car between qualifying and the race - what's there to improve? The car is slow - both Hamilton and Kovalainen failed to shine this qualifying.

have you seen how many times Hamilton win from the back of the grid? if not win the race... he always be near the podium place.

In F1? I haven't. Have you?

i'm not the one who need to answer that..... u HAVEN'T YET to see Hamilton did in F1? u supposed to answer it after the race not before the race...... **LOL...again....***

but now.... can we conclude that.... Hamilton is better than Alonso (assumed as per your avatar) in a worst car? ***LOL... again & again.. & again....****

& hopefully there will be no questioning about the Hamilton ability to improved the car. This is only a slice of a big cake from Hamilton to show that...in a name of the team..... the driver will not improved the car if there is a commitment from the other party e.g engineers, designers etc..etc...

sad to say.... Alonso is looking bad with "the better" car... huhuhuhu.......

Yes.. it might be lucky on Hamilton side in melbourne..... if that the case... Alonso might not be lucky in Melbourne.... and this reason will be repeated when Hamilton wear alonso shoes as the result in melbourne as well in future.... hahahaha.......



my conclusions....
just admit that Hamilton is one of the best driver after post schumi..... that it.... the problem is... there is other people still lie to their ownself that Hamilton is a good driver...



***sorry for a small provoking****

[Metar]

It got a little too hard to read after the first three words. You're absolutely daft.


And FYI, it's an R27 - the year Alonso didn't drive for Renault.

[myurr]

i think Martin is being very possitive to claim a win in spain.
i think a significant aero upgrade is to appear at china. it will probably involve a first generation double decker diffuser...hopefully better, but not a match for the brawns.

early forecast for sepang is saying rain! not sure if that is good or bad news for mclaren

I think the talk of winning was a little bit silly, perhaps a reaction to all the negative press they're having to take at the moment, and a comment that hasn't been repeated since.

My prediction - there'll be a small step in Malaysia, the first part of the major overhaul in China with the second part in Bahrain - at one of those two races the diffuser will be opened out, the majority of the rest of the changes will be in order to get air under the car to the diffuser. In Spain they'll have another aero step providing refinement to the overall aero package, by which stage they're hoping that it'll all start coming together to give them a shot at the top step of the podium.

If they're lucky they could pull it off. Chances are they'll at least move consistently up the field as the season wears on. If they're not at least close in Spain (especially if Button wins all the races up till then) then I'd guess they'd effectively write off this season and move on to next season. They've already started on the 2010 car but they'll start diverting more and more resources over if the results don't start to come.

Mechanically the car is solid. Nothing wrong with the wheelbase. Their tyre management appeared to be better than BMW and Ferrari. From casual inspection on the TV they have the best KERS solution on the grid at the moment.

The aero isn't where it should be, compared to the rest of the field, but they're making rapid progress. They've gained about a second in the last 3 - 4 weeks, based on notoriously unreliable test times, with about the same again required to match the Brawn. That is doable given that they have flaws in their aero that they can correct, whereas Brawn can only incrementally improve and refine their current package.

Guess we'll see over the next few weeks.

Oh, and rain in Malaysia is probably bad (lack of downforce will hinder them), and will likely reduce or eliminate the benefit of KERS (engine power is not so important in the wet), but it could also shuffle the pack a bit and give Hamilton a chance of working wonders again. So all in all, it's probably not too bad for them, won't make it any easier but could introduce that element of luck required to get a good result.

[chepoi]

i live in Nilai, Malaysia. About 10km from Sepang circuit. Usually... after 1500 hours..... there was a heavy downpour around Nilai & Sepang with frequency about everyday! It's a "normal" weather at this time around especially after 21 March every year.

The race will start @ 1700 hours Malaysia time.

If the Sepang circuit management used "rain demon" service (some Malaysians believed that demon has ability to delayed @ sending the rain to other place) then the rain will delay.

I really missed heavy downpour during the race in Sepang. It will be interesting. Still remember Schumi & Barrichello win 1-2 @ Sepang during the last heavy downpour in Sepang. If that happened.. then it might be lucky for a second time for Lewis to grap a few points if not win or be at the podium place....

[nudger]

when i said martin was very positive, i meant it to read as over optimistic...but i dont think i managed.
i dont believe the car is right in balance...still has too much weight to the rear, although they are managing it quite well i agree. they have sorted the wear issue out, but the weight distribution isnt getting the performance from the tyres.
Im pretty certain you will see a shorter wheel base by mid season (mostly to address the tail heavy distribution)...i guess only time will prove that.

[nudger]

oops

[nudger]

double oops

[vasia]

Looks like Mclaren may have fundamentally got it wrong. It seems that wheelbase is very important this year, and it looks like a longer wheelbase is better than a shorter wheelbase. Due to the tire dimensions this year, as well as the added weight if running KERS (which Mclaren are), there are too many detriments to having a short wheelbase, and I think Mclaren right now is an example of that.

I fully acknowledge Mclaren's ability to develop and quickly improve a car but I think that due to the fundamental design of the MP4-24, it simply will not be a championship-winning car this year. The best Mclaren can hope for this season is a race win or two, at most. They should be happy with getting several podiums.

To those that say a new diffuser will be a big help, I disagree. Barrichello in Australia was proof that the 'diffuser' cars are fast not just because of a diffuser, but because of overall car design. Barrichello's diffuser was badly damaged early in the race yet he continued to show strong pace.

To any of the teams that think adding a new diffuser will greatly improve their performance, I think they will be sorely dissapointed.

Personally, I think the most important performance aspects this year are wheelbase, car balance (relates to KERS), car set-up, and stability.

[myurr]

Sorry to point out the obvious to all the people saying McLaren have got the wrong wheelbase - it's almost identical to the Ferrari and Brawn. So if McLaren have it wrong, so do those cars. Their problem isn't wheelbase it's an overall lack of downforce due to insufficient air flowing under the car. If/When they can fix this and they can open out their twin deck diffuser you can expect them to be right at the sharp end.

[djos]

RBR have a long wheel base and are the fastest non-diffuser cars so it is likely that there are 2 benefits to this:

1/ more floor surface area to feed the diffuser

2/ more stability

im no aero guy but this seems plausible to me.

[myurr]

RBR have a long wheel base and are the fastest non-diffuser cars so it is likely that there are 2 benefits to this:

1/ more floor surface area to feed the diffuser

2/ more stability

im no aero guy but this seems plausible to me.

Actually it's arguable that BMW would have been the fastest of the non-diffuser cars and they have a short wheelbase.

So whilst there are benefits to each design to say that McLaren are fundamentally wrong in having a short wheelbase and will therefore be incapable of winning, as some other commenters alluded to, is a ridiculous leap.