2023 - McLaren Formula 1 Team

[Ground Effect]

Still, good to see we're at the back of the grid fighting Williams like half the pundits and forum were saying, right? Oh

Formula1.com "analysis" of FP2 data still has Mclaren 8th on Quali pace and 6th on race pace

Not surprised, they'd base it on where Oscar finished, nothing more. They'll say Lando is outperforming the car.

[Ir3NiCuS]

Still, good to see we're at the back of the grid fighting Williams like half the pundits and forum were saying, right? Oh

Formula1.com "analysis" of FP2 data still has Mclaren 8th on Quali pace and 6th on race pace

According to that linked table we can be somewhere between 3rd and 6th regarding race pace. Problem is that no one knows the exact fuel level nor the engine mod.
Considering the fact that an AM won the FP2 and haas being 5th and Alpine 7th i think we are seeing the "biggest sandbagging ever" by the top teams expect RBR.

[101FlyingDutchman]

Lap time comparison, #BahrainGP FP2, 2023 vs 2022:

-3.051s Aston Martin
-2.046s Williams
-1.710s McLaren
-1.709s Haas
-1.402s Alpine
-1.365s Alfa Romeo
-1.096s AlphaTauri
-0.986s Mercedes
-0.860s Red Bull
-0.656s Ferrari #F1

Considering this track was bad for us last year, seems the car in general is a much better performer

[SmallSoldier]

Sharing a bit of data comparing Lando’s best run in FP2 - 2023 vs his best Qualifying lap in 2022

Validation of what appeared in the data for testing, with the MCL60 showing improvements in both top speed and cornering speed vs the MCL36, this is interesting given that in the front straight for example the Team’s have 80m less of DRS compared to last year and that they are not running “Qualifying” modes in FP2, an interesting data point is the straight before the last corner in which the teams aren’t using DRS, which could indicate the difference in drag year on year, here the MCL60 not only reaches 295 km/h vs 287 km/h, it also sustains that top speed for a longer period of time (better deployment from the Mercedes PU?)

Also interesting to note that cornering speed, even with a greener track has also improved compared to last year, the difference in T11 minimum speed was a whooping 19 km/h higher during practice (which is probably an outlier, but shows that understeer and keeping the front tires alive is better this year overall)… Beyond a bigger lift in T6 compared to last year, the MCL60 builds the gap to the MCL36 in the second part of the lap.

[101FlyingDutchman]

Sharing a bit of data comparing Lando’s best run in FP2 - 2023 vs his best Qualifying lap in 2022

Validation of what appeared in the data for testing, with the MCL60 showing improvements in both top speed and cornering speed vs the MCL36, this is interesting given that in the front straight for example the Team’s have 80m less of DRS compared to last year and that they are not running “Qualifying” modes in FP2, an interesting data point is the straight before the last corner in which the teams aren’t using DRS, which could indicate the difference in drag year on year, here the MCL60 not only reaches 295 km/h vs 287 km/h, it also sustains that top speed for a longer period of time (better deployment from the Mercedes PU?)

Also interesting to note that cornering speed, even with a greener track has also improved compared to last year, the difference in T11 minimum speed was a whooping 19 km/h higher during practice (which is probably an outlier, but shows that understeer and keeping the front tires alive is better this year overall)… Beyond a bigger lift in T6 compared to last year, the MCL60 builds the gap to the MCL36 in the second part of the lap.

https://i.imgur.com/ggLUK2A.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1AYMOmc.jpg

That’s a great analysis. Could you do it tomorrow for NOR quali lap compared to last year?

[SmallSoldier]

Sharing a bit of data comparing Lando’s best run in FP2 - 2023 vs his best Qualifying lap in 2022

Validation of what appeared in the data for testing, with the MCL60 showing improvements in both top speed and cornering speed vs the MCL36, this is interesting given that in the front straight for example the Team’s have 80m less of DRS compared to last year and that they are not running “Qualifying” modes in FP2, an interesting data point is the straight before the last corner in which the teams aren’t using DRS, which could indicate the difference in drag year on year, here the MCL60 not only reaches 295 km/h vs 287 km/h, it also sustains that top speed for a longer period of time (better deployment from the Mercedes PU?)

Also interesting to note that cornering speed, even with a greener track has also improved compared to last year, the difference in T11 minimum speed was a whooping 19 km/h higher during practice (which is probably an outlier, but shows that understeer and keeping the front tires alive is better this year overall)… Beyond a bigger lift in T6 compared to last year, the MCL60 builds the gap to the MCL36 in the second part of the lap.

https://i.imgur.com/ggLUK2A.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1AYMOmc.jpg

That’s a great analysis. Could you do it tomorrow for NOR quali lap compared to last year?

Absolutely… If some of you find any value on it, I will definitely try and do them during the whole season… It will be interesting to learn more about the MCL60 at different tracks

If there is also value on looking at McLaren versus certain teams, will post them too… At this stage it wasn’t worth to look at comparison versus the rest because we don’t know what they are doing, but maybe a look against the expected rivals could also be worth it.

[101FlyingDutchman]

Sharing a bit of data comparing Lando’s best run in FP2 - 2023 vs his best Qualifying lap in 2022

Validation of what appeared in the data for testing, with the MCL60 showing improvements in both top speed and cornering speed vs the MCL36, this is interesting given that in the front straight for example the Team’s have 80m less of DRS compared to last year and that they are not running “Qualifying” modes in FP2, an interesting data point is the straight before the last corner in which the teams aren’t using DRS, which could indicate the difference in drag year on year, here the MCL60 not only reaches 295 km/h vs 287 km/h, it also sustains that top speed for a longer period of time (better deployment from the Mercedes PU?)

Also interesting to note that cornering speed, even with a greener track has also improved compared to last year, the difference in T11 minimum speed was a whooping 19 km/h higher during practice (which is probably an outlier, but shows that understeer and keeping the front tires alive is better this year overall)… Beyond a bigger lift in T6 compared to last year, the MCL60 builds the gap to the MCL36 in the second part of the lap.

https://i.imgur.com/ggLUK2A.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1AYMOmc.jpg

That’s a great analysis. Could you do it tomorrow for NOR quali lap compared to last year?

Absolutely… If some of you find any value on it, I will definitely try and do them during the whole season… It will be interesting to learn more about the MCL60 at different tracks

If there is also value on looking at McLaren versus certain teams, will post them too… At this stage it wasn’t worth to look at comparison versus the rest because we don’t know what they are doing, but maybe a look against the expected rivals could also be worth it.

For sure. Minimum corner speeds in slow/med and high speed corners would be extremely interesting too. See how this car stacks up against the competition

[SmallSoldier]

That’s a great analysis. Could you do it tomorrow for NOR quali lap compared to last year?

Absolutely… If some of you find any value on it, I will definitely try and do them during the whole season… It will be interesting to learn more about the MCL60 at different tracks

If there is also value on looking at McLaren versus certain teams, will post them too… At this stage it wasn’t worth to look at comparison versus the rest because we don’t know what they are doing, but maybe a look against the expected rivals could also be worth it.

For sure. Minimum corner speeds in slow/med and high speed corners would be extremely interesting too. See how this car stacks up against the competition

Will take a look at it after Qualifying

[the EDGE]

Sharing a bit of data comparing Lando’s best run in FP2 - 2023 vs his best Qualifying lap in 2022

Validation of what appeared in the data for testing, with the MCL60 showing improvements in both top speed and cornering speed vs the MCL36, this is interesting given that in the front straight for example the Team’s have 80m less of DRS compared to last year and that they are not running “Qualifying” modes in FP2, an interesting data point is the straight before the last corner in which the teams aren’t using DRS, which could indicate the difference in drag year on year, here the MCL60 not only reaches 295 km/h vs 287 km/h, it also sustains that top speed for a longer period of time (better deployment from the Mercedes PU?)

Also interesting to note that cornering speed, even with a greener track has also improved compared to last year, the difference in T11 minimum speed was a whooping 19 km/h higher during practice (which is probably an outlier, but shows that understeer and keeping the front tires alive is better this year overall)… Beyond a bigger lift in T6 compared to last year, the MCL60 builds the gap to the MCL36 in the second part of the lap.

https://i.imgur.com/ggLUK2A.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1AYMOmc.jpg

Definitely like the Analysis SS, yes please do more

On Bahrain however, we have to be cautious with last years data as all Merc cars were running lower power modes at the start of the ‘22 season, it won’t be the same this year as the PU is unchanged. Also, that was a shocking race in general for McLaren, compared to their real season pace

The date comparison will be a much better indicator in Australia & beyond

[SmallSoldier]

Sharing a bit of data comparing Lando’s best run in FP2 - 2023 vs his best Qualifying lap in 2022

Validation of what appeared in the data for testing, with the MCL60 showing improvements in both top speed and cornering speed vs the MCL36, this is interesting given that in the front straight for example the Team’s have 80m less of DRS compared to last year and that they are not running “Qualifying” modes in FP2, an interesting data point is the straight before the last corner in which the teams aren’t using DRS, which could indicate the difference in drag year on year, here the MCL60 not only reaches 295 km/h vs 287 km/h, it also sustains that top speed for a longer period of time (better deployment from the Mercedes PU?)

Also interesting to note that cornering speed, even with a greener track has also improved compared to last year, the difference in T11 minimum speed was a whooping 19 km/h higher during practice (which is probably an outlier, but shows that understeer and keeping the front tires alive is better this year overall)… Beyond a bigger lift in T6 compared to last year, the MCL60 builds the gap to the MCL36 in the second part of the lap.

https://i.imgur.com/ggLUK2A.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1AYMOmc.jpg

Definitely like the Analysis SS, yes please do more

On Bahrain however, we have to be cautious with last years data as all Merc cars were running lower power modes at the start of the ‘22 season, it won’t be the same this year as the PU is unchanged. Also, that was a shocking race in general for McLaren, compared to their real season pace

The date comparison will be a much better indicator in Australia & beyond

Absolutely… It will also allow us to understand the impact of future upgrades, since that will show if the in season improvements in 2023 exceed the developments in 2022… With the regulations been fixed year on year for the most part, it also makes for more meaningful analysis.

[Macklaren]

Sharing a bit of data comparing Lando’s best run in FP2 - 2023 vs his best Qualifying lap in 2022

Validation of what appeared in the data for testing, with the MCL60 showing improvements in both top speed and cornering speed vs the MCL36, this is interesting given that in the front straight for example the Team’s have 80m less of DRS compared to last year and that they are not running “Qualifying” modes in FP2, an interesting data point is the straight before the last corner in which the teams aren’t using DRS, which could indicate the difference in drag year on year, here the MCL60 not only reaches 295 km/h vs 287 km/h, it also sustains that top speed for a longer period of time (better deployment from the Mercedes PU?)

Also interesting to note that cornering speed, even with a greener track has also improved compared to last year, the difference in T11 minimum speed was a whooping 19 km/h higher during practice (which is probably an outlier, but shows that understeer and keeping the front tires alive is better this year overall)… Beyond a bigger lift in T6 compared to last year, the MCL60 builds the gap to the MCL36 in the second part of the lap.

https://i.imgur.com/ggLUK2A.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1AYMOmc.jpg

Wish I could upvote this. Shame that you cant do this in the team threads

[101FlyingDutchman]

Sharing a bit of data comparing Lando’s best run in FP2 - 2023 vs his best Qualifying lap in 2022

Validation of what appeared in the data for testing, with the MCL60 showing improvements in both top speed and cornering speed vs the MCL36, this is interesting given that in the front straight for example the Team’s have 80m less of DRS compared to last year and that they are not running “Qualifying” modes in FP2, an interesting data point is the straight before the last corner in which the teams aren’t using DRS, which could indicate the difference in drag year on year, here the MCL60 not only reaches 295 km/h vs 287 km/h, it also sustains that top speed for a longer period of time (better deployment from the Mercedes PU?)

Also interesting to note that cornering speed, even with a greener track has also improved compared to last year, the difference in T11 minimum speed was a whooping 19 km/h higher during practice (which is probably an outlier, but shows that understeer and keeping the front tires alive is better this year overall)… Beyond a bigger lift in T6 compared to last year, the MCL60 builds the gap to the MCL36 in the second part of the lap.

https://i.imgur.com/ggLUK2A.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/1AYMOmc.jpg

Definitely like the Analysis SS, yes please do more

On Bahrain however, we have to be cautious with last years data as all Merc cars were running lower power modes at the start of the ‘22 season, it won’t be the same this year as the PU is unchanged. Also, that was a shocking race in general for McLaren, compared to their real season pace

The date comparison will be a much better indicator in Australia & beyond

True on the sector times but minimum cornering speeds will still be valid regardless of engine power

[Mostlyeels]

Absolutely… If some of you find any value on it, I will definitely try and do them during the whole season… It will be interesting to learn more about the MCL60 at different tracks

If there is also value on looking at McLaren versus certain teams, will post them too… At this stage it wasn’t worth to look at comparison versus the rest because we don’t know what they are doing, but maybe a look against the expected rivals could also be worth it.

Yes please to both of those.

[SmallSoldier]

Absolutely… If some of you find any value on it, I will definitely try and do them during the whole season… It will be interesting to learn more about the MCL60 at different tracks

If there is also value on looking at McLaren versus certain teams, will post them too… At this stage it wasn’t worth to look at comparison versus the rest because we don’t know what they are doing, but maybe a look against the expected rivals could also be worth it.

Yes please to both of those.

You go it! I’ll post Qualifying 2022 vs Qualifying 2023 at Bahrain for McLaren

In regards to comparison to other teams, I guess that it will be best to wait until Qualy to identify which teams will be useful to analyze against? I don’t think there is a ton of value analyzing against RBR if there is a big discrepancy in performance between them, but for sure the likes of Alpine, Haas, Alfa… Hopefully Mercedes and AMR are also within “range” and help? Thoughts?

[MrGapes]

I think if the car can sustain 1s per lap deficit to the fastest car come Sunday I’ll be happy. I think this circuit doesn’t particularly play into the strengths and rather exposes some of the weaknesses McLaren has had in the last few seasons.

Presuming the Baku upgrade has a net positive effect (other teams will also introduce upgrade packages) to the other teams, I’d like to think they can bring that deficit down to 0.7-0.5 a lap to the fastest car at heavy fuel. (Maybe a bit ambitious)

I know a lot of people here care about placement in championship etc. I think the race pace deficit to the leading car is far more indicative of the teams progress, so improving from the 1-1.5s per lap over the season is important.


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