2023 - McLaren Formula 1 Team

[mwillems]

With that in mind, trying to get some softs in is a bit of a push as it mandates a 4 stop, few will nail themselves into a 4 stop at the start but may choose to later based on SC, VSC etc and how the race unfolds.

Some of the ones who want to throw the dice might go softs, but it would be suicide for most to start on them.

[mwillems]

Don't think so. McLaren can run 36 laps on new hard/soft and then a 14 lap on used medium. This leaves about 7 laps (or so). Maybe less - depending on how the laps are counted.

There's a Mandatory 18 lap limit on the tyres, they can't do 36 laps on a Hard and Soft, or am I missing something?

if the New Hards AND mediums can do the 18 laps, that's 36, 21 laps left to run then we'd need the next used mediums to do 15 laps? Even then can used softs do 6 laps? Will mediums stretch 18 laps? I don't know enough about these tyres.

Someone might be able to squeeze in a set of softs somewhere, but it would be the few that have some new softs, but the chance to use softs looks reasonably marginal to me for Mclaren at least. But we will see in a few hours.

Sorry, I miswrote, I meant hard/medium. They can run 18 on new hard and 18 on new medium. That is about 36 or 37 (depending when the lap is counted).

That leaves 20 or 21.

Used tyres are allowed to do 20 laps - both Lando and Oscar have used sets with 6 and 7 laps on them. This means they can do another 14 or 13 laps on them.

So they can easily do 3 stops with sets they have. Or they can choose to run a short soft stint.

Yes 3 stops they can do easy, but there is a maximum of 18 on ANY tires. So softs mandate a 4 stop unless it is a new set I think.

You can deduct the number of used laps a tyre has from 20 to work out how many laps it has run, which is where the 20 has come from, but you cannot physically use any tyre for more than 18 laps. So if you had new Meds and you just drove out and straight into the pits and used 1 lap, still it would have only 18 laps. As you say, if it has used 5 laps, then you can do 15 on it.

Simple, right?

We can do three stops, to use softs means we have to do 4 stops, which is why it is unlikely we will start on softs, or most for that matter.

If we can 36 laps from the new tyres and then we can get 14 laps from a used medium, there is 7-8 laps left to do, can that work on used softs? Hmmmm. But in race events can change everything and maybe 4 stop works out optimal.

[FittingMechanics]

Yes 3 stops they can do easy, but there is a maximum of 18 on ANY tires. So softs mandate a 4 stop.

You can deduct the number of used laps a tyre has from 20 to work out how many laps it has run, which is where the 20 has come from, but you cannot physically use any tyre for more than 18 laps. So if you had new Meds and you just drove out and straight into the pits and used 1 lap, still it would have only 18 laps. As you say, if it has used 5 laps, then you can do 15 on it.

Simple, right?

We can do three stops, to use softs means we have to do 4 stops, which is why it is unlikely we will start on softs, or most for that matter.

If we can 36 laps from the new tyres and then we can get 14 laps from a used medium, there is 7-8 laps left to do, can that work on used softs? Hmmmm. But in race events can change everything and maybe 4 stop works out optimal.

Yes, I don't think using soft means you have to do 4 stops. You can do 3 stop with softs, but you will need to be long on all your medium/hard stints. This means you will be very inflexible with regards to safety car stops. Conservative way would be to go with mediums and hards, so you have more flexibility.

One guy who has even more freedom is Verstappen - he has two 3 lap used medium so he has more flexibility than most.

[Seerix]

3/4 of this thread is just a race thread spam

[mwillems]

Yes 3 stops they can do easy, but there is a maximum of 18 on ANY tires. So softs mandate a 4 stop.

You can deduct the number of used laps a tyre has from 20 to work out how many laps it has run, which is where the 20 has come from, but you cannot physically use any tyre for more than 18 laps. So if you had new Meds and you just drove out and straight into the pits and used 1 lap, still it would have only 18 laps. As you say, if it has used 5 laps, then you can do 15 on it.

Simple, right?

We can do three stops, to use softs means we have to do 4 stops, which is why it is unlikely we will start on softs, or most for that matter.

If we can 36 laps from the new tyres and then we can get 14 laps from a used medium, there is 7-8 laps left to do, can that work on used softs? Hmmmm. But in race events can change everything and maybe 4 stop works out optimal.

Yes, I don't think using soft means you have to do 4 stops. You can do 3 stop with softs, but you will need to be long on all your medium/hard stints. This means you will be very inflexible with regards to safety car stops.

Conservative way would be to go with mediums and hards, so you have more flexibility.

I'm not even sure used softs will last very long which is why I think softs are a later game risk and based on what others do.

But it is possible yes to do 1 H, 2M and 1S

[mwillems]

3/4 of this thread is just a race thread spam

And where do you post most of your race commentary, here or in the race thread...?

I'll give you a clue Seerix, here is a link to your posts where the bulk of the recent commentary is joining in the in race discussions, including pit stops and strategy

search.php?author_id=42786&sr=posts

[FittingMechanics]

Well said .

Thinking it through, I think soft start is a very risky idea and that it should be scrapped. It removes flexibility from the rest of the race and you may end up having to pit during a safety car train or in other bad moments.

[mwillems]

Yeah that's my thought. In the meantime, it's Arsenal vs Man City time, where my team are likely to get smashed, hopefully the boys can redeem the football result with a good performance in the race!

[PikeStance]

Soft is viable on the first stint if you anticipate SC or VSC, but if none come, then you may be screwed. So, take our bets on the Logan sweepstakes... when will he crash or when will Perez torpedo or get torpedoed?

[mwillems]

Soft is viable on the first stint if you anticipate SC or VSC, but if none come, then you may be screwed. So, take our bets on the Logan sweepstakes... when will he crash or when will Perez torpedo or get torpedoed?

There will likely be one, but then it has to be at the right time otherwise it could ruin the race more, so it's a gamble.

But the teams have some big brains and Machine Learning and AI setups to be able work this stuff out.

[LionsHeart]

I don't have confidence in soft tires. Yesterday they did not perform well on the course. Of the 19 laps in the sprint, about half of the distance was behind the safety car and half of the distance in race mode. And even 9 laps is a lot for the soft tires. I just assume that if someone chooses soft tires at the start, then already on the 4th lap will go to the pitstop, otherwise there will not be enough tires for more and the advantage will already get those who go on medium tires.

[CjC]

Just as I thought Verstappen and Alonso have the most laps remaining on their sets of medium tyres. They are my 2 tips for the podium.

Tyre life remaining for the McLaren guys means a long is stint on a soft is required.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/why-n ... /10530506/

[mwillems]

Just as I thought Verstappen and Alonso have the most laps remaining on their sets of medium tyres. They are my 2 tips for the podium.

Tyre life remaining for the McLaren guys means a long is stint on a soft is required.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/why-n ... /10530506/

Our Meds and Hards will be allowed to run 63 laps, we only need to do 57, we don't need to run softs.

[AR3-GP]

Just as I thought Verstappen and Alonso have the most laps remaining on their sets of medium tyres. They are my 2 tips for the podium.

Tyre life remaining for the McLaren guys means a long is stint on a soft is required.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/why-n ... /10530506/

Aston Martin is not fast enough. Not by a long shot

[FittingMechanics]

Just as I thought Verstappen and Alonso have the most laps remaining on their sets of medium tyres. They are my 2 tips for the podium.

Tyre life remaining for the McLaren guys means a long is stint on a soft is required.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/why-n ... /10530506/

All top drivers can do a 3 stop strategy with mediums/hards. Hamilton is in worst position as total of his remaining laps on medium/hard is 59 - just two over the race distance.

Sainz and Leclerc have 61.
Russel has 62.
Norris and Piastri have 63.
Alonso has 66.
Verstappen has 70.

Alonso does have a bit of an edge, but that is just 3 laps more of flexibility. If SC doesn't fall right in that period - this advantage will be negated.