2023 - McLaren Formula 1 Team

[CjC]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/norr ... /10536956/

Probably agree with Lando here.
I’m surprised he said he wasn’t looking forward to Brazil though, perhaps that’s because there are no high speed corners? Bear in mind Lando said in Austin that a high speed corner is 7th gear

I was interested to hear Stella say that the low speed issue has been addressed for next years car as I read it

[AR3-GP]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/norr ... /10536956/

Probably agree with Lando here.

Take it with a grain of salt. Captain pessimism (Stella) and his first lieutenant (Norris, ) always make it seem like it will be worse than it actually turns out.

[billamend]

They were projecting McLaren to be 5-6 in COTA.

[Emag]

That's the thing, the slow speed stuff has improved, but RedBull, Mercedes and even Ferrari are just so much better in those areas (in that order of magnitude).

And then the driver gets "angry" because he can't match his rivals, so you try to brake later, get the car turned in somehow, but it doesn't want to bite so you end up dragging the front end along the tarmac hurting the tires. It is brutal from a driver's pov really, because you can literally see how much time you are losing. But your best option is to drive by the car's limit and give up the time to make it up elsewhere.

[PikeStance]

One thing for certain, Stella and Norris are two of the most pessimistic people on the planet. We are comparable to all rivals. The concern is for the "x factor" which are Max, Hamilton and Alonso. Outside, of that, I don't see anyone else getting more out of their car. If Perez can get his "mojo" back he can be an issue. However, even driving better he was still short.

[Wouter]

[billamend]

The whole video is worth watching, very sweet.

[Ground Effect]

Pretty cool. I was hoping for a new contract announcement at the end...

[MCLvamos]

Pretty cool. I was hoping for a new contract announcement at the end...

Great for the team, but would be unwise on Lando's part. McLaren have not delivered on promised potential before and he should wait for the end of 24 and perhaps even till 25 to commit further. There's no need to look elsewhere of course, but this final step to the top is the hardest, and he should wait for proof that the team can do it before making any emotional decisions.

[CjC]

Just as I thought. No more development this season.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mcla ... /10536913/

[taperoo2k]

One thing for certain, Stella and Norris are two of the most pessimistic people on the planet. We are comparable to all rivals. The concern is for the "x factor" which are Max, Hamilton and Alonso. Outside, of that, I don't see anyone else getting more out of their car. If Perez can get his "mojo" back he can be an issue. However, even driving better he was still short.

It's prudent to be pessimistic, especially given the Honda debacle that saw wholesale changes at the team. McLaren are making steady progress towards being in contention for the championships. If Lando can wait for that to come to fruition is anyone's guess.

[mwillems]

We aren't doing too bad though.

[mwillems]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/norr ... /10536956/

Probably agree with Lando here.
I’m surprised he said he wasn’t looking forward to Brazil though, perhaps that’s because there are no high speed corners? Bear in mind Lando said in Austin that a high speed corner is 7th gear

I was interested to hear Stella say that the low speed issue has been addressed for next years car as I read it

Bear in mind we did OK in SIngapore. Austin had plenty of slow speed and we were OK. Slow relative to our closest rivals but average for the field and we have traits that raise us up again.

The next race has some serious amounts of slow corners but after that it isn't so bad, although yes you do think that other teams will be close to us, but I wouldn't think we have much less chance of winning elsewhere. That chance is in large part dependent on Red Bull as they will be strong favorites to win every race, but the same was before, apart from at Singapore. Merc being a slight unknown we look close to being best of the rest still, I think.

[Dafnalina]

It also depends on how well Aston's new upgrades work, that might kill McLaren for the rest of the season, cause on paper, every track should suit RB, Merc and Ferrari more, bar Abu Dhabi maybe

[PikeStance]

One thing for certain, Stella and Norris are two of the most pessimistic people on the planet. We are comparable to all rivals. The concern is for the "x factor" which are Max, Hamilton and Alonso. Outside, of that, I don't see anyone else getting more out of their car. If Perez can get his "mojo" back he can be an issue. However, even driving better he was still short.

It's prudent to be pessimistic, especially given the Honda debacle that saw wholesale changes at the team. McLaren are making steady progress towards being in contention for the championships. If Lando can wait for that to come to fruition is anyone's guess.

You are conflating cautiousness with pessimism. You are actually saying "cautious optimism."
What has happened in the past is the past. You have different "players." To think the worst is not prudent unless disappointment throws you into depression. If this is the case, then being a fan of a specific team may not be for you. A fair-weather fan route may be an option.

The above is tongue-in-cheek, snarky, smart-a$$