2023 - McLaren Formula 1 Team

[PikeStance]

I do not have a problem with boxing Norris on his lap, but if you going to do that, then you do not have the luxury of "running with the pack." He should have gone back out almost immediately. In the past, the first run in Q1 was generally good enough to be in the top 15. As someone once told me, if you put yourself in a position for something bad to happen, you have only yourself to blame when something does.

I don't get the discussion about the drivers. Ideally, we want them both on the podium and I don't care which. I don't think there is an issue with Norris so much as Piastri driving well. besides, what's the alternative to Norris? Going forward, it doesn't matter who's in front as long as the team comes first.

[CjC]

I think Norris would have don’t a 19.1 or a 19.2 on his medium run which would have knocked him out of Q1 as P15 was a 19.0. I just think Mclaren called him in because they knew it wasn’t going to be fast enough. I don’t think there was any issue with the car.

On his soft run he lost 4ths to Oscar in the middle sector but was a tenth up in the first. He should have just carried on pushing to get through even if it was enough for P14 - he would be through and then worry about the ‘perfect’ lap in Q2.
I got the feeling he was constantly looking for a top 3 time but when your back is against the wall anything will do.

EDIT: Stella said he had an issue on the first run so he had an issue. I’ll stand corrected.

[mwillems]

His time was 6 tenths up on mediums and then he appeared to coast 5 corners from the end. I'm assuming this is when ge was told to stop.

[MCLvamos]

Apparently an issue on the car which forced him to abort the medium run. Should've been enough to get him through.

[Ben1980]

On the app, it said at 22.06 Lando, we need to box this lap. "Need" being the important word it seems.

[MCLvamos]

Car issue, confirmed by Stella. All the more reason to take a 1000 place grid penalty, change every component on that car, and start from Austin. But no, for some reason it looks like they want to keep that P18 starting spot.

[Szabi1112]

Car issue, confirmed by Stella. All the more reason to take a 1000 place grid penalty, change every component on that car, and start from Austin. But no, for some reason it looks like they want to keep that P18 starting spot.

Budget cap is something that the team has to take into consideration. Otherwise they have already confirmed the change of the elements.

[MCLvamos]

Car issue, confirmed by Stella. All the more reason to take a 1000 place grid penalty, change every component on that car, and start from Austin. But no, for some reason it looks like they want to keep that P18 starting spot.

Budget cap is something that the team has to take into consideration. Otherwise they have already confirmed the change of the elements.

they have confirmed it? or you mean they would have if not for cost cap restrictions. Sorry, not following.

[Scorpia]

Engines are not included in the budget cap if I’m not mistaken.

[SilviuAgo]

If they are not changing the engine here and will need to be done on the following 3 races then they are really really stupid. What if the engine will blow after Lando is taking pole on Abu Dhabi? Or they need to change it that weekend. And Lando will need to start the race last instead of pole? How that will be?

[Juzh]

Engines are not included in the budget cap if I’m not mistaken.

no, they're not, but sometimes even logistical problems can prevent component "stockpiling", i know it happened in the past with customer teams.

[SilviuAgo]

I do not have a problem with boxing Norris on his lap, but if you going to do that, then you do not have the luxury of "running with the pack." He should have gone back out almost immediately. In the past, the first run in Q1 was generally good enough to be in the top 15. As someone once told me, if you put yourself in a position for something bad to happen, you have only yourself to blame when something does.

I don't get the discussion about the drivers. Ideally, we want them both on the podium and I don't care which. I don't think there is an issue with Norris so much as Piastri driving well. besides, what's the alternative to Norris? Going forward, it doesn't matter who's in front as long as the team comes first.

[organic]

I do not have a problem with boxing Norris on his lap, but if you going to do that, then you do not have the luxury of "running with the pack." He should have gone back out almost immediately. In the past, the first run in Q1 was generally good enough to be in the top 15. As someone once told me, if you put yourself in a position for something bad to happen, you have only yourself to blame when something does.

I don't get the discussion about the drivers. Ideally, we want them both on the podium and I don't care which. I don't think there is an issue with Norris so much as Piastri driving well. besides, what's the alternative to Norris? Going forward, it doesn't matter who's in front as long as the team comes first.

Norris went back out earlier than others to do two attempts. It just so happened that he had a mistake on the first attempt and a yellow flag on the second

With the way track temperature was fluctuating, there was no guarantee that a soft run with >10mins left would be enough to go through


Besides, the elimination of Norris, now that the car issue has been confirmed, required: a car issue, a costly error, and a yellow flag

To me that can and does happen to any team. I don't think it was a blunder in terms of the calls McLaren made. The only blunder was the error on the 2nd fast lap when Norris shouldn't have been on the limit yet

[CjC]

This article sums up the Norris thing rather well

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/norr ... p-piastri/

[MCLvamos]

I do not have a problem with boxing Norris on his lap, but if you going to do that, then you do not have the luxury of "running with the pack." He should have gone back out almost immediately. In the past, the first run in Q1 was generally good enough to be in the top 15. As someone once told me, if you put yourself in a position for something bad to happen, you have only yourself to blame when something does.

I don't get the discussion about the drivers. Ideally, we want them both on the podium and I don't care which. I don't think there is an issue with Norris so much as Piastri driving well. besides, what's the alternative to Norris? Going forward, it doesn't matter who's in front as long as the team comes first.

Norris went back out earlier than others to do two attempts. It just so happened that he had a mistake on the first attempt and a yellow flag on the second

With the way track temperature was fluctuating, there was no guarantee that a soft run with >10mins left would be enough to go through


Besides, the elimination of Norris, now that the car issue has been confirmed, required: a car issue, a costly error, and a yellow flag

To me that can and does happen to any team. I don't think it was a blunder in terms of the calls McLaren made. The only blunder was the error on the 2nd fast lap when Norris shouldn't have been on the limit yet

Yep, but the car issue is on the team. I totally agree, Lando has himself to blame for yesterday, but the medium run would've got him through and there is no denying that failing to do that is on the team.