2024 Mclaren Formula 1 Team

[Darth-Piekus]

There is a part of me that is scared to watch this year. I',m sure Mclaren hasn't tried any qualifying runs yet and I'm sure that we should be closer than last year but I am scared of the possibility of losing our targets again and trying to cover up 1 second for the second time in a row.

[Arcanum]

Did they watch the 2023 pre-season testing by accident?

Merc are nowhere.

McLaren look pretty tidy, other than front-left locking into the back hairpin.

And it's clear from how lazily the McLaren turns, and how slowly it accelerates, that it's running a lower engine mode and has a reasonable amount of fuel on board.

Fuel and engine modes are going to be the hardest things to pin down between the teams, but previous pre-season tests would suggest McLaren is running with 40-50kg of fuel and has the engine turned down. Merc, Ferrari and Red Bull are similar.

Sauber/Stake and VCARB ran with their engine modes higher and lower fuel in previous pre-season tests, which is why they looked so good until the first race arrived. Dani Ric's acceleration from the traces in the car thread indicate a higher engine mode and lesss fuel.

[CjC]

Gary doesn’t sound too impressed…

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/gary ... explained/

[Emag]

Gary doesn’t sound too impressed…

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/gary ... explained/

I mean, the car looked bland when they unveiled it. It was discussed already. And Andrea also said that the car wont change from testing.

They blurred details, yes, but we had enough pictures of the real thing to confirm how it would look like.

If you go by nothing at all when it comes to data, and just base it on how "developed" each car looks compared to last year, McLaren looks mild and barely changed.

How it looks and how it performs are completely unrelated things though. Personally, I am worried that McLaren will no longer enjoy the privileges of being a podium contender every race this year, but I am also adamant against making predictions based on day 1 of testing.

From what I saw myself, the car does seem to have understeer and its very noticeable against the RedBull.

How much of that is weight/setup related, and how much of it is a baked in characteristic, it's hard to tell right now.

[Darth-Piekus]

Did they watch the 2023 pre-season testing by accident?

Merc are nowhere.

McLaren look pretty tidy, other than front-left locking into the back hairpin.

And it's clear from how lazily the McLaren turns, and how slowly it accelerates, that it's running a lower engine mode and has a reasonable amount of fuel on board.

Fuel and engine modes are going to be the hardest things to pin down between the teams, but previous pre-season tests would suggest McLaren is running with 40-50kg of fuel and has the engine turned down. Merc, Ferrari and Red Bull are similar.

Sauber/Stake and VCARB ran with their engine modes higher and lower fuel in previous pre-season tests, which is why they looked so good until the first race arrived. Dani Ric's acceleration from the traces in the car thread indicate a higher engine mode and lesss fuel.

Any source to confirm something like this regarding Mclaren? I'm scared to think that Red Bull has that huge of a difference.

[CjC]

Gary doesn’t sound too impressed…

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/gary ... explained/

I mean, the car looked bland when they unveiled it. It was discussed already. And Andrea also said that the car wont change from testing.

They blurred details, yes, but we had enough pictures of the real thing to confirm how it would look like.

If you go by nothing at all when it comes to data, and just base it on how "developed" each car looks compared to last year, McLaren looks mild and barely changed.

How it looks and how it performs are completely unrelated things though. Personally, I am worried that McLaren will no longer enjoy the privileges of being a podium contender every race this year, but I am also adamant against making predictions based on day 1 of testing.

From what I saw myself, the car does seem to have understeer and its very noticeable against the RedBull.

How much of that is weight/setup related, and how much of it is a baked in characteristic, it's hard to tell right now.

Zak said when they launched that the figures seems to suggest they will have a fast race car…. Has half the field just made a faster race car? I don’t know. We’ll know come quali

[Ben1980]

I think its pretty much as expected. Red Bull will be far and away, everyone knows that.

We will be in thr challenging pack, Merc may take a while to come good though. RB (not rbr) will be pushing the pack.

Behind RBR it will be tight.

[Mansell89]

Gary doesn’t sound too impressed…

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/gary ... explained/

Every year for the last few, he hasn’t got close to being right. It’s just something to formulate discussion like it is now haha

I expected McLaren to be midfield today with a conservative mode and lots of data. That seems to be the Stella way- thorough and patient.

I think to be where they were is probably reasonably positive. I think we will be very closely matched with Aston and Ferrari whose cars I liked to my untrained eye.

Red Bull likely the leaders by a decent cushion, Mercedes the real unknown as they learn their new concept. Their FW generating some debate which might be ominous later down the line.

Roll on day 2!

[f1rules]

agree, i hope mclaren to be clear sec. but i sense it will be close with AM and Fer, Merc the unknown for me also
RB far in front

[Marc.W]

Watching the onboards a few times today it seemed like they still needed to V the corners a bit, compared to the likes of the Ferrari

[mwillems]

No disrespect to speedcafe, but you cannot judge the pack based on today, not without all the analysis tools and data that the teams have

And even then it'd likely not be an accurate picture.

[Darth-Piekus]

For the sake of F1 I hope Mclaren hides a lot of time and is actually much closer to the Red Bull than what it showed. I don't think I can watch yet another snooze fest.

[mwillems]

For the sake of F1 I hope Mclaren hides a lot of time and is actually much closer to the Red Bull than what it showed. I don't think I can watch yet another snooze fest.

They are not trying to show time, not yet anyway.

In general there isn't enough information to react to, one way or another. Just click bait being pushed in the absence of anything real, ignore it.

[Darth-Piekus]

Mwillems for the sake of F1 I hope you are right and Mclaren is closer to Red Bull than last year cause usually whenever there is smoke there is also fire.

[genarro]

Mwillems for the sake of F1 I hope you are right and Mclaren is closer to Red Bull than last year cause usually whenever there is smoke there is also fire.

Dude you need to chill a bit...