mwillems wrote: ↑23 Feb 2024, 17:21
the EDGE wrote: ↑23 Feb 2024, 16:43
mwillems wrote: ↑23 Feb 2024, 16:34
I'm not sure who else could that criticism be directed at to be honest but perhaps it wasn't meant the way it sounded. It sounded like a Darth-Edge kind of rant, you didn't lend out your keyboard did you..??!
They had less time on the 2024 car than RB. I was highly surprised the team thought they would keep up, but was happy to buy into the idea we could, but the reality is that the major work to move the car forward happens under the skin on areas that require crash testing and major structural changes. We get one chance a year to update and what we learnt this week is just how much there was to do.
I think that if they worked on that car since March till Dec/Jan and we started the car in July August then suggesting we should maintain development parity was optimistic. I was surprised by Zak and Stella here. I get disappointment but "totally unacceptable" to not find the same time as RB in anywhere between 30-50% less development time seems very harsh IMO because we are still in the fight for the front runners and we are still finding time as they suggested we would. We can't control RB.
Okay get the message. I withdraw the word 'unacceptable'
But I don't, it is. Not from my point of view, but for any team with aspirations of challenging for titles, or even wins
I say again, it looks like the bar has been set very very high, and it is going to take a hell of a lot of work to reach it
I'm not sure if we didn't just leave ourselves with too much to do and perhaps got a bit too much optimism from last years progress. I'm sure it will be a lessons learnt and I understand folks disappointment that the optimism wasn't met in reality, I feel it too. And if you mean that they refuse to accept being second then I agree and I'm sure they would too.
But I do think it was unrealistic to suggest we would maintain parity with RB since they also knew the RB were starting work on the 24 car early. I don't think they will make these kind of comments again lol
Still an exciting fight ahead though and plenty of opportunity to make ground on RB as the season goes on. It's good to see your keyboard has been returned to you
I never thought McLaren would catch RB this year, or even be a clear second. I know the likes of Ferrari, Merc, Aston will not stand still. What has shocked me is the scale of out of the box thinking. They have clearly taken inspiration from their rivals and figured out how to use that to take the car to the next level. It is still an evaluation IMO, and it's not even the Aero that impressess me most, it's the engineering under the skin that has made that possible I am in awe of Others will have no choice but to follow their lead, if they want to even just keep up