Vodaphone McLaren Mercedes MP4-24

[lkocev]

I think that we indeed do need to take our hats of McLaren. Everybody (including myself) thought that 2009 would be a winless year for them, but I think in Hungary they did a fantastic job. I think the MP4-24 is competitive now, at the end of the field McLaren wants to be competing in too.

However I think that the win may have been Hungary specific, as in recent years, The McLaren cars have tended to do well in the extreme ends of setup styles. What I mean is that they tend to be very good at maximum downforce circits (Budapest, Monte-Carlo) and then in low downforce circuits (Montreal, Monza). Also I guess they tend to be quite good in slow turns aswell.

It will be difficult for McLaren to get another result like this, but I would think that Monza would be a target for them, considering the the MP4-24's semingly good straight-line speed, 10 km/h faster in the speed traps at Budapest is actually quite a big margin. I'm also dying to see the aero pakages the teams come up with at Monza.

I wouldn't dare dream McLaren has actually made a step so far foward that they have a car that can win races regularly for the rest of the season, like I said I think Lewis' excellent pace was definetly Budapest specific for the MP4-24. I think also that Martin Brundle made a good comment that the win was as much about good tyre management as it was car pace. And I would asoloutley agree with him, Hamilton did an absoloutley stellar job of managing his race pace, putting in fast laps when the tyres were working well, not going to hard on them too early so he didn't grain them up. I think that is what McLaren mainly did better than the other teams.

Hopefully next time its Heikki on the top step instead.

[nudger]

Yep and i don't think the KERS has an unfair advantage either, it has only made the races more balanced now. Ferrari and Mclaren still have to deal with the extra weight and cooling issues, they just made the Car complementary to the KERS.
I beleive the next race may be much more difficult with it since the track may not be wide enough to take advantage of the boost when trying to pass.
It will help alot in qualifying in the high speed sections.

Is this the first time Mclaren have had a 2 face car. One that is scorned and glorified at the same time.
This car will definitely be remembered for its ups and downs.

i think we have to press the reset button on everything we thought we knew about the 24...not so much fundimentally flawed as fundimentally different.

i agree with the poster that said the win was an engineering achievment and they should be congratulated...yes managing the tyres was a big part, but how much harder is that in a kers car.

[mstar]

valencia is slow circuit right? that should suit them? its more a mix of manaco and hungary

[axle]

valencia is slow circuit right? that should suit them? its more a mix of manaco and hungary

Yes.

[De Jokke]

Two races missed due to holiday and what kind of races: A hamilton racing from 5th to almost 1st (before being hit by webber) and a dominant win in hungary. Boy ow boy, mclaren is finding itself back to were it belongs, although we still have to wait for circuits like spa and monza to prove them right. But from so far back to so dominant last race is incredible!

Shame that germany ended up so badly for lewis, otherwise, another podium was in the bag.

WDC: 5th is possible, I would say. And maybe even a 3th place, depending on what rbr and barri do.

WCC: 3th should be claimed, assuming we'll win a couple more times.

Whishfull thinking: mcl wins al remaining races, rbr and brawn --- up. Hamilton wdc 2009, imagine , would be nice but highly unlikely. He even joked about it when he thanked the team after the hungarian win . Let's see what Valencia brings and I wonder how they'll deal with their resources. Whitmarsh said that the focus is on 2010 but they are still producing new stuff for this year so I hope they can handle it. It's great to see that they understand the car's deficiences and that they can address them, certainly for next year (mp4/25).

Up to valencia with a hamilton, shumi battle

[Vasco]

Have macca abandoned the floor cut?

[BreezyRacer]

Have macca abandoned the floor cut?

Indeed, as they have many other stupid ideas they started out with .. like the hunchback lump just before the rear wings .. nice thought guys! After everyone else up and down the grid had it figured out McLaren gave up and justly decided to try other people's ideas.

[mstar]

yer thats what i thought they looked what others were doing and just made them better and work for them. Not been following mclaren but has it introduced anything which is unique and they were the first to bring to the races?

[axle]

Martin Whitmarsh has stated that instead of trying to innovate they are going back to basics and copying what's working...

[Vasco]

yer thats what i thought they looked what others were doing and just made them better and work for them. Not been following mclaren but has it introduced anything which is unique and they were the first to bring to the races?

Those front wheel frisbies that extended forward. Although they abandoned them in the last 2 races, it seems that Renault and Ferrari have copied the idea.

[scarbs]

Those front wheel frisbies that extended forward. Although they abandoned them in the last 2 races, it seems that Renault and Ferrari have copied the idea.

and Red Bull (Friday in Hungary), Renault and toyota have also tried their extended 'inner brake duct'

[De Jokke]

how mcl turned the 24 into a winning machine: http://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialMcL ... WsiZsxkidk

have fun

ps: Jonathan Neale tells us that "The mass of the car - the vehicle dynamics is different, so all that we've learnt around weight distribution and aerodynamics balance is going to be different"

Martin Whitmarsh says " The prohibition on refuelling is the biggest change but it doesn't affect the overall aerodynamic change"

strange but don't these two statements kinda contradict each other ?

[allstaruk08]

I think Neale mite have ment the other changes like the front tyre size (which is smaller i think correct me if im wrong) next year so that will change the aero of the car and Whitmarch is saying the fact that they cant refuel wont change the overall aero characteristics of the car once the other changes have been made. I think thats what they mean anyways

[Paul]

It's just a case of "half empty glass" probably. Martin empathises on the fact that aerodynamics will basically remain the same because there will be no rule changes that directly affect aero package, but Jonathan- that the aero package will still have to be changed slightly because of indirect effect of changes in tyres and weight distribution. They aren't really contadicting each other.

[dave34m]

Has there been any upgrades mentioned for this weekend? I haven't been able to find any info at all.