2024 Mclaren Formula 1 Team

[Emag]

Remains to be seen if Alonso falls back like in Bahrain, but that Aston has a lot of pace over 1 lap ...

This was the maximum with this current iteration of the car. At least it seems like we are ahead of Mercedes, but I am hoping the team is not overly satisfied with these results. They should aim for RedBull, and at the moment Max is pretty far in front.

[Darth-Piekus]

Well apart from the two RBR and Leclerc 4th and 5th we can get. Alonso will drop on race pace a lot.

I hope the Japan upgrade is as good as the Austrian update on a GP where it plays on the strengths of the car.

[Ben1980]

We really need to make a step with these upgrades. I hope I won't be shouted down like I was last week when I say this has been a very disappointing start to the season. We have gone backwards when we should be getting closer to the Red Bulls.

What's disapointing? Red Bull were always going to get faster, everyone knew that. If anything it's all pretty similar.

[Ben1980]

Remains to be seen if Alonso falls back like in Bahrain, but that Aston has a lot of pace over 1 lap ...

This was the maximum with this current iteration of the car. At least it seems like we are ahead of Mercedes, but I am hoping the team is not overly satisfied with these results. They should aim for RedBull, and at the moment Max is pretty far in front.

The thing being he is so far ahead of everyone, it has to acknowledged that, is not a gap closing anytime soon.

[MCLvamos]

We really need to make a step with these upgrades. I hope I won't be shouted down like I was last week when I say this has been a very disappointing start to the season. We have gone backwards when we should be getting closer to the Red Bulls.

What's disapointing? Red Bull were always going to get faster, everyone knew that. If anything it's all pretty similar.

-Outdeveloped by Aston, who were clueless with their development direction in the second half of last year (yes we may still be ahead on race pace but they have undeniably got closer)
-Ferrari a good chunk ahead when we were neck-for-neck at the end of last year
-Ferrari and Merc's issues in Bahrain masked our gap to them, I suspect this will be exposed tomorrow (although I hope I'm wrong)
-Forgetting about outright performance as well, key areas of focus since the new regs set (straight line speed, drivability) not being addressed

I trust in the team and Stella particularly, but I think the many false dawns over the past few years has made the pessimist I am today...

[Mcl_G10]

Could have been much worse, a solid yet unspectacular result. I mentioned yesterday that I felt the car simply a good in all areas without really standing out in any. I think the race will be tough as the top 3 will be moving away from the rest and the mercs will be a match for us on race pace imo. 4th and 5th would be a very good result and a solid start gathering a good haul of points.
I am secretly hoping that the updates when they arrive provide the springboard to be in amongst the perez, leclerc region onwards from there.

[CaribouBread]

Oscar is a lot more relaxed and casual this year! Lovely guy, would love to see his personality more as the year goes on.

[LionsHeart]

I was surprised when I saw three touches on the wall from Oscar. And he didn’t even think about taking his foot off the throttle. Fearless guy.

So, after two qualifications, I have only just come to certain conclusions:
The car seriously lacks efficiency on long straight sections. There is a significant deficit in maximum speed. The DRS itself is good, but the overall drag does not allow it to show a good result. This problem can generally be solved in only one way. New front and rear wings are required, which will create more downforce and less drag. The downforce from the floor needs to be significantly increased. So far this is the Achilles heel.

Required to sort out the front tyres on the race course. The more laps the McLaren drivers run on the same tyre compound, the more understeer on corner entry. In this respect, Turns 1 and 2 could be indicators tomorrow in the race. I really want to hope that with the updates, most of these issues will be resolved.

In terms of pure speed. Quite a good position, given the current specification of the car. We'll have to be patient in Australia, and already in Suzuka, the empire must strike back.

[mwillems]

We are one good step away from 2nd fastest on the grid. We have some long gestating development coming. I don't think it is easy to judge until we get to the middle of the season almost, but we have to remember that this is not the winter Aero, in general.

[mwillems]

I was surprised when I saw three touches on the wall from Oscar. And he didn’t even think about taking his foot off the throttle. Fearless guy.

Very true, I held my breath when I watched it!

In terms of pure speed. Quite a good position, given the current specification of the car. We'll have to be patient in Australia, and already in Suzuka, the empire must strike back.

[Emag]

We really need to make a step with these upgrades. I hope I won't be shouted down like I was last week when I say this has been a very disappointing start to the season. We have gone backwards when we should be getting closer to the Red Bulls.

What's disapointing? Red Bull were always going to get faster, everyone knew that. If anything it's all pretty similar.

-Outdeveloped by Aston, who were clueless with their development direction in the second half of last year (yes we may still be ahead on race pace but they have undeniably got closer)
-Ferrari a good chunk ahead when we were neck-for-neck at the end of last year
-Ferrari and Merc's issues in Bahrain masked our gap to them, I suspect this will be exposed tomorrow (although I hope I'm wrong)
-Forgetting about outright performance as well, key areas of focus since the new regs set (straight line speed, drivability) not being addressed

I trust in the team and Stella particularly, but I think the many false dawns over the past few years has made the pessimist I am today...

If Aston can't beat any of the top 4 teams in race-pace, then their qualifying advantage is useless. They fell off the cliff at Bahrain to the point where they were no threat at all for position. If that turns out to be the case tomorrow as well, then you can hardly call that "outdevelopment".

And as for Ferrari, they had pretty clear significant problems with correlation and car development last year. Their 2023 car was sometimes slower than their 2022 car ...
It is to be expected that they make a big jump, because arguably, they had the most to gain out of the top teams just by fixing clear issues with their car (low hanging fruit).

Mercedes has gone for an almost complete redesign of their car, and yet they are barely quicker than McLaren which has come out of winter with a car that looks largely similar to the MCL60 that closed off 2023 at Abu Dhabi.

And RedBull had the whole of 2023 to develop their 2024 car ...

I know perhaps the expectation was to be right on the tail of the leading car, fueled perhaps by the team's clear ambitions for race wins this season before the start of the season. But the situation is not as dire as it looks, and there are reasons for the current gaps to the teams ahead.

Now it's up to the team to stick to their ambitions/goals and deliver on track.

[Ben1980]

We really need to make a step with these upgrades. I hope I won't be shouted down like I was last week when I say this has been a very disappointing start to the season. We have gone backwards when we should be getting closer to the Red Bulls.

What's disapointing? Red Bull were always going to get faster, everyone knew that. If anything it's all pretty similar.

-Outdeveloped by Aston, who were clueless with their development direction in the second half of last year (yes we may still be ahead on race pace but they have undeniably got closer)
-Ferrari a good chunk ahead when we were neck-for-neck at the end of last year
-Ferrari and Merc's issues in Bahrain masked our gap to them, I suspect this will be exposed tomorrow (although I hope I'm wrong)
-Forgetting about outright performance as well, key areas of focus since the new regs set (straight line speed, drivability) not being addressed

I trust in the team and Stella particularly, but I think the many false dawns over the past few years has made the pessimist I am today...

We beat Aston fair and square last probably will this one.

Not sure we were next and neck with Ferrari, by end of last season they were ahead. From USA onwards at least.

We were quicker than Merc, and we're very similar in Bahrain.

This is the best car produced by the team for a long time. Unfortunately others have got good cars, and RBR and Max are untouchable.

[CjC]

Solid reply Emag.
Let’s hope they don’t let us down with what they bring to the track.

[mwillems]

The team made it really clear all along, they were in a fight with Mercedes and Ferrari with Ferrari being a little ahead.

Not sure what the surprise is at this point. We knew Jeddah was going to be better, but it is Australia that will come to us more, and hopefully Suzuka also.

[CjC]

Lando says he isn’t as confident about overtaking Alonso in the race as he was in Bahrain. A LOT of talk about the poor straight line speed, supposedly it was improved over the winter but clearly not enough.

Some major aero updates are required