2024 Mclaren Formula 1 Team

[mwillems]

I can't imagine they'll sit on the new floor now seemingly Ferrari have gotten on top of their car, it surely has to be on the car this weekend!

I'm sure their resurgence is a factor, but I guess they won't release it till it's ready.

[CjC]

Just had a google, unless I'm mistaken, he only says "The next few races". But you'd hope and expect Mexico.

I was going to find you the article if you hadn’t already found it. I posted it on here on Saturday I think.

It’s not like they can sit and wait on the upgrade- there’s only 5 races to go!
Get it out asap. Mexico might be a bit too soon for a floor unless it is actually already in production, possibly Brazil. Houdley did say ‘upgrades’ plural so we might see something in Mexico and Brazil.

This triple header is going to be crucial and let’s be honest it’s not started off that great for McLaren. Yes there was some positives from the race but it was the first time in 15 races where we didn’t see a McLaren on the podium- their 14 hit streak run ended

[taperoo2k]

On another note now that's been established. Does Mclaren have a large package for Mexico?

They should have something, presumably a new floor and perhaps more to go with it. I think it was actually confirmed by Houdley, but you never know until you see it on-track.

Really, confirmed that upgrades will come to Mexico? I hadn't seen that.

Nice to hear that Mclaren have a big package, hopefully it will help us to perform well and go deep into the season. Can't say I rate Lando's chances of a WDC, in fact I'd say his chances are tiny, but I'm sure we'll all cheer for a happy ending if it comes.

Well they need to bring them sooner rather than later. McLaren's focus seems to have been on the constructors rather than the drivers title looking at the decisions taken over the course of the season. If Lando wins the championship it will be a miracle, but stranger things have happened. Yes he's made some mistakes, but he's done well to at least be in contention.

I hope the learning curve McLaren have been on this season pays off in 2025. They really need to have a car that's fast out of the gate. I didn't expect RB to drop off as much as they did, McLaren being able to capitalise on that was a great thing to see. Bodes well for the future.

[Mostlyeels]

https://i.imgur.com/Y3TI9Yt.png

Really weird first stint. Both McLaren's so slow but here it's Lando vs Leclerc vs Max.

Leclerc and Max both display a normal progression of pace. They start at a certain level, Leclerc a bit faster because he wants to break DRS. Then they both stabilize to a certain level of pace and from there their laptimes get progressively slower the deeper into the stint they go right until they pit.

Lando on the other hand, starts out with horrible performance, getting faster and faster as the stint progresses, until he too (not shown in this graph because it happened a couple of laps later), starts showing signs of tire wear and gets slower before he pits.

Other than those first 15 laps, Lando was on par or faster than Leclerc, discounting the laps stuck behind Max. Hard to gauge the second stint, because of the 5 lap tire delta, but I imagine without that it would have been on par with Leclerc.

Very bizarre car behavior. Perhaps some weird problem with taking too long to get the tires at the right operating window. Maybe an over-correction via the setup in a bid to try and improve the tire wear problems they saw in the sprint.

If it wasn't for that huge slump at the start, Lando would have overcut Max with pace alone, so it's frustrating that they couldn't get the car into the right window. The sprint format really screwed them because they did not hit the ground running from the get-go like RedBull and Ferrari did.

In the first stint, Piastri said on the radio that his graining cleared up around the time the car started lapping at the same pace as the leaders. It does seem like a problem getting into the window.

[Waz]

The Constructors championship seems to be spoken about more the last couple of years, and teams seem to value it as highly as the Driver's title now. Even drivers talk more about it, so there's certainly a change in perception happening and more pride placed into the team title.

McLaren should just ignore the media hype about Lando and focus on winning the WCC, before Ferrari steal it from under them.

[Darth-Piekus]

Im not sure there was ever a time where the drivers championship became higher than the constructors championship.

[FittingMechanics]

The Constructors championship seems to be spoken about more the last couple of years, and teams seem to value it as highly as the Driver's title now. Even drivers talk more about it, so there's certainly a change in perception happening and more pride placed into the team title.

McLaren should just ignore the media hype about Lando and focus on winning the WCC, before Ferrari steal it from under them.

To me as a fan of the team, not the driver, WCC was always more important but I do understand that the public may not share the same view.

What does make WCC less meaningful today is that because of aero testing restrictions based on WCC standing it may be a viable option to run a slow driver in the second car (like Perez) in order to finish lower in the WCC standings. As things stand, Max may win the WDC while Red Bull finishes P3. So next year he may have an even faster car.

It could also make a cynical strategy of sabotaging your second driver a viable option. I am aware they get less prize money but for teams at that level the difference in prize money is not big.

Maybe aero testing should be based on ranking of top driver of the team (I am also aware that this would benefit McLaren so I am not objective).

[avantman]

Im not sure there was ever a time where the drivers championship became higher than the constructors championship.

Became? It was always higher. For you to know, when all of this started, I mean Formula 1 was created, there wasn't even any other championship. Only 9 years later, in 1958 the so-called "International Cup for F1 Manufacturers" (Constructors later) standing was created, the points were counted differently than today. 1981 was the first year when "World Constructors' Championship" was introduced. So basically, for 31 years there was only one "Championship" "World Drivers' Championship", and you tell us it wasn't the most important? It is the essence of Formula 1. Nothing has changed since. It's the main, the most important championship, one and only truly meaningful Championship, the most desired and the most celebrated by any team (let alone their fans). This is why nobody cared too much when Ferrari won the Constructors in 1999, but the whole Italy celebrated Michael bringing the Title back to Maranello in 2000 after a twenty-year drought. This is why everyone at Red bull gone crazy out of happiness when they lost the Constructors in Abu-Dhabi, whilst Mercedes won it, but weren't celebrating, and later the team didn't even come to prize giving ceremony, sending one member of their team to receive a trophy. If that was the most important trophy, surely they wouldn't effectively ignore it.
There is not a single team up and down the grid that would trade a victory in the Drivers' Championship for a victory in the constructors' Cup. Thing is, not everyone would admit that openly for obvious reasons, like Horner did. That's why some fans naively think only red bull rate Drivers championship higher. This is totally wrong. Of course they all would love to win the Constructors as well, but rather as a bonus rather than #1 goal, which by the way normally comes naturally, as the team that can build the best car normally wins both Championships.

[CjC]

Im not sure there was ever a time where the drivers championship became higher than the constructors championship.

Became? It was always higher. For you to know, when all of this started, I mean Formula 1 was created, there wasn't even any other championship. Only 9 years later, in 1958 the so-called "International Cup for F1 Manufacturers" (Constructors later) standing was created, the points were counted differently than today. 1981 was the first year when "World Constructors' Championship" was introduced. So basically, for 31 years there was only one "Championship" "World Drivers' Championship", and you tell us it wasn't the most important? It is the essence of Formula 1. Nothing has changed since. It's the main, the most important championship, one and only truly meaningful Championship, the most desired and the most celebrated by any team (let alone their fans). This is why nobody cared too much when Ferrari won the Constructors in 1999, but the whole Italy celebrated Michael bringing the Title back to Maranello in 2000 after a twenty-year drought. This is why everyone at Red bull gone crazy out of happiness when they lost the Constructors in Abu-Dhabi, whilst Mercedes won it, but weren't celebrating, and later the team didn't even come to prize giving ceremony, sending one member of their team to receive a trophy. If that was the most important trophy, surely they wouldn't effectively ignore it.
There is not a single team up and down the grid that would trade a victory in the Drivers' Championship for a victory in the constructors' Cup. Thing is, not everyone would admit that openly for obvious reasons, like Horner did. That's why some fans naively think only red bull rate Drivers championship higher. This is totally wrong. Of course they all would love to win the Constructors as well, but rather as a bonus rather than #1 goal, which by the way normally comes naturally, as the team that can build the best car normally wins both Championships.

Very valid and insightful I wasn’t aware that the WCC only started in 1981.

However I have a feeling this season that if Verstappen wins the WDC and Red Bull don’t win the WCC we will see Red Bull and the other winning team celebrating their success this season in the pit line.

[avantman]

Very valid and insightful I wasn’t aware that the WCC only started in 1981.

However I have a feeling this season that if Verstappen wins the WDC and Red Bull don’t win the WCC we will see Red Bull and the other winning team celebrating their success this season in the pit line.

There is no doubt red bull will not win WCC this year, and it will be another team, most likely Mclaren. I'm not sure I got what you say right, but I think all teams always celebrate winning Constructors' anyways, I mean separately from Drivers', because it's normally achieved on different weekend.... with champagne, special t-shirts hats and stuff, in the pit lane near their garages.

[CjC]

Very valid and insightful I wasn’t aware that the WCC only started in 1981.

However I have a feeling this season that if Verstappen wins the WDC and Red Bull don’t win the WCC we will see Red Bull and the other winning team celebrating their success this season in the pit line.

There is no doubt red bull will not win WCC this year, and it will be another team, most likely Mclaren. I'm not sure I got what you say right, but I think all teams always celebrate winning Constructors' anyways, I mean separately from Drivers', because it's normally achieved on different weekend.... with champagne, special t-shirts hats and stuff, in the pit lane near their garages.

Yea, what I should have was, if Verstappen wins the WDC Red Bull will obviously celebrate it.
If Ferrari or McLaren win the WCC they will very much celebrate it, there won’t only be one person from the team going to collect the trophy at the gala as you suggest Mercedes did in 21 or the subdue celebrations Ferrari did in 99.

They will value a WCC title this season just as highly as a WDC title, more so than perhaps Red Bull and Mercedes would if one of their drivers didn’t win the WDC.

[Big Gun]

Imo opinion watching it I knew Lando was gunna get a penalty because of how the stewarts ruled earlier incidents.
After been pushed wide Lando should of let Max pass out ahead of that corner and by the rules Max would of got the Penalty.

Think Alonso would of backed off so Max got the penalty, but Lando doesnt have that cunning yet of a Alonso or Max.

off topic, Piastri stocks have fallen imo. Lando is just faster in everyway.

1) Max, Lando, Lecerc
2) Hamilton, Alonso, Russel.
3) Sainz, Piastri, Hulk.

Piastri isnt in the top 6 of best drivers of this moment, just lacks about 2 tenths.

[catent]

https://i.imgur.com/Y3TI9Yt.png

Really weird first stint. Both McLaren's so slow but here it's Lando vs Leclerc vs Max.

Leclerc and Max both display a normal progression of pace. They start at a certain level, Leclerc a bit faster because he wants to break DRS. Then they both stabilize to a certain level of pace and from there their laptimes get progressively slower the deeper into the stint they go right until they pit.

Lando on the other hand, starts out with horrible performance, getting faster and faster as the stint progresses, until he too (not shown in this graph because it happened a couple of laps later), starts showing signs of tire wear and gets slower before he pits.

Other than those first 15 laps, Lando was on par or faster than Leclerc, discounting the laps stuck behind Max. Hard to gauge the second stint, because of the 5 lap tire delta, but I imagine without that it would have been on par with Leclerc.

Very bizarre car behavior. Perhaps some weird problem with taking too long to get the tires at the right operating window. Maybe an over-correction via the setup in a bid to try and improve the tire wear problems they saw in the sprint.

If it wasn't for that huge slump at the start, Lando would have overcut Max with pace alone, so it's frustrating that they couldn't get the car into the right window. The sprint format really screwed them because they did not hit the ground running from the get-go like RedBull and Ferrari did.

Leclerc was doing a lot of lift/coast during his second stint; his pace during that second stint was not representative of the Ferrari's pace when pushing.

You may have noticed that Sainz was closing the gap to Leclerc (until the final 5 or so laps) despite having older tires; that's not because Sainz's pace was superior but because Leclerc was managing.

[BMMR61]

https://i.imgur.com/Y3TI9Yt.png

Really weird first stint. Both McLaren's so slow but here it's Lando vs Leclerc vs Max.

Leclerc and Max both display a normal progression of pace. They start at a certain level, Leclerc a bit faster because he wants to break DRS. Then they both stabilize to a certain level of pace and from there their laptimes get progressively slower the deeper into the stint they go right until they pit.

Lando on the other hand, starts out with horrible performance, getting faster and faster as the stint progresses, until he too (not shown in this graph because it happened a couple of laps later), starts showing signs of tire wear and gets slower before he pits.

Other than those first 15 laps, Lando was on par or faster than Leclerc, discounting the laps stuck behind Max. Hard to gauge the second stint, because of the 5 lap tire delta, but I imagine without that it would have been on par with Leclerc.

Very bizarre car behavior. Perhaps some weird problem with taking too long to get the tires at the right operating window. Maybe an over-correction via the setup in a bid to try and improve the tire wear problems they saw in the sprint.

If it wasn't for that huge slump at the start, Lando would have overcut Max with pace alone, so it's frustrating that they couldn't get the car into the right window. The sprint format really screwed them because they did not hit the ground running from the get-go like RedBull and Ferrari did.

In the first stint, Piastri said on the radio that his graining cleared up around the time the car started lapping at the same pace as the leaders. It does seem like a problem getting into the window.

It's common for McLaren to be much harder on it's tyres relative to it's opposition before picking up pace with the fuel load going down while others are losing pace. There's a number of factors in play here and it can be hard to unpick which are most powerful. I think the Pirelli tyre choice favoured Ferrari for starters, they handled the mediums better but I do think because of the slow start they had to the weekend McLaren underestimated the progress the Saturday setup changes had made. By lap 20 Lando's times were coming down and Max was going the other way, the Ferraris - forget it!

By stint two both McLarens were coming alive. It escaped most people's attention that despite his unhappiness with the setup all weekend Oscar was matching Lando's times, that is catching Max but probably decided to keep a watching brief given all things. The team did a good recovery job from Friday where it looked like we would be poor in qualifying and race pace, certainly vulnerable to the Mercs - imagine P6/7! So I'm pretty impervious to all the whining and huffing and puffing about McLaren dropping the ball, if this was a bad weekend I'll take it. I think Mexico is another chance for podiums even if Ferrari seems to have settled the ship. We need to keep focussed on the WCC, Ferrari will be the big threat there.

[Emag]

https://i.imgur.com/Y3TI9Yt.png

Really weird first stint. Both McLaren's so slow but here it's Lando vs Leclerc vs Max.

Leclerc and Max both display a normal progression of pace. They start at a certain level, Leclerc a bit faster because he wants to break DRS. Then they both stabilize to a certain level of pace and from there their laptimes get progressively slower the deeper into the stint they go right until they pit.

Lando on the other hand, starts out with horrible performance, getting faster and faster as the stint progresses, until he too (not shown in this graph because it happened a couple of laps later), starts showing signs of tire wear and gets slower before he pits.

Other than those first 15 laps, Lando was on par or faster than Leclerc, discounting the laps stuck behind Max. Hard to gauge the second stint, because of the 5 lap tire delta, but I imagine without that it would have been on par with Leclerc.

Very bizarre car behavior. Perhaps some weird problem with taking too long to get the tires at the right operating window. Maybe an over-correction via the setup in a bid to try and improve the tire wear problems they saw in the sprint.

If it wasn't for that huge slump at the start, Lando would have overcut Max with pace alone, so it's frustrating that they couldn't get the car into the right window. The sprint format really screwed them because they did not hit the ground running from the get-go like RedBull and Ferrari did.

Leclerc was doing a lot of lift/coast during his second stint; his pace during that second stint was not representative of the Ferrari's pace when pushing.

You may have noticed that Sainz was closing the gap to Leclerc (until the final 5 or so laps) despite having older tires; that's not because Sainz's pace was superior but because Leclerc was managing.

There is no obvious LiCo visible in the data, but I'll take your word for it, assuming you've heard it from a reliable source. There are a bunch of bad laps, but most due to traffic.

But anyway, Charles had no incentive to push and I did say the second stint is not representative. Lando was much faster than Carlos when in clear air as well and Carlos did have an incentive to push. That's why it's relatively safe to extrapolate that without the tire delta, pace would have been more or less the same with Leclerc, as it was on the mediums once they got rolling.

They lost out massively in the first 15 laps of the first stint, way more than usual, because they are usually slow on the first couple of laps even on races where they have been great. But it has never taken that many laps to get the car in the optimal operating window and also the deficit on the building up phase has never been as big as it was in Austin (~1 second per lap).

Other than that, pace was decent. Might not have been as great as Ferrari, but it was not as far off as the gaps suggest. There is no way Lando would have won that race either way after dropping to P4 in lap 1, but if they didn't have that horrible first phase it would have given them options to overtake Max via strategy (undercut or overcut) instead of being forced to do it on-track.