Mclaren Mercedes MP4-25

[thestig84]

Either way - todays testing times clearly show that Macca have go to find 0.5secs to be on par with the Ferrari?!?! Maybe Macca are playing with different parts, but I somehow do not see it. I hate to say it but the Ferrari seems to be in a different league to the rest of the crew.

Wow you are reading FAR to much into the times!! remember fuel loads can vary lap times by something like 4 seconds. Also teams like the drivers to pound round doing consistent times all day (something Mclaren liked about Kimi). That way they can see how changes effect the car. LH trying to do quick laps and making mistakes wont help the team one bit.

Also I read the LH q&a I think he is saying they need to find time as he knows the team can find the time after last year so he is going to push and ask for as much as possible!

I am just checking the long runs, reliability and enjoying the pics of all the pictures and new parts added everyday. Far to early to worry, just enjoy...maybe worry in qualy Bahrain!

[astracrazy]

Ferrari were ahead of Toyota at Barhrain testing last year no? But then come the start of the season they dropped off.

Macca could go out with 3 laps worth (out, lap, in) and set the best time but what info would the gain to improve the car in the future

Bahrain onwards is about quick laps, these few weeks are to learn about the car (drivers and engineers etc) so they don't need to do that during the season. Then they can concintrate on improving the car.

The green paint is also a good idea (to me). Atleast if they know that there windtunnel and computers are telling them the reality, they again can make better upgrades for the car and less dudd upgrades which do nothing for them.

Thats my take anyway

[jason.parker.86]

Yeah but you might as well leave your technical drawings on the pitwall for everyone to take a copy of! Seems stupid them using the green paint, every man and his dog can see it. Why not use Ultravilot or some other discreet paint

[astracrazy]

i don't see what diff it makes?

surely every aero guy would have an idea of what it should do. There are some people on here which can give you an idea from just seeing a picture

[jason.parker.86]

Yeah but the idea of using UV is that no-one else can see the air flow!?!?

[thestig84]

Yeah but you might as well leave your technical drawings on the pitwall for everyone to take a copy of! Seems stupid them using the green paint, every man and his dog can see it. Why not use Ultravilot or some other discreet paint

They have used ultraviolet last year, switched the lamp on in the garage and photographed it to send back to Woking. They are probably using the standard paint today because the parts have already been surpassed or the other teams can know about it but cant just slap it on their car so why waste the effort hidig it.

Anyway you can be sure every team has super high res pictures of the other teams car details and are cleaver enough to work out what is the theory behind their design.

[Richard]

Either way - todays testing times clearly show that Macca have go to find 0.5secs to be on par with the Ferrari?!?! Maybe Macca are playing with different parts, but I somehow do not see it. I hate to say it but the Ferrari seems to be in a different league to the rest of the crew.

Wow you are reading FAR to much into the times!! remember fuel loads can vary lap times by something like 4 seconds. Also teams like the drivers to pound round doing consistent times all day (something Mclaren liked about Kimi). That way they can see how changes effect the car.

+1

Quotes from Lewis about "need to find some time" is just his style of motivational pep talk for his team. The considered Ross Brawn/Witmarsh version would be "this is the start of evolving our car on the track and we'd expect to find time as we start to understand the set up"

Also, we don't know if they have a new wing or diffuser in their back pockets for Bahrain. So a "slow" team now could leap frog a "fast" team who use all their clever tricks in testing.

[vall]

Also, we don't know if they have a new wing or diffuser in their back pockets for Bahrain. So a "slow" team now could leap frog a "fast" team who use all their clever tricks in testing.

Right, and when are they going to test it? They need to run it at some point, the sooner the better. We saw last year that they tried the package they thought would work at the last test, but it sucked and they went deep into the brown thing. With this beast DDD I can't see what else they could come up with

[thestig84]

With this beast DDD I can't see what else they could come up with

So you think the car is in Bahrain spec? I wouldnt think one car will be the same for the first race let alone the Mclaren. They were bringing new parts to every race 1-2 weeks, 1st race is 5 weeks away...im pretty sure they will come up with a fair bit!

[vall]

With this beast DDD I can't see what else they could come up with

So you think the car is in Bahrain spec? I wouldnt think one car will be the same for the first race let alone the Mclaren. They were bringing new parts to every race 1-2 weeks, 1st race is 5 weeks away...im pretty sure they will come up with a fair bit!

most surely, they will come up with something new. What I am saying is that the DDD is already extreme and I can't see it getting bigger.

[Richard]

Also, we don't know if they have a new wing or diffuser in their back pockets for Bahrain. So a "slow" team now could leap frog a "fast" team who use all their clever tricks in testing.

Right, and when are they going to test it? They need to run it at some point, the sooner the better. We saw last year that they tried the package they thought would work at the last test, but it sucked and they went deep into the brown thing. With this beast DDD I can't see what else they could come up with

I was referring to people reading too much into early test times for all teams. Some teams are slow, some are fast, some hold new bits back until the last minute.

As for last year, McL were in blind panic, that can't be compared with an orderly programme of testing and evaluating new parts. I am sure McL will test new parts, some will make the car better, some neutral, some worse. Note I say better/worse, this includes handling and mechanical aspects, as well as speed.

[f1rules]

Scarbs wrote in one of his twits today that mclare was using clever rear suspension to close the gap between beamwing and sec diffuser channel. But looking at the pics from today, they are not. The sec diffuser channel extends all the way up to the beamwing, no suspension parts involved

http://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/gall ... 200wri.jpg

http://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/gall ... 234wri.jpg

[f1rules]

ah ok i see,

[Pup]

The central strut has me curious - I don't see how the exhaust is blowing on it any more than anything else around it, so why is it completely foil covered?

[Sambo]

Scarbs wrote in one of his twits today that mclare was using clever rear suspension to close the gap between beamwing and sec diffuser channel. But looking at the pics from today, they are not. The sec diffuser channel extends all the way up to the beamwing, no suspension parts involved

http://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/gall ... 200wri.jpg

http://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/gall ... 234wri.jpg

Could you possibly explain what is ment by the beanwing??? Sorry to be a pain but im not very techno minded....Thanks!