Mclaren Mercedes MP4-25

[jason.parker.86]

Slightly off topic but, on the FP3 coverage... an interesting shot of the cockpit of Lewis's car I noticed a control panel on his right hand side, by his knee.

Is this new?

[walter]

I'm a bit confused... I could have sworn that Schumacher's engineer told him over the radio to use the F-duct in the beginning of FP3... isn't it passive in their cars?

[murtoidf1]

I'm a bit confused... I could have sworn that Schumacher's engineer told him over the radio to use the F-duct in the beginning of FP3... isn't it passive in their cars?

that is off topic, but the bbc website confirms what you thought you heard.

I think Button's car would easily be faster in qualifying trim, but im not sure how he will fare down the straight on the race,

[ell66]

I dont understand why mclaren have 2 polar oposite rear wings for this race, surley they'd of been better off using the f-duct on a slightly smaller wing somewhere in between the 2 on show this weekend, just like the other teams have done.

[feynman]

That's an assumption without knowing all the data. Who's to say the graphed curve goes up in the middle, maybe it goes down. F-ducting a massive wing or running with no wing representing two distinct local maximum.

Maybe if you split the difference you end up with not enough wing to make-up speed thru the corners, and too much wing going down the straight. So you end up getting it in the ass from all directions and just going slower.

But yeah, it would have been interesting to see a third option given a run, but I presume the simulations had already clearly ruled it out, hence why it never got built or put in the truck.

[murtoidf1]

The fastest car may not necessarily win the race.. The car with the greatest advantage/speed differential in key parts of the circuits may win instead

[Tim.Wright]

And ergo, that would be the fastest car wouldnt it??



Tim

[murtoidf1]

And ergo, that would be the fastest car wouldnt it??



Tim

over the full distance but not over the full lap. If people with higher top speeds get in front then they may take it, as the cars faster in the twister parts wont be able to overtake.

[mp4-19b]

I am sure of a 1-2.

[mp4-19b]

I'm a bit confused... I could have sworn that Schumacher's engineer told him over the radio to use the F-duct in the beginning of FP3... isn't it passive in their cars?

that is off topic, but the bbc website confirms what you thought you heard.

I think Button's car would easily be faster in qualifying trim, but im not sure how he will fare down the straight on the race,

Button is in a fantastic position to win the race, and so would Hamilton (probably still is though) if not for the problems in Q3... but hey that happens. At least he's not 11th on the grid like in Melbourne, or 14th like Jenson was in Silverstone, and those were both rescued weren't they!?! McLaren don't have a 'qualifying car' and it's always better to drive with fuel onboard... that's how JB likes it, how Lewis likes it, and it gets results... so not getting pole is not a major crisis at a track where slipstreaming and daredevil-braking are major parts of the race.

And I can't believe people are criticising McLaren for running a Monza-package at Monza! That's ridiculous...

Ferrari will always be fast at Monza... the amount of testing they have done there in years gone by has given them enough track data to last a lifetime! McLaren have succeeded in nulling the Red Bull problem for this weekend (so far, but credit to Webber for that Q3 lap), and have only got the Ferrari's to beat, which is very possible.

[mp4-19b]

I dont understand why mclaren have 2 polar oposite rear wings for this race, surley they'd of been better off using the f-duct on a slightly smaller wing somewhere in between the 2 on show this weekend, just like the other teams have done.

Hamilton qualifying fifth is in no way representative. He just didn't do a sinlge clean lap in all of Q3 and posted slower laptimes than he had in Q2, on primes. I think the true potential for him was to be second, just ahead of Button.
...who did a really, really good job. This is part of Button's race-analytic side; to choose a strategy for the weekend so confidently, and in a seemingly very structured way work with it, and progress steadily. Great job.

Hamilton in fifth, with low downforce which as we all know means good top speed; tomorrow's going to be entertaining.

[ringo]

F duct... compromise? What compromise?

It's Free!! =D>

[ringo]

How can the car be improved for Singapore?
How will the suspension and DDD cope with the bumps?

[dimensi]

How can the car be improved for Singapore?
How will the suspension and DDD cope with the bumps?

I guess RBR gonna spoil the party ... as long as I know they are awesome in bumpy tracks ... correct me if Im wrong

[Confused_Andy]

Monza is a very bumpy track and the McLaren didn't seem to phased by it, maybe they can use this setup/suspension in the next few races to solve their bouncy problems.

McLaren have had nearly 8 weeks to develop ideas in the background for the coming races, Singapore will be a tell tale sign of where the championship is heading, if their update works and Redbull haven't eaked out another couple more tenths then we're looking at a set of McLaren trophies but if they're off the boil the championship's lost.

We'll get a true indication if the blown diffuser was really worth the effort or if its working as expected at these next high downforce track, and whether the retarded ignition is helping.