McLaren MP4-26 Mercedes

[Vasco]

The MP4-26 is now a race winner.

It looked to me like they used the carbon diffuser?

Hopefully Red Bull are distracted by kers and McLaren can close the gap in the 3 weeks we've got until Turkey.

The MP4-26 looked good in the heat at Malaysia last week (quali pace), maybe this will help them at Turkey. They were good there last year despite Red Bull's turn 8 advantage.

To be honest they don't have the same straight line speed advantage like they had last year with the F-Duct which made them really competitive in the race, but its still gonna be close this year in qualifying. It still seems to me that the car is harder on its tyres than the Ferrari and RBR.

[myurr]

The MP4-26 is now a race winner.

It looked to me like they used the carbon diffuser?

Hopefully Red Bull are distracted by kers and McLaren can close the gap in the 3 weeks we've got until Turkey.

The MP4-26 looked good in the heat at Malaysia last week (quali pace), maybe this will help them at Turkey. They were good there last year despite Red Bull's turn 8 advantage.

In the race last year McLaren were the fastest car and Red Bull only had their turn 8 advantage in the race as the McLaren was running in their dirty air.

Turkey *should* be the perfect circuit for Red Bull with all their downforce, but I have a feeling McLaren will be able to take the fight to them again.

Whether it'll be for Turkey or later in the season, I'm expecting McLaren to start shrinking their side pods. According to Whitmarsh their cooling is actually too efficient so even in hot races they don't need to open it up any more - and that is with KERS fitted and working. There is definitely scope there for them to shrink the side pods, maybe making the L channels bigger, or perhaps making the side pods taper more at the rear.

I hope that Red Bull are distracted by KERS so that McLaren can close up the gap and we get the thrilling prospect of a straight fight between the two. Whilst it'd be nice if other teams could join that fight, I think Ferrari's car is too conservative and that whilst Renault and Mercedes will continue to get closer I don't think either will get it together enough to win a race this year.

[adrianjordan]

The MP4-26 is now a race winner.

It looked to me like they used the carbon diffuser?

Hopefully Red Bull are distracted by kers and McLaren can close the gap in the 3 weeks we've got until Turkey.

The MP4-26 looked good in the heat at Malaysia last week (quali pace), maybe this will help them at Turkey. They were good there last year despite Red Bull's turn 8 advantage.

To be honest they don't have the same straight line speed advantage like they had last year with the F-Duct which made them really competitive in the race, but its still gonna be close this year in qualifying. It still seems to me that the car is harder on its tyres than the Ferrari and RBR.

And yet they still won the race!! Imagine how they'll go once they get there tyre wear rate down!!

[myurr]

They do have a slippery car again this year, that is most of what the L sidepods are about (efficient airflow to the rear giving downforce with little drag). However they're running huge amounts of rear wing to try and get their downforce up to Red Bull levels. This is helping them beat the rest of the field but isn't quite getting them in touch with one of the Red Bulls.

So they are currently trading straight line speed for very high levels of downforce.

[murtoidf1]

They do have a slippery car again this year, that is most of what the L sidepods are about (efficient airflow to the rear giving downforce with little drag). However they're running huge amounts of rear wing to try and get their downforce up to Red Bull levels. This is helping them beat the rest of the field but isn't quite getting them in touch with one of the Red Bulls.

So they are currently trading straight line speed for very high levels of downforce.

This is exactly what I think.

No doubt they are now taking steps to add efficient downforce > the easiest route being playing around with the exhaust config and front wing flex.

[Just_a_fan]

They do have a slippery car again this year, that is most of what the L sidepods are about (efficient airflow to the rear giving downforce with little drag). However they're running huge amounts of rear wing to try and get their downforce up to Red Bull levels. This is helping them beat the rest of the field but isn't quite getting them in touch with one of the Red Bulls.

So they are currently trading straight line speed for very high levels of downforce.

If so, Monza should be interesting...

[ell66]

The MP4-26 is now a race winner.

It looked to me like they used the carbon diffuser?

Hopefully Red Bull are distracted by kers and McLaren can close the gap in the 3 weeks we've got until Turkey.

The MP4-26 looked good in the heat at Malaysia last week (quali pace), maybe this will help them at Turkey. They were good there last year despite Red Bull's turn 8 advantage.

In the race last year McLaren were the fastest car and Red Bull only had their turn 8 advantage in the race as the McLaren was running in their dirty air.

Turkey *should* be the perfect circuit for Red Bull with all their downforce, but I have a feeling McLaren will be able to take the fight to them again.

Whether it'll be for Turkey or later in the season, I'm expecting McLaren to start shrinking their side pods. According to Whitmarsh their cooling is actually too efficient so even in hot races they don't need to open it up any more - and that is with KERS fitted and working. There is definitely scope there for them to shrink the side pods, maybe making the L channels bigger, or perhaps making the side pods taper more at the rear.
.

Sadly it does'nt work like that. they'l just gain a bit more effiency from reducing there cooling. the size and shape of the pods wont decrease in the way your thinking.

[beelsebob]

Ignore me, I'm an idiot. (someone please delete this post).

[Pandamasque]

What's with the blocked brake ducts?

[nacho]

A mesh that prevents marbles flying in.

[Pandamasque]

Ah, I didn't notice it's transparent.

[ringo]

redbull is still a monster. When they get their kers working 100%, the season will be over.
This car can come a little closer, but fundamentally i don't think it can equal the redbull or be better. I hope it does, but it doesn't look likely judging by webber's pace in china.

Smaller sidepods is a big step though. It can be tightened up a little more in the rear.

[raymondu999]

Hamilton said that in Malaysia, the heat helped them as they didn't need to add much cooling. Wouldn't that mean, logically, that in cooler conditions, they maybe have too MUCH cooling?

[beelsebob]

Hamilton said that in Malaysia, the heat helped them as they didn't need to add much cooling. Wouldn't that mean, logically, that in cooler conditions, they maybe have too MUCH cooling?

Makes you wonder if McLaren played the design rather conservatively because they weren't confident they could turn up in testing and have the U-pods work. Either that or the cooling is all designed around cooling a non-existant octupus.

[myurr]

Hamilton said that in Malaysia, the heat helped them as they didn't need to add much cooling. Wouldn't that mean, logically, that in cooler conditions, they maybe have too MUCH cooling?

That's what Whitmarsh said and he said they were looking to make the cooling more marginal than it is currently.