McLaren MP4-26 Mercedes

[Javert]

There is one thing I can't understand

McLaren sidepods were called "L-shaped sidepods", with "U-shaped sidepods" referring (I think) to other teams sidepods

Now you call the McLaren sidepods "U sidepods" ... WTF?

[raymondu999]

U because the channel between side pods and cockpit looks like a U. The sidepod itself looks like L. Both "L" and "U" side pods are referring to the MP4-26 side pods.

[michl420]

If you can save a set of tyres against the opponents in qualy, with all the tyre saving, the different strategys and the traffic, the advantage on a race distance is 10 seconds and more. So this was one of the biggest advantages of Red Bull. From this point "Qualy pace" is very important.

[PlatinumZealot]

McL and Sauber are the team that have understood the Pirellis at its best.

Nice to see that puzzles are falling in place now. I thought (and said on this forum ) before season start,that McL will be good with tyres. They have all the experience they need. Remember, they switched tyre manufacturer from Bridgestons to Michelin and back in last 10 years. They had done this before, and they know exactly what they need to do in that situation. Ferrari stayed with Bridgestons, though I'm not convinced their problem is inexperience. Sauber is a bit of mystery, maybe they just hit that sweet spot unaware of it, maybe they just have better engineers there than other teams.

What is more interesting for me, what'll happen now >
Can McL tweak the MP4-26 for the reamining races to be good at qualy and race too ?
Are the two requirements excluding somewhat each other (race pace vs. qualy-pace ) ?
Did they consider to go with RBR and build a qualy-car from MP4-27, concentrating less on the race pace ?

I wholeheartedly disagree. No one understands the tyres the best. RedBull are just using the tyres on the limit that's all. They are clearly the fastest car, I don't buy that lacking race pace crap. There is no real evidence to show that. and that is for the redbull thread anyway.

[megasyxx]

McL and Sauber are the team that have understood the Pirellis at its best.

If Sauber got the knack of the Pirelli, then Ferrari would have known it as well.....don't forget that Sauber is Ferrari's unofficial B team.

[raymondu999]

Both are the best able to keep tyres, don't forget

[kalinka]

I wholeheartedly disagree. No one understands the tyres the best. RedBull are just using the tyres on the limit that's all. They are clearly the fastest car, I don't buy that lacking race pace crap. There is no real evidence to show that. and that is for the redbull thread anyway.

Let me put clear what I mean. RB isn't lacking race pace, but there's a significant gap in qualy over every other team, and it's not present at race pace. While @McL it's the opposite. Wheather that race pace is better or worst as McLaren's is irrelevant somewhat. McL never could reach that qualy pace, and sometimes it can reach RB's race pace and sometimes even more, sometimes worse. So my points are those few questions at the end of my previous post. That's what I think is most interesting now regarding McLaren. I don't want to quote myself.

[scarlet]

Both are the best able to keep tyres, don't forget

Well, in the case of Sauber this is mitigated by a big lack of speed. And in fact they may not understand the tyres better than the top teams at all, because whatever they are doing now may very well not work if there was more efficient downforce on the car. Everything is a compromise.

[myurr]

I wholeheartedly disagree. No one understands the tyres the best. RedBull are just using the tyres on the limit that's all. They are clearly the fastest car, I don't buy that lacking race pace crap. There is no real evidence to show that. and that is for the redbull thread anyway.

Well I disagree with you

The one area where the difference in tyre usage is best shown is in the damp conditions like today. McLaren are able to heat their tyres much more effectively than either Red Bull or Ferrari, and yet most of the time they are able to look after their tyres as well as the other two. A couple of times, particularly in extremely hot weather, they've had a deficit in this area but in general it is the Red Bull that is eating its tyres first, then McLaren, then Ferrari.

That McLaren are able to look after the tyres as well as the other two teams but without having to compromise in tyre warm up suggests that they have a better understanding of how to work the tyres and get the most from them.

[MIKEY_!]

Makes sense to me

[beelsebob]

McLaren are running gurneys on the top of their front wing at least in the wet:

[Coefficient]

There is one thing I can't understand

McLaren sidepods were called "L-shaped sidepods", with "U-shaped sidepods" referring (I think) to other teams sidepods

Now you call the McLaren sidepods "U sidepods" ... WTF?

L Pods was the laymen's term for the device that emerged before Mclaren engineers were approached and revealed that they actually call the U Pods.

[ell66]

McLaren are running gurneys on the top of their front wing at least in the wet:

They allways run gurneys on the fw....

[beelsebob]

McLaren are running gurneys on the top of their front wing at least in the wet:

They allways run gurneys on the fw....

Just checked the japan videos still on iPlayer, they're not there.

[PlatinumZealot]

I wholeheartedly disagree. No one understands the tyres the best. RedBull are just using the tyres on the limit that's all. They are clearly the fastest car, I don't buy that lacking race pace crap. There is no real evidence to show that. and that is for the redbull thread anyway.

Well I disagree with you

The one area where the difference in tyre usage is best shown is in the damp conditions like today. McLaren are able to heat their tyres much more effectively than either Red Bull or Ferrari, and yet most of the time they are able to look after their tyres as well as the other two. A couple of times, particularly in extremely hot weather, they've had a deficit in this area but in general it is the Red Bull that is eating its tyres first, then McLaren, then Ferrari.

That McLaren are able to look after the tyres as well as the other two teams but without having to compromise in tyre warm up suggests that they have a better understanding of how to work the tyres and get the most from them.

I think it's just a choice the teams make.
Like Ferrari - they could try to heat up their tyres early, but because their maximum pace is slow slow it wont do them anygood to go strong early out and still be slower mid-stint. So I think they work out that it is best to wait until the pace of the RB/Mac drops down a bit lower as wear/tyre deg goes on, then they "turn on the tyres" mid stint to make a final attack. As much as Massa likes to moan and whinge about heat in the tyres I think it is Ferrari who has decided to run this strategy for lack of out and out pace.

So yeah, I think they understand the tyres the same, both limitations and manipulations.