McLaren MP4-26 Mercedes

[Tyler]

If a car is given a score out of ten, with the only real way to judge it being to compare it to the cars around it and assuming that the RB7 is perfect, which I'm happy to say it is, then technically and after being rounded off to the nearest half, this is how the cars should score:
(don't take my word for it though - I just scraped my way through maths at school )

Red Bull RB7 - 10
McLaren MP4-26 - 9
Ferrari 150 Italia - 8
Mercedes MGP W02 - 7.5
Renault R31 - 6.5
Force India VJM04 - 6
Sauber C30 - 5
Toro Rosso STR6 - 4
Williams FW33 - 3
Lotus T128 - 2.5
HRT F111 - 1.5
Virgin MVR02 - 1

If you look at it that way then McLaren built a really good car for 2011, it just wasn't good enough!
Mercedes didn't do too badly either, for their 2nd year, building a car that's a 7 and a half out of ten.

[wesley123]

I rate it a 7. The car had an magnificent front end, but development was disappointing. This car had to take on the RBR(In which in the season start was very capable of), but failed miserably in doing so. The car was there, but a lot of things got in their way and made the season very disappointing

[Shrieker]

It's also worth mentioning their rear end was configured to house an entirely different concept, and they most probably didn't have the opportunity to change their gearbox position etc. to suit the RB style exhaust. It was dragging them down the entire season. Hopefully the 27 won't be compromised in such a way.

fixed typo

[wesley123]

Indeed, this gave away a lot of beamwing area, the area below probably housing the 'octopus' Based on that Australia was the first time they ran it I agree they couldnt change it in the concept. This in turn just raised CoG and reduced DF.

If they continue the high gearbox for next year they are just shooting themselves in the foot imo.

[PlatinumZealot]

I give it a 7. Just for starting testing 2 seconds behind the RB. I don't care how fast it was at the end of the season a champion car has to be fast from Jerez to Brazil.

[astracrazy]

5, I think the initial concept of the car is a failure Mc Larens just got lucky to hit the sweet spot immediately after abandoning the 'octopus exhaust' design and adapted the RBR's concept but I think they will be more competitive if they manage to start their season with a correct direction

I have to admit they were lucky, it could have easily been near a 2009 start to the season.

I would like to have known just how beneficial the exhaust system would have been + how much of the 26 design depended on it (sorry if its been discussed in another thread or before).

But i think the fact the car performed the way it did through the design without there original exhaust design (+ all the other things which were designed around this and unchangeable), is surely worth more than a 5?

[ell66]

I rate it a 7. The car had an magnificent front end, but development was disappointing. This car had to take on the RBR(In which in the season start was very capable of), but failed miserably in doing so. The car was there, but a lot of things got in their way and made the season very disappointing

Actually the development was very good, they clearly made ground on red bull through the year, they got destroyed in qually for the first half of the season aside from Malaysia, but the second half they were close to pole on many occasions and finally got one in korea.

If I had to rate it id give it a 7.5/10.

Will be intresting to see how they refine the sidepods for next year.

[NonNewtonic]

5, I think the initial concept of the car is a failure Mc Larens just got lucky to hit the sweet spot immediately after abandoning the 'octopus exhaust' design and adapted the RBR's concept but I think they will be more competitive if they manage to start their season with a correct direction

I have to admit they were lucky, it could have easily been near a 2009 start to the season.

I would like to have known just how beneficial the exhaust system would have been + how much of the 26 design depended on it (sorry if its been discussed in another thread or before).

But i think the fact the car performed the way it did through the design without there original exhaust design (+ all the other things which were designed around this and unchangeable), is surely worth more than a 5?

I must agree that the McLarens are good in season development overall I'll give it a 7 but solely base on the initial concept I will still retain it on 5. Back to your questions based on some engineers in the paddock the blown diffuser concept worth about .5s per lap but I'm pretty sure that if any team which design their car heavily around this and manage to optimise the potential of the gasses will benefit more than that. The reason McLaren still performing so strongly even though their initial exhaust system failed is because it is the same concept as the Red Bull's one except the McLaren's way of blowing is more even as it blows the exhaust across the whole diffuser rather than blowing the side of the diffuser featured on the Red Bull so basically they just need to redesign the diffuser rather than the whole car

[hardingfv32]

Will be intresting to see how they refine the sidepods for next year.

Another nauseous mention of those wondrous side pods.

There is every possibility that the sidepods were good for nothing this season. That they were a weak idea that prevent prevent McLaren from overtaking RB as the season progressed.

There is absolutely no science to indicate that these side pods are worth designing a complete aero program around.

Brian

[NonNewtonic]

One interesting thing is the overall design(except for the sidepods) seems to be pretty similar and it looks like an evolution from the previous cars I wonder what make McLarens focusing so much in the design of their sidepods?

[allstaruk08]

One interesting thing is the overall design(except for the sidepods) seems to be pretty similar and it looks like an evolution from the previous cars I wonder what make McLarens focusing so much in the design of their sidepods?

my guess is lack of double diffuser and trying to get as much clean air to the back for the beam wing to be more efficient

[wesley123]

Will be intresting to see how they refine the sidepods for next year.

Another nauseous mention of those wondrous side pods.

There is every possibility that the sidepods were good for nothing this season. That they were a weak idea that prevent prevent McLaren from overtaking RB as the season progressed.

There is absolutely no science to indicate that these side pods are worth designing a complete aero program around.

Brian

And what actually makes you think that?
I for instance am in the opinion that the U-sidepods are the way to go above the tight red bull sdiepods
The U-sidepods overall have more 'free area' compared to the Red Bull sidepod, apart from that the route of air is longer on the Red Bull.

To say that is rubbish, I would just say the team was plagued by building their car around a few varieties of exhaust systems and none of those were ran. They just seemingly ran an handicapped car whole season. The higher gearbox is an good example of the car being designed around the 'octopus' system. Everyone went with an lower gearbox exposing the beamwing, McLaren by far had the highest placed gearbox of the teams, ruining beam wing efficiency as well as raising the CoG.

[hardingfv32]

And what actually makes you think that?

I base my opinion on the fact that we have no scientific way to separated the wondrous U pod's performance from the rest of the car, thus no way to support our opinions. My unsubstantiated comments are just as valid as your. You simply can not prove me wrong. Of coarse you have every right to express your unsubstantiated opinions.

I simply got tired of hearing about the U pods and thought I would call someone out on the subject.

Brian

[NonNewtonic]

And what actually makes you think that?

I base my opinion on the fact that we have no scientific way to separated the wondrous U pod's performance from the rest of the car, thus no way to support our opinions. My unsubstantiated comments are just as valid as your. You simply can not prove me wrong. Of coarse you have every right to express your unsubstantiated opinions.

I simply got tired of hearing about the U pods and thought I would call someone out on the subject.

Brian

Brian in reality teams do know what are they doing there is always a reason behind is just that weather we could realise it or not. To retain or not the U sidepods depends on what McLaren thinks weather the design had worked as they expected and weather they still want to retain certain concept or theory on their future car so no point debating here since we don't know the reasons behind.

[Mandrake]

I'd rate the MP4-26 a 8,5 out of 10, the same score I have in mind for the RB7.

Why so? - Both the 26 and RB7 had their moments of superior performance over the rival car. Both cars had flaws, so none of them was perfect.

The huge difference in WCC points came from very little experience with the car, driver blackouts and strategic mistakes at McLaren.

The car was a very good one, albeit a different concept. I bet you, had McLaren had the experience with the car they have now after the season beofre the season started, they would have taken the fight up to the last race with RedBull.....carryover concept from 2010 gave RedBull the edge!