Vodafone McLaren MP4-27 Mercedes

[beelsebob]

reliability is not the focus of their presense at this test

Well, it sort of is, right? Even if they are testing alternative conceptual exhausts, they do need to know they are reliable otherwise they won't be useful.

Not really – They did a good few laps yesterday, they know well that the car works reliably, but that they have an issue with the floor burning. They now just need to test out things to figure out what's quick and what's not. This is far from last year – last year they were doing 8 laps in entire days, this year they're doing roughly as many laps as everyone else (though slightly fewer early this morning).

Panicing at this point would be akin to panicing because RBR didn't have a car on track for most of yesterday morning.

[Gridlock]

I still want someone (c'mon Joe!) to hunt down Charlie and ask some searching questions.. The most valuable thing we could get right now would be a clue from the FIA as to who is developing a legal car and who is 'firefighting' by sawing off bodywork and reshaping exhausts

[horse]

they know well that the car works reliably, but that they have an issue with the floor burning.

You're contradicting yourself there. The car going on fire would not be reliable, as Renault found out last year, lol.

Anyway, I have no idea whether it's planned or not. But they are the team that loves data collection, so I'm a bit surprised that they had planned to do so few laps this morning.

'firefighting'

That's what I mean!!!

[Raptor22]

the FIA is only going to recommend that a development path is best abandonned when its becomes abundantly clear that someone is clearly outside eh regulations. that is really only going to happen toward the endof the first drivers session in the car at the end of the 3rd test.

Australia may be a busy place for the Melbourne race stewards and the FIA Technical delegate

[A13EX_f]

Testing and practice before grand prix is sort of like playing poker you don't reveal anything until quali / race I think last year redbull and vettel were very good at this kind of thing and managed to pull out something special in qualifying. I can't see any of the top teams revealing their true pace or exact race spec cars until the first race. mclaren seem to be trying all sorts of things with their exhausts to see which one works best.

[beelsebob]

they know well that the car works reliably, but that they have an issue with the floor burning.

You're contradicting yourself there. The car going on fire would not be reliable, as Renault found out last year, lol.

Not at all – They know that all the parts are working well, except for the floor which needs a bit more heat proofing... That's the car working reliably, except one part, which they know about. They now need to test something other than "can we get the car to run reliably"

[horse]

They know that all the parts are working well

How do they know this? How many race distances have they done? Don't you think that having one part of the car setting fire to another part hinders their efforts to check the reliability of the whole package?

[beelsebob]

They know that all the parts are working well

How do they know this? How many race distances have they done? Don't you think that having one part of the car setting fire to another part hinders their efforts to check the reliability of the whole package?

They've done one and a half race distances in a day and a half... Last year they hadn't even done 1 race distance in a day.

While you're panicking... Why are you not panicking about Toro Rosso, Force India, Lotus, or Sauber, who have all done similar numbers of laps to McLaren.

[horse]

While you're panicking... Why are you not panicking about Toro Rosso, Force India, Lotus, or Sauber, who have all done similar numbers of laps to McLaren.

I'm not panicking, I just don't like the flexibility applied to the term reliable.

Something can't be reliable and broken at the same time.

Grrr.

[mozza_84]

could the fact there not showing there hand be because of there exhaust concept maybe they dont want teams moaning and complaining if they start showing blistering pace?

[beelsebob]

While you're panicking... Why are you not panicking about Toro Rosso, Force India, Lotus, or Sauber, who have all done similar numbers of laps to McLaren.

I'm not panicking, I just don't like the flexibility applied to the term reliable.

Something can't be reliable and broken at the same time.

Grrr.

Sure it can – 90% of the parts can be reliable, 10% can be broken... Simple.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

McLaren doing some real testing now! Right click>view image

[horse]

Sure it can – 90% of the parts can be reliable, 10% can be broken... Simple.

This is a very silly argument (that we are having).

Nonetheless, in F1 terms that 10% of broken things usually mean the car has stopped, hence making the car as a whole unreliable.

Just because the radio is working when the wheels have fallen off does not mean the team have done a great job.

McLaren doing some real testing now!

Nice to see the pitot strake back in action!

EDIT: For clarity.

[Gridlock]

I hope she's as fast as she looks, because that's the best looking MP4 car for a few years. Shame about the rear wing, but to be the only car that doesn't look like it lost a fistfight and still be fast.... Fingers crossed!

[Pup]

I only worry about the number of laps if its steadily under 40 or 50 for the day. Over 80 or 90 = a good sign of reliability; and in between, just normal testing.

Button has over 70 so far today, so .

Also, Mac's MO seems to be that they do comparison work in the AM, which means more garage time. Then they do fuel and tire runs in the afternoon, with maybe a few speed stints at the end.