Mclaren MP4-31 Honda Speculation Thread

[i70q7m7ghw]

Arai was quoted recently as saying that the boys at Sakura won't get much if any Christmas holiday as they are practically redesigning the PU from scratch. If they still plan on running a compact design it will be interesting to see what they've come up with to fix the Turbo Compressor/MGU-H.

Source for quote please? If they are only just starting to redesign the thing now then they are screwed. I find it very hard to believe they sat around doing nothing all year and are only now just starting to redesign the PU, surely it has already been redesigned, heck they should have already had it on the dyno already...

[Joseki]

Arai was quoted recently as saying that the boys at Sakura won't get much if any Christmas holiday as they are practically redesigning the PU from scratch. If they still plan on running a compact design it will be interesting to see what they've come up with to fix the Turbo Compressor/MGU-H.

Source for quote please? If they are only just starting to redesign the thing now then they are screwed. I find it very hard to believe they sat around doing nothing all year and are only now just starting to redesign the PU, surely it has already been redesigned, heck they should have already had it on the dyno already...

I don't think he meant they are starting now, I believe they started pretty much mid-season to work on next year's power unit.

[PlatinumZealot]

THe new engine should be on the dyno by now doing reliability testing.

[Wazari]

THe new engine should be on the dyno by now doing reliability testing.

It is.

[VFC_Cipher]

I don't trust the Honda dyno program. They ran thousands of miles on the 2015 spec engine, right? If that is the case did they only run with the ICE and not the completed power unit? Seems you need to run simulated throttle positions and loads (among a thousand other parameters) from ALL 2015 tracks to measure and assure, prior to installation in the car, that you have the correct amount of MGU-H harvesting and flow between the MGU-H and MGU-K and ES to make damn sure they have all their calculations right AND are reliable.

Or, I am an idiot and don't really understand these new power units or dyno testing. (which is not hard to fathom)

[Joseki]

I saw on Twitter someone reporting JB saying they expect to be 2 second faster next year, IF it turns out to be true than they'll be probably in a fight with Williams for P5.

[GoranF1]

I saw on Twitter someone reporting JB saying they expect to be 2 second faster next year, IF it turns out to be true than they'll be probably in a fight with Williams for P5.

Alonso,when angry brings 0,6 of a second.

EDIT: link to tweet?

[GoranF1]

found it...

http://www.topgear.com/car-news/motorsp ... re-freedom

TG: Clearly your thoughts are now firmly focused on 2016. Jenson told us earlier thatan improvement of up to two seconds per lap was feasible.
FA: I agree with that. Maybe even more than that.

TG: Really?

FA: Yes. But everyone will improve between half a second and a second. That’s the normal step top teams can do over the winter.

For us being two seconds off the pace, we need to do much more than that, and the power unit will be the main thing to unlock this potential. Radical changes in the power unit in terms of design and philosophy, we know the deficit on the straights.

All the solutions we have identified will bring a big improvement in lap time.

http://www.topgear.com/car-news/motorsp ... e-just-not

TG: We’re hearing next year’s McLaren-Honda might be up to two seconds per lap faster than the ’15 car?
JB: I think that’s possible. There are certain things that bring a massive amount of lap time that are sorted for next year already, stuff you can’t simply bolt on during the season. It’s looking very positive.

[GoranF1]

[damager21]

THe new engine should be on the dyno by now doing reliability testing.

It is.

Wazari san, do you believe the new ERS which Honda is developing is ready and is also getting tested on the dyno or is it just the update ICE, TC and Compressor?

[Wazari]

From my understanding, they have been testing combinations of 3 different ICE configurations (combustion chamber designs) along with two different turbocharger set ups since a week before AD. I have not heard anything about testing the ERS system. I am also under the belief that they just got in their hands the new MGU-H unit for further development and testing.

[hemichromis]

The two turbocharger designs are Mercedes style with compressor at the front or a larger compressor still within the V possibly moved up an inch to allow room. The latter is the favoured option. Correct??

[Wazari]

The two turbocharger designs are Mercedes style with compressor at the front or a larger compressor still within the V possibly moved up an inch to allow room. The latter is the favoured option. Correct??

I believe two versions of the latter version.

[hemichromis]

Not entirely surprised by that, no one has so far tried to copy Mercedes, Ferrari changed things for 2015 but still kept the compressor at the back. Either it is too difficult or the other manufacturers believe it's not the only way to produce the required power. I expect the latter.

Anyway i am still excited by the Honda project and fully expect them to match this years Mercedes engine power if not reliability.

[GoranF1]

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/newey ... -for-2016/