McLaren MCL34 speculation thread

[M840TR]

0:51 James Key?

Paul James, team manager.

[trinidefender]

Compared to last year. Prefer this years engine note but that can be down to the microphone setup and the acoustics of the room.

[proteus]

https://twitter.com/McLarenF1/status/10 ... 00672?s=19

What makes it off for me is the general lack of enthusiasm of the people present, half of them are looking like they dont know why are they there.

I am not surprised that results are not achieved if morale is so low.

[M840TR]

https://twitter.com/McLarenF1/status/10 ... 00672?s=19

What makes it off for me is the general lack of enthusiasm of the people present, half of them are looking like they dont know why are they there.

I am not surprised that results are not achieved if morale is so low.

It's more of a cautious optimism really.

[proteus]

https://twitter.com/McLarenF1/status/10 ... 00672?s=19

What makes it off for me is the general lack of enthusiasm of the people present, half of them are looking like they dont know why are they there.

I am not surprised that results are not achieved if morale is so low.

It's more of a cautious optimism really.

All well and true, but would you not be excited to see the creation that you helped making comes to life? Or am i the only one who would get goosebumps, shivers down my spine and butterflies in my stomach?

[PhillipM]

When you build racecars for a living, no, you won't be jumping up and down screaming, you'll be stood there happy but anxiously watching everything for the slightest sign of a leak, weep, odd noise or vibration.

Source - fired my racecar up two days ago, spent the entire time listening for odd noises and desperately scanning the datalogging on the laptop to make sure everything looked normal.

The cheering comes after you switch it off and everything looks good and nothing set on fire

[charliesmithhd]

When you build racecars for a living, no, you won't be jumping up and down screaming, you'll be stood there happy but anxiously watching everything for the slightest sign of a leak, weep, odd noise or vibration.

Source - fired my racecar up two days ago, spent the entire time listening for odd noises and desperately scanning the datalogging on the laptop to make sure everything looked normal.

The cheering comes after you switch it off and everything looks good and nothing set on fire

Agreed, but I think the cheering will come after a positive race weekend

[Mansell89]

There does look to be a different feel about the place but only the people working there will truly know. All I know is the right people are heading into the right places.

We just need to cross everything and hope the Renault PU puts them at least in the ballpark of Merc and Ferrari. It would make an enormous difference to the sport as whole too.

I actually think McLaren and Renault could make good partners- both of them seem to understand they need one another to make the leaps forward necessary.

Any word on whether McLaren had any input into the gearbox side of things for this years PU? (I think it was mooted as a future venture this time last year)

[M840TR]

There does look to be a different feel about the place but only the people working there will truly know. All I know is the right people are heading into the right places.

We just need to cross everything and hope the Renault PU puts them at least in the ballpark of Merc and Ferrari. It would make an enormous difference to the sport as whole too.

I actually think McLaren and Renault could make good partners- both of them seem to understand they need one another to make the leaps forward necessary.

Any word on whether McLaren had any input into the gearbox side of things for this years PU? (I think it was mooted as a future venture this time last year)

What do you mean? They always make their own transmission.

[Just_a_fan]

https://twitter.com/McLarenF1/status/10 ... 00672?s=19

What makes it off for me is the general lack of enthusiasm of the people present, half of them are looking like they dont know why are they there.

I am not surprised that results are not achieved if morale is so low.

Whooping, hollering and high fiving is what USians do. Brits applaud politely and hope that they haven't messed something up somewhere.

[LM10]

https://twitter.com/McLarenF1/status/10 ... 00672?s=19

Might be up to mic positions and other factors, but it sounds completely different from last year's engine.

[Mansell89]

There does look to be a different feel about the place but only the people working there will truly know. All I know is the right people are heading into the right places.

We just need to cross everything and hope the Renault PU puts them at least in the ballpark of Merc and Ferrari. It would make an enormous difference to the sport as whole too.

I actually think McLaren and Renault could make good partners- both of them seem to understand they need one another to make the leaps forward necessary.

Any word on whether McLaren had any input into the gearbox side of things for this years PU? (I think it was mooted as a future venture this time last year)

What do you mean? They always make their own transmission.

My bad- I didn’t word this very well.

I was referring to McLaren helping Renault by supplying them a gearbox or helping to design one together used by both.

There were some suggestions of McLaren becoming part of Renaults PU design process but they were predicting 2020 at the earliest

[Mansell89]

Renault is open to McLaren influencing the design of its F1 engine, but says the British team is unlikely to have any impact until the partnership enters its third season.


McLaren has given up works status with Honda to join Renault's customer F1 engine programme until the end of 2020, when the current V6 rules cycle concludes.


As a works partner with Honda, McLaren influenced the design and packaging of Honda's troubled F1 engine, sending personnel to Honda's Sakura HQ and even collaborating on the design of certain electrical components of the power unit.

By returning to customer status, McLaren will now have to adjust its 2018 chassis around whatever product Renault delivers.


McLaren hopes to influence Renault's engine in a similar way to Honda as their new relationship develops, but Renault F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul told Motorsport.com the deal for 2018 came too late for McLaren to have any immediate say on engine design and packaging.

Abiteboul said Renault would be "open to their suggestion" but cautioned McLaren would probably have to wait until the final season of its initial three-year deal to hold any real sway.

"It's a bit complex," Abiteboul said. "First and foremost, we developed a complete power unit before working with McLaren, so it's not like with Honda, where Honda was dependent upon McLaren - we have the whole parameters of the power unit under our responsibility.

"I think we will take it step by step. We want to be very pragmatic. Clearly for 2018 and even 2019, it's very late for McLaren to have any influence on the hardware of the engine.

"Having said that, we want to be humble. We accept that we can improve our product, that we have to improve our product, and we will be open to their suggestion.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mcla ... 1/1390232/

[the EDGE]

I would imagine the relationship has got a lot cosier now there’s only 2 of them in the bed

[ESPImperium]

Not technical, but it looks like Charlotte Sefton has taken over from Silvia Hofner since she has taken over from Stefania Bocchi who is married to Maurizio Arrivabene, as both have left Ferrari. Charlotte will, by the looks of it be also have taken over as Lead PR for Carlos and Helen Crossley probably taking over for Lando as she has been Social Media for them for a few seasons.

Its been all change at McLaren behind the PR team has changed, and the driving and technical team has bee overhauled and refreshed. And i did hear a rumour that Mclaren has had its simulator running pretty close to 24/7 since the second or third of January with 5 drivers in the loop in Sainz, Norris, Camara, Turvey and 3 others in there that we don't know about. This has got the race drivers, their reserve driver (unknown as of yet, Alonso?) and there test and development.

I have faith that McLaren have got a special car this year, special in terms of the fact that it will be a turn around to the past 5 seasons cars and special enough that Alonso will probably take a day in the car in Barcelona Test 1. God knows what will happen if it is as good or better than what has already been rumoured with Alonso knowing that he could hustle in the thing.