[ 2020 ] Mclaren F1 Team - Renault

[_cerber1]

Seidl's great interview. Through a translator.

https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/for ... k-zukunft/

[SmallSoldier]

Seidl's great interview. Through a translator.

https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/for ... k-zukunft/

Translation for those that couldn’t follow the link:

McLaren is a hot contender for the third place in the world championship. Team boss Andreas Seidl talks about the strengths and weaknesses of the team and car - and looks ahead to 2021, 2022.

How do you sum up the halfway point of the season? Has McLaren achieved the goals set for 2020?

Seidl: Quite clearly. We have taken the next step as a team and with the car. This is the prerequisite for us to get back to where McLaren used to be - namely to fight for the top again. That is why I draw a positive interim conclusion. We are third in the championship. We didn't expect that before the season. At the same time, we are aware that we have many points where we need to improve. The benchmark is Mercedes. We have clear deficits, both operationally and with the car, which we know. We will not be blinded by the good results. On average, we have the fourth-best car in terms of vehicle performance. That is a step forward compared to 2019, when we came fourth, but on average we had the fifth fastest car.

In 2019 the car was too dependent on track layout, weather and tyres. In 2020 the consistency is better, isn't it?

Seidl: That is one of our strengths compared to the others in the midfield. We have a car with which we were always able to get into Q3 regardless of the track layout. We can always score good points on Sunday. Renault and Ferrari have more significant fluctuations in their performances. This shows that we have a good basis with our car. Our drivers always deliver when it counts. We have also made progress in terms of race strategy and its implementation together with the drivers - who do a great job at the race starts when it comes to overtaking, who don't make mistakes. We have achieved a huge improvement in terms of durability. In 2019 we had some issues - both on the team and the drive side. So far we have only had one failure. The hard work over the winter has paid off.

How much better is the car?

Seidl: We have our matrix, which keeps the distance to Mercedes. We have been able to reduce the distance to them ourselves. Not by much, but still. Compared to Red Bull we have reduced the gap by a lot. This shows that we are doing very well on the development side under the leadership of James Key.

What progress are we talking about?

Seidl: The gap to Mercedes is on average just over one second. We have made a few tenths with the car over the winter.

What kind of team did you find when you started work in May 2019 and how does it look today?

Seidl: Basically, I have to say that some of the decisions made before I arrived have already borne fruit. The team was already much better off by car than in previous years. That made it easier for me to get started. I was able to analyse the weaknesses in peace and quiet and work out a plan for how we want to tackle the next few years. Thanks to the good performance I didn't have my back to the wall from day one - together with James Key, Andrea Stella and Piers Thynne. I think my three leaders and I have managed to give the whole team a clear direction, to point out the weaknesses in the team and the car so that we all work in one direction. The energy that slumbers in such a team has been concentrated. The spirit we have on the track and in the factory is the basis for progress.

Where are the deficits on the car?

Seidl: Compared to Mercedes everywhere. Our biggest weakness is still the slow corners. That's where we lose most of our time compared to the competition. We are working on it - both on the aerodynamic and the mechanical side.

How realistic is third place in the World Championship?

Seidl: Racing Point has the stronger car on average. Nevertheless, I believe that we can fight for third place with our drivers, the team performance and with our further developments. We are not only fighting against Racing Point. Renault has made good progress since Spa. It will be about the developments. And about making the most of the race weekends. We need to get the qualifying sessions into the box, move into Q3 and maximise the races on Sunday - in terms of strategy, pit stops and durability.

Racing Point has had only the 2021 car in the wind tunnel for several weeks now? What else comes from McLaren?

Seidl: At the moment we are still driving on two tracks. But we will be making the switch to 2021 in the foreseeable future. We are planning further upgrades for the second half of the season and are also looking positively towards 2021. In Mugello we have tested experimental parts with which we want to confirm a certain direction of development. If it turns out positive, we want to get them to the car quickly.

You will switch to Mercedes engines in 2021. What does that do for lap time?

Seidl: I am not allowed to say anything about that. You are the benchmark in this sport. There is nothing better for us than having their powertrain. Then we know exactly where we stand with the team and the car. That is the best possible reference.

Many development areas are frozen for 2021. But there are a few larger cuts in the underbody and diffuser. Could there be bigger shifts than one would initially assume?

Seidl: Let's leave Mercedes and Red Bull with Max Verstappen outside. It's so tight in midfield. I believe that with the freedom that is still available in aerodynamics plus the different applications of the token system, the balance of power could well shift.

How great is the anticipation for Daniel Ricciardo?

Seidl: It is great, of course. He is a multiple race winner and therefore a reference that we in the team are currently still lacking. At the same time, I have to say that an important component for our strong performance in 2019 and currently our strong driver pairing is a major factor. We will definitely not deteriorate with Daniel. He has shown that with the right material he can win and compete against the best in this sport.

How do you see Norris compared to Verstappen or Leclerc?

Seidl: You can only compare the drivers if they are in the same car. You must not forget that this is only the second year for Lando in Formula 1. With everything we have seen so far and the jump he has made this season, he has everything he needs to become a top driver.

Where has he improved?

Seidl: In the qualifying in 2019 he was already strong. Basically he has developed as a personality. And of course also as a driver in the approach to race weekends. In the preparation together with the engineers he took a step forward. He has also improved in managing his energy level over a very intensive season. He is even more consistent. Especially in the races he has made a step. How he does the starts, how aggressively he goes into the first round; in terms of tyre management and strategic overview. What stands out is the error rate, which is virtually zero.

McLaren has invested a lot of money in new equipment. Why is it still stuck with the pit stops?

Seidl: This is an area where we are not yet where we want to be. If we compare between 2019 and 2020, I am happy with our development on the equipment side. We have not yet experienced a catastrophic pit stop this year. In 2019, cars lost their wheels twice and drivers had to park. We are more robust on the road. At the same time we have lost speed and consistency. Unfortunately there is no shortcut. We are working hard to constantly improve and get back on the speed. In the last few races we have managed to consistently do pit stops under three seconds. In Monza we achieved the second and third fastest tyre change despite a double stop. We are on the right track.

What are the infrastructure projects like the wind tunnel and simulator doing?

Seidl: We have a clear plan of what we want to do within the restrictions imposed by the budget cap, also on the investment side. It is clear that we have deficits compared to the big teams - Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and also Renault. The biggest project is the renewal of our wind tunnel in Woking. I expect it to take another two years to complete. It will have no impact on the 2022 car. At the same time, I am optimistic that once the investment phase is complete, we will have the infrastructure together to have the same tools as the top teams. This is a prerequisite for fighting for race wins again in the future.

What is the roadmap?

Seidl: We must remain realistic until the infrastructure is in place. We still have many points where we need to improve. I would be happy if we could fight for victories in 2023, 2024.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Mclarensenna]

"Seidl: We have a clear plan of what we want to do within the restrictions imposed by the budget cap, also on the investment side. It is clear that we have deficits compared to the big teams - Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and also Renault. The biggest project is the renewal of our wind tunnel in Woking. I expect it to take another two years to complete. It will have no impact on the 2022 car. "

So the new wind tunnel will not have any impact until the 2023 Mclaren. Seems like a long road ahead still for Mclaren to get back to the top.

[proteus]

Atleast they are realistic and honest about it. Something they lacked during previous era.

[ThePapayaJaguar]

https://www.essentiallysports.com/f1-ne ... llo-crash/

There's good news and bad news.

Bad news is: "From a production standpoint, we lost significant parts over the weekend at Mugello which need backfilling and preparing ahead of the flyaway to Sochi" from Piers Thynne (production director).

Good news is: “The entire factory in all areas and on all shifts are continuing to rise to the challenge to work as one unified team. To push parts and developments out to the team at track, to ensure we have every opportunity to consolidate and improve". It seems that we should be expect to see updates this weekend.

[M840TR]

https://www.essentiallysports.com/f1-ne ... llo-crash/

There's good news and bad news.

Bad news is: "From a production standpoint, we lost significant parts over the weekend at Mugello which need backfilling and preparing ahead of the flyaway to Sochi" from Piers Thynne (production director).

Good news is: “The entire factory in all areas and on all shifts are continuing to rise to the challenge to work as one unified team. To push parts and developments out to the team at track, to ensure we have every opportunity to consolidate and improve". It seems that we should be expect to see updates this weekend.

Hardly news.

[ThePapayaJaguar]

https://www.essentiallysports.com/f1-ne ... llo-crash/

There's good news and bad news.

Bad news is: "From a production standpoint, we lost significant parts over the weekend at Mugello which need backfilling and preparing ahead of the flyaway to Sochi" from Piers Thynne (production director).

Good news is: “The entire factory in all areas and on all shifts are continuing to rise to the challenge to work as one unified team. To push parts and developments out to the team at track, to ensure we have every opportunity to consolidate and improve". It seems that we should be expect to see updates this weekend.

Hardly news.

Yeah, honestly updates should be expected. Hoping that they can improve mechanical grip and sensitivity to tailwinds this season.

[ThePapayaJaguar]

https://www.essentiallysports.com/f1-ne ... llo-crash/

There's good news and bad news.

Bad news is: "From a production standpoint, we lost significant parts over the weekend at Mugello which need backfilling and preparing ahead of the flyaway to Sochi" from Piers Thynne (production director).

Good news is: “The entire factory in all areas and on all shifts are continuing to rise to the challenge to work as one unified team. To push parts and developments out to the team at track, to ensure we have every opportunity to consolidate and improve". It seems that we should be expect to see updates this weekend.

Hardly news.

Yeah, honestly updates this weekend should be expected. Hoping that they can improve mechanical grip and sensitivity to tailwinds this season.

[Big Tea]

https://www.essentiallysports.com/f1-ne ... llo-crash/
.

Good news is: “The entire factory in all areas and on all shifts are continuing to rise to the challenge to work as one unified team.

So it sounds like Freddo's all round

Seriously though, the team spirit does seem far better at Mclaren than it was 'not so long ago'. That's nice to see.
A happy and involved team is far more productive than a confused team and it shows.

[diffuser]

"Seidl: We have a clear plan of what we want to do within the restrictions imposed by the budget cap, also on the investment side. It is clear that we have deficits compared to the big teams - Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and also Renault. The biggest project is the renewal of our wind tunnel in Woking. I expect it to take another two years to complete. It will have no impact on the 2022 car. "

So the new wind tunnel will not have any impact until the 2023 Mclaren. Seems like a long road ahead still for Mclaren to get back to the top.

I don't think that will make a big difference. The old Toyota windtunnel works fine, it's just a inconveniance. The budget equaluization with the Mercs, RBR and Ferrari coming next year is far more important. Going from a 50% difference in budget to 10-20 M difference is HUGE.

[diffuser]

Hardly news.

Yeah, honestly updates this weekend should be expected. Hoping that they can improve mechanical grip and sensitivity to tailwinds this season.

Think they need to get that new nose in this weekend or wait till 2022. So I think they're trying to get that structure in first. They'll worry about making use of that later.

[the EDGE]

Yeah, honestly updates this weekend should be expected. Hoping that they can improve mechanical grip and sensitivity to tailwinds this season.

Think they need to get that new nose in this weekend or wait till 2022. So I think they're trying to get that structure in first. They'll worry about making use of that later.

The homologation date is the 30th sept. So in effect I believe they can choose what they want to homologate and register with FIA by then, and then they have to run it from then on, ie from the first race after that date which would be Germany

I don’t believe the parts have to have been used previously to the 30th, or on the car at Sochi

That said, I would find it strange if Mclaren choose to homologate an un-tested nose, albeit they would have 5 races to change their mind and revert to a previous specification if they chose

So perhaps we will see McLaren testing it again this weekend

[trinidefender]

"Seidl: We have a clear plan of what we want to do within the restrictions imposed by the budget cap, also on the investment side. It is clear that we have deficits compared to the big teams - Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and also Renault. The biggest project is the renewal of our wind tunnel in Woking. I expect it to take another two years to complete. It will have no impact on the 2022 car. "

So the new wind tunnel will not have any impact until the 2023 Mclaren. Seems like a long road ahead still for Mclaren to get back to the top.

I don't think that will make a big difference. The old Toyota windtunnel works fine, it's just a inconveniance. The budget equaluization with the Mercs, RBR and Ferrari coming next year is far more important. Going from a 50% difference in budget to 10-20 M difference is HUGE.

From a pure performance gain perspective the Toyota wind tunnel was built years ago and is very outdated by now, such is the pace of F1 development. Apart from the software and data processing capabilities being well outdated, the physical hardware of the tunnel is also old. Airflow near the wall, how well the rolling road works, how flexible the tunnel is to putting pitch, roll, yaw, ride height steering angle, maybe even simulating bumps and how the airflow is affected with tyres moving up and down on a car etc. There are so many variables that the older tunnels won't be able to replicate as well.

Completely separate from that is the distance. Constantly having to move parts from McLaren to the tunnel and back is both expensive and even more importantly, time consuming.

I think if Seidl and James Key think it's worth it then I'm inclined to agree. Even Jost Capito said the same thing when he was there for a few months as well.

[Jolle]

"Seidl: We have a clear plan of what we want to do within the restrictions imposed by the budget cap, also on the investment side. It is clear that we have deficits compared to the big teams - Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and also Renault. The biggest project is the renewal of our wind tunnel in Woking. I expect it to take another two years to complete. It will have no impact on the 2022 car. "

So the new wind tunnel will not have any impact until the 2023 Mclaren. Seems like a long road ahead still for Mclaren to get back to the top.

I don't think that will make a big difference. The old Toyota windtunnel works fine, it's just a inconveniance. The budget equaluization with the Mercs, RBR and Ferrari coming next year is far more important. Going from a 50% difference in budget to 10-20 M difference is HUGE.

From a pure performance gain perspective the Toyota wind tunnel was built years ago and is very outdated by now, such is the pace of F1 development. Apart from the software and data processing capabilities being well outdated, the physical hardware of the tunnel is also old. Airflow near the wall, how well the rolling road works, how flexible the tunnel is to putting pitch, roll, yaw, ride height steering angle, maybe even simulating bumps and how the airflow is affected with tyres moving up and down on a car etc. There are so many variables that the older tunnels won't be able to replicate as well.

Completely separate from that is the distance. Constantly having to move parts from McLaren to the tunnel and back is both expensive and even more importantly, time consuming.

I think if Seidl and James Key think it's worth it then I'm inclined to agree. Even Jost Capito said the same thing when he was there for a few months as well.

I wonder how much actual physical interaction there is between the designers, model makers and wind tunnel operators. I could imagine that for efficiency they would have the model workshop near the wind tunnel.

[Big Tea]

"Seidl: We have a clear plan of what we want to do within the restrictions imposed by the budget cap, also on the investment side. It is clear that we have deficits compared to the big teams - Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and also Renault. The biggest project is the renewal of our wind tunnel in Woking. I expect it to take another two years to complete. It will have no impact on the 2022 car. "

So the new wind tunnel will not have any impact until the 2023 Mclaren. Seems like a long road ahead still for Mclaren to get back to the top.

I don't think that will make a big difference. The old Toyota windtunnel works fine, it's just a inconveniance. The budget equaluization with the Mercs, RBR and Ferrari coming next year is far more important. Going from a 50% difference in budget to 10-20 M difference is HUGE.

From a pure performance gain perspective the Toyota wind tunnel was built years ago and is very outdated by now, such is the pace of F1 development. Apart from the software and data processing capabilities being well outdated, the physical hardware of the tunnel is also old. Airflow near the wall, how well the rolling road works, how flexible the tunnel is to putting pitch, roll, yaw, ride height steering angle, maybe even simulating bumps and how the airflow is affected with tyres moving up and down on a car etc. There are so many variables that the older tunnels won't be able to replicate as well.

Completely separate from that is the distance. Constantly having to move parts from McLaren to the tunnel and back is both expensive and even more importantly, time consuming.

I think if Seidl and James Key think it's worth it then I'm inclined to agree. Even Jost Capito said the same thing when he was there for a few months as well.

I know there are the obvious reasons of pure size, but why are 60% tests used instead of full size?
If you have a plane with 80 mtr wingspan etc I can understand it, but surly the difference between a 1 mtr wide model and a 2 mtr wide model can not be astronomical, especially if you consider the processing of a model to 'the real thing' ?

Is it such a huge difference if you consider what else could be tested in the tunnel?

Edit, I do know it is mandated, that's not what I mean.