Vodaphone McLaren Mercedes MP4-24

[bonjon1979]

"you buy the iPhone app and it comes with a free RC MP4-23 scale model? then you have an option to upgrade to the MP4-24? How cool is that! "

I wouldn't bother with the MP4-24 upgrade, stick to the 23...

[chasefreak]

it's the blackberry that they were talking abt not the iphone

[shir0]

it's the blackberry that they were talking abt not the iphone

dude...lighten up!

you've managed to turn something exciting into boring details...

[Afterburner]

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/03/ ... k-of-pace/



http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/03/ ... ays-massa/



Well, Massa says and even Mclaren say they're out off the pace, are they bluffing or not?

[timbo]

Well, Massa says and even Mclaren say they're out off the pace, are they bluffing or not?

Maybe they are bluffing somewhat, but it is tough to expect them to dominate the field. Also, those two crashes are not speaking for them being bluffing...

[Spencifer_Murphy]

They clearly have a problem at the rear, I said ealier I suspect they have a revised rear aero package on the way...and they have shown it.

Unfortunately it hasn't really fixed much! I'm not 100% the problem is THAT big a problem for them, and I'm fairly certain that thay'll have some form of improvement by the time we get to the season opener in Melbourne. If that's not a big enough step forward for them, then expect some new parts to be tested at the first GP in Europe.

Like I said, sadly (both as a Lewis/Mclaren fan and as a racing fan who wanted to see a five-way battle) they surely do have a problem, but I'm not 100% sure its going to cause huge problems come March 29th (It's soooo close! I can't wait!). I'm not saying it won't...just that it may not.

[Afterburner]

'McLaren in emergency talks over performance'

The McLaren team held a crisis meeting at their base in Woking yesterday, it has been revealed. Lewis Hamilton joined the meeting after returning from the Barcelona test to join team-mate Heikki Kovalainen, Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh and senior members of the team's technical crew.

Having introduced a new scheduled aerodynamic update for this week's Barcelona test - featuring modifications to the car's floor - the MP4-24 was significantly off the pace for both drivers, with Hamilton's final time of Thursday almost two full seconds slower than the fastest from Rubens Barrichello's Brawn entry.

Despite one more four-day test still to come in Jerez next week, Whitmarsh was pessimistic when describing the car's on-track displays so far: "I don't think we have done a good enough job, there is no point hiding from that face - we just have to get our heads down and work hard to fix it. We will rectify the problem as quickly as we can, even though that might not be as quickly as we would like," he is quoted as saying by The Guardian.

The lack of pace of the 'silver arrows' was only emphasised this week by the lap times of the two Brawn cars, as Button and Barrichello are powered by identical Mercedes engines to those in the McLarens. "For the moment we must assume that the Brawn is as quick as it looks and that the McLaren is as slow as we are," Whitmarsh continued. "We believe we do not have the aerodynamic performance that we need, but teasing more speed out of a Formula 1 car very seldom involves a silver bullet. We have to be realistic and pragmatic about this and it will take time to rectify the problem. However, Lewis won the World Championship with us last year and knows we have the potential to do it again."



in: http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/03/ ... rformance/

Now the speculation is over, MP4-24 it's not a contender yet.

[donskar]

Take heart, Mclaren fans -- they'll come good in the end. But will ANYONE be able to stay with Brawn? Bizarre . . .

[bidong]

Guys, can we standardize that this will be the only forum that will discuss McLaren's slump and their technological suggestions and failed/successful moments? I've been seeing a lot of useless threads lately.

[chepoi]

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/03/ ... k-of-pace/



http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/03/ ... ays-massa/



Well, Massa says and even Mclaren say they're out off the pace, are they bluffing or not?

Yes if they admit it...


and yes also if they play a mind games.... only McLaren knows.....


anyhow... just wait until the race @ Melbourne....

their engine clearly shown that Mercedes is the manufacturer to beat for 2009 season......

[Ray]

I would highly doubt they are bluffing. A team as good as McLaren don't fall off the horse that fast. Whitmarsh is right, no need to panic, that will only make things worse. A good analytical process of finding the problems and fixing them is the smart way to go. They'll be at the front. Bet on it.

[timbo]

A team as good as McLaren don't fall off the horse that fast.

It's not that it never happened to them, 2005-2006 is the most recent example.

[vall]

hmmm, I read they were not testing today because new parts failed to arrive. It really looks bad then!!! If they think it is pointless to run the current package, I am really sceptical they could improve, unless miracle happens. This seems like act of desperation????? For example, the brand new rare pack they wait from Woking starts working perfectly... But this could be a pure luck, because the development if the whole rare end takes month and I doubt they can fix that is such a short time.

Can we expect Macca to take a short in the dark and try to copy someone else rare end (that seems to work reasonable) and start from there? I know you can't move part from other card like and expect it to work, but they seem desperate

[axle]

hmmm, I read they were not testing today because new parts failed to arrive. It really looks bad then!!! If they think it is pointless to run the current package, I am really sceptical they could improve, unless miracle happens. This seems like act of desperation????? For example, the brand new rare pack they wait from Woking starts working perfectly... But this could be a pure luck, because the development if the whole rare end takes month and I doubt they can fix that is such a short time.

Can we expect Macca to take a short in the dark and try to copy someone else rare end (that seems to work reasonable) and start from there? I know you can't move part from other card like and expect it to work, but they seem desperate

1. They are still doing the same number of test days...not a massive issue.
2. Why re test old parts if new ones are coming?
3. Why waste mileage on those old parts?
4. Why create a mountain out of a molehill

[Ray]

A team as good as McLaren don't fall off the horse that fast.

It's not that it never happened to them, 2005-2006 is the most recent example.

That is true, but when the car would stay together, they were very fast. Guess I should have been more specific.