McLaren MP4-26 Mercedes

[balalev]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8YZAiKWd1A

simulator

[adrianjordan]

I wish people would stop misinterpreting races with this 'race pace' nonsense. The fact is that you are never going to see a dominant car a good thirty seconds or a minute down the road now because teams have to conserve fuel and preserve the engines and gearboxes for further races. They can't afford to take too much out of the engines because of the loss of power that results and they can't afford to have a DNF anywhere with them or the gearbox. So, they build a reasonable gap between themselves and those behind and they simply manage it and drive well within their limits.

I see what you're saying, but the same applies to all cars. All the teams have to consider these factors so it's not just the leading car that this applies to.

Or are you saying that the Red Bull is more fragile than the McLaren?

[myurr]

@segedunum - whilst the ultimate qualifying pace of the car is often closely related to the pace at which the car can run a race distance there are some important differences. Different cars will handle better with high fuel loads than when they're light, they'll have different tyre degradation rates, some will handle when not being pushed to the ultimate limit (i.e. cruising at 99% in the race), etc.

It has always been so and always will be.

[McG]

Looks like it might be similar to last year but with the main differences inflated.

Can McLaren gain more downforce and will RedBull use KERS? I think yes to both! But I think RedBull will continue to be the fastest in qualifying but not by as much as in Oz.

Remember it was only one RedBull about a second faster!

[PlatinumZealot]

Just want to clarify that Mclaren are no longer developing the octbox to race this year. Whitmarsh has confirmed this ever sice they copiedthe RBR exhaust. He said it was no worth the resources. Maybe we might see it next year.

[Owen.C93]

Just want to clarify that Mclaren are no longer developing the octbox to race this year. Whitmarsh has confirmed this ever sice they copiedthe RBR exhaust. He said it was no worth the resources. Maybe we might see it next year.

He actually said they would revisit it when they have a chance, which he implied was after they made the improvements for Malaysia.

Not that I believe they will bring it back soon, but I think they will give it another go in FP at some point if they can find a suitable material to manufacture with.

[Shrieker]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8YZAiKWd1A

simulator

Just been to rfacor turning a few(60 ) laps at Sepang. I'd love to try that thing !!!

Paffet: "Don't break it!"

Priceless

[raymondu999]

Hey guys. I know I'm going on a slight limb here, but bear with me please. A lot of people are saying how the blade roll hoop like the W01 last year or the Findia this year or the Lotus this year could get problems under yaw. Seeing as the McL sidepods also are separating the air into 2 channels (one over the left sidepod, one over the right sidepod) would yaw be an issue in circuits with fast corners? We didn't really see much in Melbourne, but there are only two really "fast" corners if you think about it, on Turns 11 and 12. Say, for example, Turn 5 at Sepang, Turn 8 at Istanbul, or Turn 3 at Barcelona. Would that be an issue?

[NoDivergence]

Mentioned many times before and NO, IT IS NO PROBLEM IN TERMS OF YAW (McLaren are well aware as mentioned in the simulator video). The blade hoop's primary problem is that if you get to too high of a yaw, it is possible that only one side of the intake is getting as much air as needed.

Conjecture:
For the U pods, yaw stability is fine as the engine cover and upturned sidepod outer edge (acting somewhat like a barge board) have significant planform area (learned from stability and control in classes, one reason why shark fins were so prevalent). Yaw would force some air toward the U channel (most extremely high yaw angle flow will be blocked by the upturned section of the sidepod, the rest will be forced into the channel after being blocked by the engine cover). Flow would be contained and maintained to be fairly laminar by the channel and freestream airflow moving around the winglet and side mirror supports. Any headwind yaw would have the effect of increasing the relative velocity and making the sidepod shape even more effective to its design criteria.

[PlatinumZealot]

Yes.. Yaw is not a problem because for the other teams air wouldn't be in that area any way. In fact, the channel in the side pod makes the air less susceptible to yaw. The opposite of a channel is the blade hoop, which is a ridge or partition.

[TRICKLE69]

McLaren MP4-26 - revised exhaust layout 27 March 2011

Both Ferrari and McLaren have followed Red Bull in the layout of their exhaust systems, but while the Scuderia had theirs on the car at the last Barcelona test, complete with new sidepods and aero package, the Woking team only prepared their new pieces in time for Australian Grand Prix. The exhausts are longer and blow into a cut-out outside section of the diffuser (as on the Red Bull). Another change is that the diffuser is now made in titanium (highly resistant to heat), using a quick prototyping technique.

This was here --> http://www.formula1.com/news/technical/ ... 4/845.html on the F1 website and this does confirm the diffuser has been made of Titanium...I would have thought 100% it was carbon with the Zircotec coating but I guess not.

[warmasice]

So i was on McLaren's Russian website comparing the MP4-26 to the Red Bull (side by side comparison is available on their site), and strangely came across this...

http://mclarenf-1.com/index.php?page=srs&s=9

..why would they have that there? Can't be doing any good for their image can it?!

[void1]

Why on earth would you think that's an official, McLaren-sanctioned website?

[feynman]

Why on earth would you think that's an official, McLaren-sanctioned website?

And now do those that were complaining about Ford and the F150 finally get the point, and begin to see what happens when people play fast and loose with other company's trademarks.
The confusion that can occur when trademarks and logos are not vigorously protected and defended from dilution and potential damage.

[Muulka]

I'm pretty sure that Kobayashi got a grid penalty last year for not coming in to be weighed. Can't remember where though....

Yep, I too remember that, but I too (wierdly!) can't be sure where it was.

I remember seeing a marshall/FIA official in the pitlane gesturing Kobayashi to turn into the FIA garage but he didn't. IIRC he was already annoyed about something, and I think in the heat of the moment he failed to see the bloke.

After a bit of searching, I've found out that it was at Hungary. He was annoyed because someone on an in-lap blocked his fast lap. The fact that neither of us could remember where it was just shows how little excitement there is in Hungary....