2024 Mclaren Formula 1 Team

[Gillian]

Lando needs a high caliber sports psycologist.

To me it has been very abvoius that his weekest point since day 1 has been his mental strength. If he can work around this, he will be up there with the greats.

Oscar and Verstappen are IMO two of the strongest mentally. Usually, the difference between a great athlete and the greatest is mental strength.

I really don't know how you can put Oscar in that category when he hasn't faced any type of championship-level pressure thus far. Hamilton and Verstappen sure. Piastri is composed but let's slow down putting him up there just yet.

He is just a fast learner with that strength. Most casual F1 watchers don't get how difficult the process of learning the current spec of Pirellis with the Venturi designs actually is. The key thing to see in Oscar's evolution from this race was how he worked hard to get around Leclerc, distanced him, then spent a couple of laps getting his tyres back in order. Then came the charge - woulda coulda shoulda but - he came home with a flourish and a speed to win if the race had been 2 laps longer. Lando had a scruffy race, Oscar was sublime, equal best drive with Lewis I'd say. Mentally bulletproof kid.

It does seem that way for sure. He used to take to much out of the tire on the initial laps which would hurt his pace later in the stint but he seems to have figured that out now. I'm very impressed with Piastri and hope he can keep improving. Mclaren can be very happy with him (and Norris as well, eventhough he is a bit sloppy, still extremely fast).

[mwillems]

Quite strange frankly. They did have tire offset as Lando went to pits later than Verstappen but they also had hards to put on and Verstappen had to go medium. Undercutting him would work as Verstappen can't respond early due to mediums.

Seems like the McLaren pit wall have an obsession with running longer stints to gain tyre delta. Sure it works sometimes but what's wrong with the classic undercut when overtaking on track is really difficult - like here? Just seems there is a one dimensional inflexible nature to their strategy.

Spa is considered one of the easiest tracks to overtake in the calendar… if there is a race where a tire delta is useful is this one… It didn’t work out and it was mainly due to still struggling with T1, Lando would lose 0.3 on average on T1 alone, keeping him too far from Max to make use of the DRS (or in other words, Max was really good at T1 and didn’t made one mistake taking that corner for as long as Lando was following).

It simply wasn’t a great weekend for Lando and the Team… But the MCL38 even when fast and capable of fighting at the front, isn’t a car with a huge delta to the rest of the field… Specially not Red Bull (when driven by Max)

It was only in the race when the full effect became clear of the FIA shortening the DRS zone on Thursday. So it is something that became apparent as the race progressed but was still apparent before the final pitstops, so I think they understood the challenge of getting past. But clearly the RB had more pace than they realised as Max was managing a slower pace until he was told that Lando was pushing. A bit strange that Max was going at such a slow pace on the tyres too, not quite sure why that was.

I'd say it was a decent weekend for the team. We gained on all our rivals in the WCC and Oscar got second with a strong performance, might have got first if he'd nailed his stop, or at least had a chance to attack Hamilton for the win for several laps.

Lando had a not great weekend however as he dropped further back against Max and scuppered his race at the start and didn't have great performance over the weekend. Strategy could have been better, but I don't think it was as calamitous as some suggest on here.

[bauc]

So now McLaren is within a 1-2 finish behind Red Bull in the WCC!

I think they can do it if they continue like that! Norris is way off Verstappen's WDC…he isn’t making any inroads and his psychology after every single race is so low that he can’t go on like that in a championship battle!

Well yes, we will need to cut their lead by 4.3 points (lets make it 5) per race in the last 10 races to go in order to win this thing!

Lets GO Mclaren!

[CjC]

So now McLaren is within a 1-2 finish behind Red Bull in the WCC!

I think they can do it if they continue like that! Norris is way off Verstappen's WDC…he isn’t making any inroads and his psychology after every single race is so low that he can’t go on like that in a championship battle!

Well yes, we will need to cut their lead by 4.3 points (lets make it 5) per race in the last 10 races to go in order to win this thing!

Lets GO Mclaren!

Totally correct but what would be even better is if Mclaren could start winning the Grand Prix when they have the golden opportunities

[bauc]

So now McLaren is within a 1-2 finish behind Red Bull in the WCC!

I think they can do it if they continue like that! Norris is way off Verstappen's WDC…he isn’t making any inroads and his psychology after every single race is so low that he can’t go on like that in a championship battle!

Well yes, we will need to cut their lead by 4.3 points (lets make it 5) per race in the last 10 races to go in order to win this thing!

Lets GO Mclaren!

Totally correct but what would be even better is if Mclaren could start winning the Grand Prix when they have the golden opportunities

We will never know, we can only hope to what can/could happen now

[enkidu1978]

Wouldn't it have been great if they one stopped Lando. 🫤

[mclaren111]

The shortening of DRS by 75 meters screwed everything...

[Zaamy]

Mentions upgrades for after summer break

[bauc]

The shortening of DRS by 75 meters screwed everything...

Nah bro, we just did not deliver here that is all.

The DRS was too powerful before, now its a nice balance.

[bauc]

Mentions upgrades for after summer break

Hopefully they will deliver, but what matters the most at this point is, can Lando do the same?

[CjC]

Mentions upgrades for after summer break

For me, McLaren are due a new floor and diffuser soon- hopefully they can deliver and get it right first time as Ferrari and Mercedes have proved its looking easier and easier to introduce the dreaded porpoising again

[mwillems]

The shortening of DRS by 75 meters screwed everything...

The shortening of the DRS zone reduced our DRS disadvantage. Strategy and a car not fast enough stopped the overtake.

[SmallSoldier]

Seems like the McLaren pit wall have an obsession with running longer stints to gain tyre delta. Sure it works sometimes but what's wrong with the classic undercut when overtaking on track is really difficult - like here? Just seems there is a one dimensional inflexible nature to their strategy.

Spa is considered one of the easiest tracks to overtake in the calendar… if there is a race where a tire delta is useful is this one… It didn’t work out and it was mainly due to still struggling with T1, Lando would lose 0.3 on average on T1 alone, keeping him too far from Max to make use of the DRS (or in other words, Max was really good at T1 and didn’t made one mistake taking that corner for as long as Lando was following).

It simply wasn’t a great weekend for Lando and the Team… But the MCL38 even when fast and capable of fighting at the front, isn’t a car with a huge delta to the rest of the field… Specially not Red Bull (when driven by Max)

It was only in the race when the full effect became clear of the FIA shortening the DRS zone on Thursday. So it is something that became apparent as the race progressed but was still apparent before the final pitstops, so I think they understood the challenge of getting past. But clearly the RB had more pace than they realised as Max was managing a slower pace until he was told that Lando was pushing. A bit strange that Max was going at such a slow pace on the tyres too, not quite sure why that was.

I'd say it was a decent weekend for the team. We gained on all our rivals in the WCC and Oscar got second with a strong performance, might have got first if he'd nailed his stop, or at least had a chance to attack Hamilton for the win for several laps.

Lando had a not great weekend however as he dropped further back against Max and scuppered his race at the start and didn't have great performance over the weekend. Strategy could have been better, but I don't think it was as calamitous as some suggest on here.

I agree, I believe it was a decent weekend… Not the best, not the worst… Another podium for the Team, maybe I just try to acknowledge the journey the Team is on, the goal was to fight for Podiums and the occasional win, for a Team that was so behind during this era of regulations to become an “expected podium contender” is pretty amazing… A few are getting way over enthusiastic and now have expectations of wins every weekend and I guess that’s driving their disappointment when it doesn’t materialize that way, but the MCL38 isn’t a car with a huge delta to the rest of the field, it’s a car that is capable of fighting at the top end of the grid and that’s exactly what is doing.

This season is one of the closest ones in terms of performance for a bunch of Teams and it makes things harder, from a fan of F1 point of view, I’m really enjoying it.

[zxof]

Honestly, as McLaren supporter I'm thankful we're in "nice problem to have' stage.

[Ground Effect]

Red Bull keeping Checo, so the WCC fight is still very much on! Has it reported when Newey's destination is expected to be announced? From the chatter around, AMR are the firm favourites, but you never know.