McLaren MCL36

[NiyolHuayra]

If Norris comments about 100 pts of downforce are correct, that's a lot. And surely comes mostly from the floor, since wings can only do so much on their own. Their floor sealing looked to be decent, but that doesn't tell us anything about the actual geometry underneath...

Sidepods can only do so much, once everything else is as it should be, so they can't be the reason, not even close. Also, having that big of a deficit is surely related to actual downforce requirements set for the launch spec. You can't go high enough if you don't aim high enough...

Do you think that the lack (relatively speaking) of porpoising for the McLaren from the beginning of the test is somehow related to the lower levels of downforce generated by the floor? If I remember correctly they where the quickest ones in solving the problem.

Now that I think about it, this sounds logical as porposing is related to high downforce levels, something we do not have

[SmallSoldier]

PushRod Suspension:



Vía Nicolas Carpentiers

[Emag]

PushRod Suspension:

https://i.imgur.com/ZNCBHhL.jpg

Vía Nicolas Carpentiers

I hope they end up keeping this next season. I don't want to see another McLaren-style rear suspension go down the drain like the butterfly suspension did back in 2014.

[SmallSoldier]

PushRod Suspension:

https://i.imgur.com/ZNCBHhL.jpg

Vía Nicolas Carpentiers

I hope they end up keeping this next season. I don't want to see another McLaren-style rear suspension go down the drain like the butterfly suspension did back in 2014.

I have the same hope!

[SmallSoldier]

Vía: @SalaStampa

[101FlyingDutchman]

Bugger still the “rush job” cake tins

[the EDGE]

Bugger still the “rush job” cake tins

I don’t think different brake ducts are going bring 100 pts of downforce… so what’s the difference!

The only thing turning this season around is a serious re-thought upgrade package. That’s going to take months

[Marc.W]

Bugger still the “rush job” cake tins

I don’t think different brake ducts are going bring 100 pts of downforce… so what’s the difference!

The only thing turning this season around is a serious re-thought upgrade package. That’s going to take months

I agree, we can only hope for Mercedes levels of an update package to salvage this season

[101FlyingDutchman]

Bugger still the “rush job” cake tins

I don’t think different brake ducts are going bring 100 pts of downforce… so what’s the difference!

The only thing turning this season around is a serious re-thought upgrade package. That’s going to take months

I don’t disagree at all. It just saddens me that clearly a) they’re down on downforce b) serious error in design and heat rejection calcs of the brake ducts c) an engine which seems like it’s having overheating issues too.

I find the total flip flop in where they thought they were with this car and where they’re actually at staggering

[A.J.O]

If Norris comments about 100 pts of downforce are correct, that's a lot. And surely comes mostly from the floor, since wings can only do so much on their own. Their floor sealing looked to be decent, but that doesn't tell us anything about the actual geometry underneath...

Sidepods can only do so much, once everything else is as it should be, so they can't be the reason, not even close. Also, having that big of a deficit is surely related to actual downforce requirements set for the launch spec. You can't go high enough if you don't aim high enough...

He said this around lap 25. Sounded more like sarcasm. The conversation leading up to it was Lando not wanting anything harder then a medium. They put him on the hard regardless of his wishes. This comment was made right after they fitted the hard.

They seem to have tons of down force down the straights. so much that the floor bottoms out very early.
They under steer going in and snap coming out so lacking down force or grip in the slower corners.

So it is very possible that their aero is a mess during yaw

[SmallSoldier]

Another view of the rear push-rod suspension (from the front), as well as the rear brake assembly:

[AMG.Tzan]

Their problems surely have to do with their suspension setups!

McLaren has a history of not being able to optimize a new suspension system just like in 2013 when they went for the pull-rod front suspension and they were nowhere! Ferrari on the other hand made it work properly...same goes for Red Bull this year!

McLaren since 2012 (10 years now) have looked like a true midfield team, unable to produce unique designs that work...

[SmallSoldier]

MLC36 in Jeddah:









Vía Albert Fabrega

[Emag]

As expected, no visible changes. Way too short of a timespan to bring anything significant. And whatever they might have had ready needs to be re-considered after the poor performance in bahrain.

[Emag]

Their problems surely have to do with their suspension setups!

McLaren has a history of not being able to optimize a new suspension system just like in 2013 when they went for the pull-rod front suspension and they were nowhere! Ferrari on the other hand made it work properly...same goes for Red Bull this year!

McLaren since 2012 (10 years now) have looked like a true midfield team, unable to produce unique designs that work...

It's been said time and time again by multiple people who have actual experience in the field, that the way you package your suspension (push-rod or pull-rod) should theoretically make no difference in performance. The only influence in the decision has to do with the aero concept the team decides to follow.

We only perceive the front pull-rod to be the less ideal choice because the cars that used them in the previous generation (execpt the SF15-T) were not very competitive, and somehow people attribute the suspension geometry to their lack of performance. But in reality, those cars had a multitude of other issues that made them slower than their competitors.

McLaren could have a less effective suspension compared to Ferrari/RedBull, but we can never be certain as the suspension could also be the most optimized piece McLaren has compared to those two teams at the moment.

What we know for sure is that McLaren is lacking downforce, and according to some of the latest articles, they lack a considerable amount of downforce. Way too much to attribute it to a poor suspension packaging choice that perhaps may be affecting the aero in a sub-optimal manner.

So, based on what I have mentioned, I disagree with your premise. If McLaren was 0.7-1s behind Ferrari/RedBull in Bahrain, while being as competitive in the high-speed corners relative to them as they were last year for example. Then yes, I would agree that perhaps McLaren's mechanical setup is lacking compared to those teams.

But McLaren were slow everywhere, and miles off the pace (particularly on the race). The suspension geometry is perhaps the least of McLaren's worries at the moment.