2022 - McLaren Formula 1 Team

[Emag]

Good result from the team. Let's remember doom and gloom after the first race. As expected, the results there were probably influenced massively by the compromised test where everyone dialed in their setup but McLaren was unable to.

Btw not sure why everyone was on the edge of their seat here. It was a well managed race from Lando and the team. His position as top midfield car was never really in question. He has pace in reserve but with possible safety cars and with slippery kerbs it made sense to play it as safe as possible (something Leclerc needs to learn).

The race pace was atrocious though. We are talking 3 and a bit seconds off Leclerc on average. That was hope-crushing levels of slow. I am glad this didn't turn out a burner season for them. It would have been a painfully long one if they were to struggle as hard as in Bahrain throughout.

[ScottR267]

[bauc]

Great Race by NOR, he took all of the opportunities and a well deserved podium after LEC lost the car trying to close the gap to PER. This is good uplift of team spirits after the dismal start of the year. RIC was unlucky today and the decision to switch to hards ended his race.

[billamend]

[Macklaren]

Good result from the team. Let's remember doom and gloom after the first race. As expected, the results there were probably influenced massively by the compromised test where everyone dialed in their setup but McLaren was unable to.

Btw not sure why everyone was on the edge of their seat here. It was a well managed race from Lando and the team. His position as top midfield car was never really in question. He has pace in reserve but with possible safety cars and with slippery kerbs it made sense to play it as safe as possible (something Leclerc needs to learn).

The race pace was atrocious though. We are talking 3 and a bit seconds off Leclerc on average. That was hope-crushing levels of slow. I am glad this didn't turn out a burner season for them. It would have been a painfully long one if they were to struggle as hard as in Bahrain throughout.

I would not read too much into it. If you were listening into the radio, they were very very conservatively managing their pace because they knew there were no point trying to chase after the RBRs and LEC esp. in changeable weather and overheating inters and a long stint on mediums. Compared to LEC who was chasing after PER the whole time so was likely pushing. We are prob 1s/lap down on RBR and FER and hopefully that becomes 0.25-.5 sec after the big package.

[Darth-Piekus]

I would say I hope after the Big Upgrade and the update from Mercedes on their engines that will fix that time decifit that we can be much closer.

[Mansell89]

Any further solid information on the Mercedes power unit and E10 fuel?

Early indications suggested a slightly conservative approach to power unit use but was that down to a fear of engine fires due to cooling requirements of the E10?

Is it widely accepted that whilst the engines are homologated, Merc and customers have the ability to turn up the wick a bit more if they feel they have got a handle on reliability?

[Mostlyeels]

We are prob 1s/lap down on RBR and FER and hopefully that becomes 0.25-.5 sec after the big package.

That's where it seemed to me, about 1.2-1.3 seconds. The Softs seem to drop off much earlier than the RBs (around lap 12-13 in the Sprint race?).

Excellent execution from Lando and the team (and quite a bit of unlucky races/mistakes for other drivers -- that's racing).

[diffuser]

Lando had better pace than everyone apart from Bottas in the end (excluding Ferrari and RedBull obviously).

And even then, Lando was told to manage tires and keep to Russell's pace because that's all they had to do.

And Daniel had diffuser damage from lap 1. With the addition of the hards being a subomtimal choice in hindsight as well, it's no surprise he struggled.

Being unnecessarily harsh in my opinion. I was one to react negatively after Bahrain. But credit where credit is due. They managed to edge out their main competitors with no big additions to the car.

Miami should be tougher. But same was expected from here, so we'll have to wait and see.

I'm not being harsh, trying to be honest. Trying to look at it without my heart. I read this forum all the time, I see that it's the end of the world when they do poorly for a couple of races and then it's the opposite when things go well.

The radio Communication from the team to Norris was, I'm paraphrasing "Adjust your laptime accordingly and make these mediums last till end cause the hards suck based on what we see from Ricciardo". Plus nobody got past Stroll, many cars behind stroll were faster than stroll.
Also Merc forgot to adjust the front wing on Russell, when they switched to slicks. Think there are still many "???" out there.

[runningmanz]

Amazing result by Lando, kept his nose clean and look what happens! Gutted for Dan, did everything right before the main race not going off track at all and got robbed in Q3 of a second run which most likely would have seen him start higher up the grid. Unfortunately a small mistake on the kerb in wet greasy conditions on lap 1 results in the worst consequences. He has been on Lando's pace generally so far this season so it sucks to see alot more points go begging for him and the team here.

Fittipaldi was on the money! Looking forward to seeing how we go in Miami and particularly with our first big upgrade package at Barcelona. We have a strong fundamental car we just need these updates imo to start pushing RBR and Ferrari. So much for all that nonsense earlier calling the car a dud and for Seidl and Key's heads. Silly stuff. Roll on Miami!

[_cerber1]

Good pace Lando, throughout the distance.

[Xero]

I would say I hope after the Big Upgrade and the update from Mercedes on their engines that will fix that time decifit that we can be much closer.

I think we all do, but we can't assume all other teams will stand still. They won't.

[Darth-Piekus]

Of course they won't stand still so what we have to do is bring an upgrade that is leagues better.

[_cerber1]

Despite the good result that has helped McLaren to fourth place in the constructors’ championship, Norris thinks the team still needs to bring "next level" improvements to have any hope of consistently fighting nearer the front.

“We need the improvements everywhere: high speed, medium speed, and slow speed, maybe more bias towards the slower to medium speed," explained the Briton. "But as a package, everything needs to be just that next level, you know?

“As we've said in the past, the balance has been good. And we're happy with the balance. It's just you do a good lap, you do something that feels good, and you are just slow because you go around every corner slower than the others. So it's not easy: you want to focus on everything but over this long season, you have got to focus on certain things first.

“We've not brought anything big. I know there's been big steps but it's not like we've brought a new floor or new things or whatever. So, just smaller things. But those smaller things seem to be having an effect when you put them all together on a weekend like this.”

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/mclar ... /10202000/

[_cerber1]

I would say I hope after the Big Upgrade and the update from Mercedes on their engines that will fix that time decifit that we can be much closer.

As far as I know, MB does not plan to update their motors, where did you get this information from?