2022 - McLaren Formula 1 Team

[f1rules]

Agree its not just down to Key. But he does have the final responseability for the car. What strikes me with Key, and its all my own observation. He seem a bit laissez fair. Then he is surprised by the top teams gains. Maybe we should have been a bit more aggressive etc. All statements from him and more where he seem so vague. Dan fallows has already been more secure and vocal about how he will lead AM. If it pays off remains to be seen, until its just empty talk. Nevertheless i like his confidence.

Windtunnel: Its offcourse to late to change now! But why on earth they didnt years agoo pursue a deal with merc or others, to fill out their tunnel time. If the current setup represent such a deficit they claim, a interim solution should have been found.

Engineers:
Honestly in my opinion mclaren behaved either very naive or arrogant, i dont know which is worse It should in my opinion always be a goal to get key personal from leading competitors when youre not the leading team yourself. Mclaren havent excelled in anything but marketing for years, and there where no signs of its tech team being top top level, so why not try and strength from the teams that sets the agenda.

Car development:
What i mean by that is chipping away on your weak areas. Mclaren had a weak front end for years and still have. Offcourse this is influenced by the dna of these cars also, even max initially had a weak frontend at RB but still. Mclaren then last year finally had a car matching on high speed low drag tracks like monza. Finally we had one tiny area where we could match the top teams and it felt so so good, for then to throw it all away for this year with a draggy car. Almost to the extent of when williams completely ruined their car years ago. So yes im clouded by the dissapointment this year, but mclaren need to gradually chip away on all areas and this year i didnt see the car close in any configuration or type of track.

Cost cap: When cost cap overspend rumors started, one just knew it was not mclaren. As expected it was rb, and then aston martin with a technicality. But why RB, because they will always push to the limit with everything, sometimes a bit over, and i really miss some of that agressive mindset at mclaren.

I don't want to put everything on James Key. The brake issue is not something I would directly attribute to him. If not for that then we might have had 4th, as we'd have brought upgrades much earlier, been a little faster over the whole year and possibly had one more upgrade to bring, so to be honest I think we would have had fourth.

It's also not James Keys fault that Daniel couldn't bring the points home. if we'd had another driver in and around Lando we would have been clear 4th fastest team.

And if these two disasters hadn't struck then perhaps we'd be fighting for (but probably losing) 3rd.
But I am interested to see what the team produce next year, the chance for excuses are running out and if we don't get results in '23 then I'd not be against a new design team in time for the new tunnel.

Binotto will be rehomed in Ferrari and will be around to tap up next year if needed, if indeed he'd consider leaving the Ferrari family. and I can't see him going to another team.

[Emag]

It honestly feels like the engineering team is underdelivering.

They have the available facilities to compete at a much higher level if they fully utilize them.

2021 was a proof of that. When you give them time to use the tools, McLaren managed a pretty decent car.

Challenge the team in any way (like new regs), and they usually fumble. A shame, but I would put most of the responsibility in the abilities of people developing the car. Not on the lack of resources available.

The deficits would be an excuse if they were detatched from the midfield but unable to compete with the top (e.g 2021).

But this was a car which quite often struggled to beat the midfield, let alone challenge the front.

[SmallSoldier]

Great to hear, I just feel this should have been done a season or 2 ago. The low speed issues that never seemed to go away should have pointed to the need for fresh aero and engineering eyes. But like they say, better late than never.

Sooner, faster is always better… But are we forgetting that the Team didn’t have sponsors back in 2018? That it was pretty close to going under from a financial stand point? Unluckily, when you are in recovery mode, you have to prioritize where and how you spend your income and looking back I don’t think the thought process was wrong… Hire competent leadership (Seidl, Key for example), hire good drivers (Lando, Sainz, Ric (I know, this one didn’t panned out, but the thought process during the hiring was the right one), stabilize the Team financially so that there would be a next season and focus on understanding your gaps (in infrastructure and talent)… It is a process and with limit resources you can’t go after all of them at the same time… Throw Covid in the middle of that process and I don’t think the job has been half bad.

I agree they had to prioritise, but I believe they did not prioritise properly. They have had enough money for side activities like Indy, Xtreme E, FE and ESports. It must have cost them a fortune to set up those teams or take over the existing infrastructures. They could had prioritised their F1 activities, using that funds to sign better engineers. They did not. And like has already been said, Stroll did purchase the talent he could get and McLaren can now pick up the leftovers.

Aside from Indy, those activities are:

A) Self Funded
B) Started in junction with the budget cap
C) Additional marketing income since the Team has a wider array of sponsors in different regions and or target markets.

It isn’t like McLaren is running under the budget cap and using F1 funding for those other activities.

[the EDGE]

It honestly feels like the engineering team is underdelivering.

They have the available facilities to compete at a much higher level if they fully utilize them.

2021 was a proof of that. When you give them time to use the tools, McLaren managed a pretty decent car.

Challenge the team in any way (like new regs), and they usually fumble. A shame, but I would put most of the responsibility in the abilities of people developing the car. Not on the lack of resources available.

The deficits would be an excuse if they were detatched from the midfield but unable to compete with the top (e.g 2021).

But this was a car which quite often struggled to beat the midfield, let alone challenge the front.

There was always going to be winners & losers from a new set of regulations, those who got it right & those who didn’t

Sadly McLaren ended up being in the ‘didn’t’ group, with everyone of the other non-top-3 teams, and Mercedes. This was not helped either, with the unforeseen brake issue that didn’t show up on simulation, and an underperforming second driver - which TBH, is the real reason they missed out on forth

You need to look on the plus side, they didn’t really go backwards, at many races they have been best of the rest. they were only midfield team on the grid with a podium, Lando took 7th in WDC, & the pit crew have finally nailed the pit stop. Now, they’ve got more development time next year too, Something prize money can not buy

With a years experience under their belt, all teams are going to improve dramatically next year, chances are, they will all be a lot closer next year, & I believe McLaren will again go forward

This team have gone from being back markers, to the front of the midfield, and have been closest to breaking into the lead pack for 3 straight years. If another team had done, perhaps I’d be annoyed, but they haven’t. It proves just how good Marc, RB, & Ferrari became with their vast budgets over the past decade. That will take time to even out during the budget cap era, it was never going to happen across 1 season

For me it’s been mostly enjoyable season, it’s had it lows, none more than seeing RIC continue to struggle, but in their own way, the team, with its battles with the midfield, has given me plenty of highs too, so I thank them all, wish them a happy winter & lots of luck for 2023

I’ll never loose faith in McLaren, how ever long it takes

[Mostlyeels]

He looks about 15

In profile he looks so much like an old high-school friend of mine, I always do a double-take

[Mostlyeels]

It honestly feels like the engineering team is underdelivering.

They have the available facilities to compete at a much higher level if they fully utilize them.

2021 was a proof of that. When you give them time to use the tools, McLaren managed a pretty decent car.

Challenge the team in any way (like new regs), and they usually fumble. A shame, but I would put most of the responsibility in the abilities of people developing the car. Not on the lack of resources available.

The deficits would be an excuse if they were detatched from the midfield but unable to compete with the top (e.g 2021).

But this was a car which quite often struggled to beat the midfield, let alone challenge the front.

There was always going to be winners & losers from a new set of regulations, those who got it right & those who didn’t

Sadly McLaren ended up being in the ‘didn’t’ group, with everyone of the other non-top-3 teams, and Mercedes. This was not helped either, with the unforeseen brake issue that didn’t show up on simulation, and an underperforming second driver - which TBH, is the real reason they missed out on forth

You need to look on the plus side, they didn’t really go backwards, at many races they have been best of the rest. they were only midfield team on the grid with a podium, Lando took 7th in WDC, & the pit crew have finally nailed the pit stop. Now, they’ve got more development time next year too, Something prize money can not buy

With a years experience under their belt, all teams are going to improve dramatically next year, chances are, they will all be a lot closer next year, & I believe McLaren will again go forward

Verstappen made a comment recently, that it will be hard to maintain their level of dominance next year. I took this to mean the top teams think everyone will close up.

This team have gone from being back markers, to the front of the midfield, and have been closest to breaking into the lead pack for 3 straight years. If another team had done, perhaps I’d be annoyed, but they haven’t. It proves just how good Marc, RB, & Ferrari became with their vast budgets over the past decade. That will take time to even out during the budget cap era, it was never going to happen across 1 season

I had hopes we'd get a fairy-tale jump on the rest of the field Seriously though, it's been educational to see how all the money the top three spent has paid off for them in 2022 (especially Mercedes, who went from zero to hero by the end). A comment from last year (from Lando I think) is something I always think about: (something like) "we can keep the same pace as RB for a couple of laps, but the difference is they can keep it up for the whole race", always speaks to me volumes about the depth of knowledge they've built up.

For me it’s been mostly enjoyable season, it’s had it lows, none more than seeing RIC continue to struggle, but in their own way, the team, with its battles with the midfield, has given me plenty of highs too, so I thank them all, wish them a happy winter & lots of luck for 2023

I’ll never loose faith in McLaren, how ever long it takes

It's been tough this year, especially after the joy of 2021, but I'm looking forward to next year!

[SmallSoldier]

It honestly feels like the engineering team is underdelivering.

They have the available facilities to compete at a much higher level if they fully utilize them.

2021 was a proof of that. When you give them time to use the tools, McLaren managed a pretty decent car.

Challenge the team in any way (like new regs), and they usually fumble. A shame, but I would put most of the responsibility in the abilities of people developing the car. Not on the lack of resources available.

The deficits would be an excuse if they were detatched from the midfield but unable to compete with the top (e.g 2021).

But this was a car which quite often struggled to beat the midfield, let alone challenge the front.

There was always going to be winners & losers from a new set of regulations, those who got it right & those who didn’t

Sadly McLaren ended up being in the ‘didn’t’ group, with everyone of the other non-top-3 teams, and Mercedes. This was not helped either, with the unforeseen brake issue that didn’t show up on simulation, and an underperforming second driver - which TBH, is the real reason they missed out on forth

You need to look on the plus side, they didn’t really go backwards, at many races they have been best of the rest. they were only midfield team on the grid with a podium, Lando took 7th in WDC, & the pit crew have finally nailed the pit stop. Now, they’ve got more development time next year too, Something prize money can not buy

With a years experience under their belt, all teams are going to improve dramatically next year, chances are, they will all be a lot closer next year, & I believe McLaren will again go forward

This team have gone from being back markers, to the front of the midfield, and have been closest to breaking into the lead pack for 3 straight years. If another team had done, perhaps I’d be annoyed, but they haven’t. It proves just how good Marc, RB, & Ferrari became with their vast budgets over the past decade. That will take time to even out during the budget cap era, it was never going to happen across 1 season

For me it’s been mostly enjoyable season, it’s had it lows, none more than seeing RIC continue to struggle, but in their own way, the team, with its battles with the midfield, has given me plenty of highs too, so I thank them all, wish them a happy winter & lots of luck for 2023

I’ll never loose faith in McLaren, how ever long it takes

Couldn’t agree more with you.

[Xero]

It honestly feels like the engineering team is underdelivering.

They have the available facilities to compete at a much higher level if they fully utilize them.

2021 was a proof of that. When you give them time to use the tools, McLaren managed a pretty decent car.

Challenge the team in any way (like new regs), and they usually fumble. A shame, but I would put most of the responsibility in the abilities of people developing the car. Not on the lack of resources available.

The deficits would be an excuse if they were detatched from the midfield but unable to compete with the top (e.g 2021).

But this was a car which quite often struggled to beat the midfield, let alone challenge the front.

There was always going to be winners & losers from a new set of regulations, those who got it right & those who didn’t

Sadly McLaren ended up being in the ‘didn’t’ group, with everyone of the other non-top-3 teams, and Mercedes. This was not helped either, with the unforeseen brake issue that didn’t show up on simulation, and an underperforming second driver - which TBH, is the real reason they missed out on forth

You need to look on the plus side, they didn’t really go backwards, at many races they have been best of the rest. they were only midfield team on the grid with a podium, Lando took 7th in WDC, & the pit crew have finally nailed the pit stop. Now, they’ve got more development time next year too, Something prize money can not buy

With a years experience under their belt, all teams are going to improve dramatically next year, chances are, they will all be a lot closer next year, & I believe McLaren will again go forward

This team have gone from being back markers, to the front of the midfield, and have been closest to breaking into the lead pack for 3 straight years. If another team had done, perhaps I’d be annoyed, but they haven’t. It proves just how good Marc, RB, & Ferrari became with their vast budgets over the past decade. That will take time to even out during the budget cap era, it was never going to happen across 1 season

For me it’s been mostly enjoyable season, it’s had it lows, none more than seeing RIC continue to struggle, but in their own way, the team, with its battles with the midfield, has given me plenty of highs too, so I thank them all, wish them a happy winter & lots of luck for 2023

I’ll never loose faith in McLaren, how ever long it takes

Couldn’t agree more with you.

Same boat.

It's easy to forget how the season started, how badly pre-season testing was. It meant the team was always playing catch up, having to spend much needed resources on fixing the brake ducts. On a brand new car concept too, that was critical time lost.

At the back end of the season we've seen Lando nail that best of the rest slot, so that's made me pretty content with the season as a whole.

[CjC]

Hello, i am a registered new member to the site but a long long time lurker. I just love the technical information and insights from this site and im glad its here for us as fans because otherwise there is very little that f1 as a whole provides to armchair fans in a technical capacity other than hyperbole and the basic info.

Anyway. I happen to have a friend that i work with who is a friend of an employee of mclaren. My work friend likes f1 but is overall very clueless with all techincalities so his information to me often very lazy and generalised. Anyway this guy that my workfriend is friends with is part of the team that travels over to germany to use toyotas wind tunnel. I believe he is some kind of test driver although i am yet to verify this.
Fingers crosses i can provide some insight over time and bits of info here and there.I must admit that the early information i am hearing is not particularly good.

If what i have said is not deemed appropriate for whatever reason then i apologise and was all intended in good faith. Thanks

What isn’t particularly good? The 2023 car?

[Mansell89]

Not sure I agree with any assessments that feel we were clearly the 4th best car. Daniel obviously shipped us a lot of points in comparison to Lando, but Alonsos reliability alone would have taken Alpine around 70 points further ahead of us.

We obviously took a decision in 2022 to avoid a disaster and not commit to a cul de sac aero concept on the chance it played out wrong. What I now expect is a much more aggressive 2023 car- I really hope we are bold.

The competition is strong- Alpine developed very well after a similar cautious opening approach, and Aston Martin made some excellent gains.

It’s a real fight out there and a big test for us.

[mwillems]

Not sure I agree with any assessments that feel we were clearly the 4th best car. Daniel obviously shipped us a lot of points in comparison to Lando, but Alonsos reliability alone would have taken Alpine around 70 points further ahead of us.

We obviously took a decision in 2022 to avoid a disaster and not commit to a cul de sac aero concept on the chance it played out wrong. What I now expect is a much more aggressive 2023 car- I really hope we are bold.

The competition is strong- Alpine developed very well after a similar cautious opening approach, and Aston Martin made some excellent gains.

It’s a real fight out there and a big test for us.

But your equating Daniels lack of points to Alpines mechanical unreliability.

If we talk about reasons outside of building a car to finish as high as possible as often as possible, then Mclaren probably did at least as good a job as Alpine.

[MrGapes]

It honestly feels like the engineering team is underdelivering.

They have the available facilities to compete at a much higher level if they fully utilize them.

2021 was a proof of that. When you give them time to use the tools, McLaren managed a pretty decent car.

Challenge the team in any way (like new regs), and they usually fumble. A shame, but I would put most of the responsibility in the abilities of people developing the car. Not on the lack of resources available.

The deficits would be an excuse if they were detatched from the midfield but unable to compete with the top (e.g 2021).

But this was a car which quite often struggled to beat the midfield, let alone challenge the front.

I don’t think it’s right to make comparisons to 2021, it was a weird year where most of the cars were homologated, Ferrari had a misstep in 2020, which kept them in the midfield for 2021, some cars benefited from the floor changes some didn’t…. I know for sure if 2021 was a clean sheet for all teams the delta to the front would of been greater..if anything the delta difference across race and qualifying has been similar to that of 2020

[MrGapes]

OK so, it has to be one young driver test, and one Pirelli tester, so Oscar will be on this years tyres, and Lando will be testing next years tyres.

[Mcl_G10]

Hello, i am a registered new member to the site but a long long time lurker. I just love the technical information and insights from this site and im glad its here for us as fans because otherwise there is very little that f1 as a whole provides to armchair fans in a technical capacity other than hyperbole and the basic info.

Anyway. I happen to have a friend that i work with who is a friend of an employee of mclaren. My work friend likes f1 but is overall very clueless with all techincalities so his information to me often very lazy and generalised. Anyway this guy that my workfriend is friends with is part of the team that travels over to germany to use toyotas wind tunnel. I believe he is some kind of test driver although i am yet to verify this.
Fingers crosses i can provide some insight over time and bits of info here and there.I must admit that the early information i am hearing is not particularly good.

If what i have said is not deemed appropriate for whatever reason then i apologise and was all intended in good faith. Thanks

What isn’t particularly good? The 2023 car?

I am currently waiting on more information on specifics, hopefully get some more detail on monday. What i have been told so far is that "the car is slow" and "the designers/engineers are not happy." Those were his words to my friend.

[CjC]

A busy winter ahead for the designers then