BMMR61 wrote: ↑26 Jun 2024, 07:27
Interesting term used by Stella "the personality of the car" has changed. This of course became apparent at Miami where the low speed improvement was unexpected and we have seen a variety of circuit types and conditions since. The "personality" is now that of an all rounder and the possibility of losing some of that high speed personality seemed to have happened before the upgrade - Suzuka 2023 v Suzuka 2024 as an example. So any assumptions about things like "Lando goes well on this track" should be tempered with caution. For sure, the Red Bull Ring has been a venue for some great McLaren comeback drives as well as the start of the 2023 revival. For a reference of how far we have come in 12 months, the F1 media were astounded by the massively improved MCL60 in the hands of Lando, yet he only finished 5th (later to become 4th). This time around we will be disappointed not to bag a win, right?
I won't be disappointed if Lando comes in second or even third. The density of results in RBRing is always high due to the short lap and long straights, of which there are also many. You need to have an advantage, and I'm not even sure that we can have one. On the straights, McLaren is not the fastest of the top teams, it's a little behind. In fast corners, Red Bull and Mercedes are comparable, although it also depends on the package and what rear and beam wing the teams use… but the MCL38B is now good in medium-speed corners, although here too we will, at best, most likely just be comparable with Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari. There are slow corners where McLaren may have a slight advantage. And even that is not a fact yet. We are not the fastest under braking either. Ferrari has a clear advantage here.
So where will the gain be? I think Austria will have average downforce, like Saudi Arabia and Australia and even Miami. But it depends on what kind of beam wing you have to use to balance the front and rear. DRS efficiency? I think at best McLaren will not give in, but there will be no gain.
But I did find one advantage. McLaren usually picks the basic settings well, thanks to the updated simulator. With one Friday practice, you can get an advantage in the sprint qualifying and sprint race. But here, too, you can adjust the settings later, so that rivals can catch up by the main qualifying or the race.