2024 Mclaren Formula 1 Team

[chrisc90]

Interesting thing to admit....if its true.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella is surprised over how a brake drum hole “escalated” to become a major Formula 1 paddock talking point, after Red Bull allegedly raised the alarm.
- #AMuS reported that Red Bull had spotted a brake drum hole on the McLaren MCL38 which needs to be covered after practice to comply with the regulations, but McLaren and another team had not re-covered them at recent races.
- The holes were said to have been re-covered by tape at the Austria and British rounds, with Stella confirming to Sky F1 that McLaren turned to that tactic.
- Stella validated talk that the FIA had been in touch to clarify that the holes needed covering, with Red Bull reportedly having alerted the governing body, fearing an extra cooling mechanism was being created against the regulations.
He said, “Actually, this matter is very simple. This is a hole to access a sensor and we got the clarification from the FIA that this hole is not allowed and we just taped it. It’s a very, very simple matter which for some reason seems to have escalated to become a topic in the paddock. But nothing of that kind.”
VIA: [PLANET F1: https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclaren-e ... 3pq7y2i7Ug]

[Marc.W]

Hopefully they get aggressive today with the strategy and don't wait for Red Bull to make the move, even if Max gets past Oscar at T1 they can force the strategy and absolutely get a 1-2

[MrGapes]

I don't think we will maintain p1-p2 in t1 if everyone in the top 4 gets a even start, looking at the junior categories and historical data seems pretty on the limit, best thing we can hope for is Lando gets a good start instantly dips to the inside, split stream Oscar to T1, but then I wouldn't be surprise to see a Verstappen or Sainz try around the outside due to the double split stream they will get.

[SirBastianVettel]

On the second thought, our pace seems really at the top. Even if we lose a position or two at start, we could get it back. I just hope Max doesn't go Mad Max style and ending the race for our boys at turn 1. Fingers crossed

You can bet your sweet patootie that Max will try something in T1. McLaren boys need to make sure it’s not race ending since they’ll have the pace to recover any lost positions. Max knows that they have more to lose in this situation so he’ll race accordingly.

[_cerber1]

What sets of tires do we have left?

[LionsHeart]

What sets of tires do we have left?

2 Medium and 1 Hard.

[Mansell89]

Yep, only Hamilton around us with a potential to go opposite with 2 hard.

[FittingMechanics]

Interesting thing to admit....if its true.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella is surprised over how a brake drum hole “escalated” to become a major Formula 1 paddock talking point, after Red Bull allegedly raised the alarm.
- #AMuS reported that Red Bull had spotted a brake drum hole on the McLaren MCL38 which needs to be covered after practice to comply with the regulations, but McLaren and another team had not re-covered them at recent races.
- The holes were said to have been re-covered by tape at the Austria and British rounds, with Stella confirming to Sky F1 that McLaren turned to that tactic.
- Stella validated talk that the FIA had been in touch to clarify that the holes needed covering, with Red Bull reportedly having alerted the governing body, fearing an extra cooling mechanism was being created against the regulations.
He said, “Actually, this matter is very simple. This is a hole to access a sensor and we got the clarification from the FIA that this hole is not allowed and we just taped it. It’s a very, very simple matter which for some reason seems to have escalated to become a topic in the paddock. But nothing of that kind.”
VIA: [PLANET F1: https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclaren-e ... 3pq7y2i7Ug]

Admit what?

Seems that it is a complete non factor as McLaren was very fast in Hungary.

[chrisc90]

Admit what?

Seems that it is a complete non factor as McLaren was very fast in Hungary.

Well its regulation that any holes are covered in the brake drum/cake tins i'd say from reading that article??

[BMMR61]

Admit what?

Seems that it is a complete non factor as McLaren was very fast in Hungary.

Well its regulation that any holes are covered in the brake drum/cake tins i'd say from reading that article??

Just feel for Horner's position - the team are coming under pressure from all directions. You know when he starts insinuating others are doing illegal things, it's called "projection". They're doing stuff all the time which is "borderline" and if another team is getting the better of them , well they just must be cheating. Expect the front wing deflection query to go away, at least for 2024, with a possible clarification or an adjustment to the rules interpretation for 2025.
Just my opinion.

The competitive situation is very good for business, George winning the GP the week before Silverstone filled the stands in a difficult year for the BRDC. Only my opinion but one this will go away. As the cake tin hole was summarily dismissed. I'm starting to understand why Zak is being drawn into verbal stouches with Christian Horner - he's a cheeky ba%#*&rd and it gets under people's skins. Brown has always contended that having two teams is a very precarious thing for the FIA to keep on the top of. I'd sooner we have a clean and competitive fight to the end of the season.

[mwillems]

Admit what?

Seems that it is a complete non factor as McLaren was very fast in Hungary.

Well its regulation that any holes are covered in the brake drum/cake tins i'd say from reading that article??

Just feel for Horner's position - the team are coming under pressure from all directions. You know when he starts insinuating others are doing illegal things, it's called "projection". They're doing stuff all the time which is "borderline" and if another team is getting the better of them , well they just must be cheating. Expect the front wing deflection query to go away, at least for 2024, with a possible clarification or an adjustment to the rules interpretation for 2025.
Just my opinion.

The competitive situation is very good for business, George winning the GP the week before Silverstone filled the stands in a difficult year for the BRDC. Only my opinion but one this will go away. As the cake tin hole was summarily dismissed. I'm starting to understand why Zak is being drawn into verbal stouches with Christian Horner - he's a cheeky ba%#*&rd and it gets under people's skins. Brown has always contended that having two teams is a very precarious thing for the FIA to keep on the top of. I'd sooner we have a clean and competitive fight to the end of the season.

I think there may yet be a clarification around the wings, but I don't think the FIA are in a hurry. They wouldn't be fitting cameras to analyse flex unless they want to act in it. But maybe not this season.

[chrisc90]

Admit what?

Seems that it is a complete non factor as McLaren was very fast in Hungary.

Well its regulation that any holes are covered in the brake drum/cake tins i'd say from reading that article??

Just feel for Horner's position - the team are coming under pressure from all directions. You know when he starts insinuating others are doing illegal things, it's called "projection". They're doing stuff all the time which is "borderline" and if another team is getting the better of them , well they just must be cheating. Expect the front wing deflection query to go away, at least for 2024, with a possible clarification or an adjustment to the rules interpretation for 2025.
Just my opinion.

The competitive situation is very good for business, George winning the GP the week before Silverstone filled the stands in a difficult year for the BRDC. Only my opinion but one this will go away. As the cake tin hole was summarily dismissed. I'm starting to understand why Zak is being drawn into verbal stouches with Christian Horner - he's a cheeky ba%#*&rd and it gets under people's skins. Brown has always contended that having two teams is a very precarious thing for the FIA to keep on the top of. I'd sooner we have a clean and competitive fight to the end of the season.

Red Bull/Horner looking at what other teams are doing is exactly the same as what every other team does on the grid. Its the nature of the sport and if you are not doing things by the book, ANY team will jump on it and complain. Mercedes did it in 2022 with the floor and being hugely vocal about it, 2021 with the pit stops where nobody could get close to a Red Bull stop, multiple teams working together to work out what Ferrari were doing with their PU. Its all a big piranha tank and everyone is out to get to each other. Remember there is more than the battle on track.

RE front wing deflection..... Appreciate your opinion, but the matter was rightfully raised by a team(s) and the FIA looked into it. Clearly they have decided there is something there, or they wouldnt have spent masses amount of time and equipment/detection methods and making selected teams run cameras to determine whats going on. If there wasnt something 'serious' going on, teams would just say, "nah, we not going to run your cameras". We will see what comes of it, but at the minute, it appears to be getting a proper looking into by the FIA - quite rightfully. Its no different to the rear wing deflection tests they have put dots on the rear wing for in reality.

Cake tin holes could be quite a thing, if they are/were using additional holes to potentially warm/cool tyres up/down quicker then that could have quite an advantage come a race distance. Who knows what the advantages are on a potentially small detail like that.

[BMMR61]

There's been a bit of concern among fans that Lando and Oscar may clash and compromise McLaren's competitiveness. I don't think team orders will be anything other than fair - both drivers free to race, no contact allowed (message Monza 2023). If Oscar is in a position to win with Lando second then I would not expect they would reverse the order.
(A) We are in a fight with RedBull for the Constructors Championship, Lando is, unusual things happening excluded, not in a fight for the WDC with Max.
(B) Oscar like Lando, will benefit in terms of confidence and the experience, in winning his first Grand Prix.

In case people here seeing my frequent comments about not underestimating Oscar, think I want him to beat Lando, that's not a true expression of what I feel. Lando has earned his position as the lead driver at McLaren, he's in his 6th season with the team and has been very loyal. The team owe him for that. On the other hand Oscar isn't as good as he is by lacking ambition - that ambition needs to find rewards which to date have been a little below what he has deserved. Just my opinion, he has been quite unlucky. I wish both a great race today, McLaren can't just turn up each weekend, they have to earn it. See how Mercedes dropped the ball yesterday with George, even with all their experience. So we should give the team a bit of slack for the mistakes. They have produced a car which is bloody fast and - so far - 100% reliable, no other team can claim that.

[BMMR61]

Well its regulation that any holes are covered in the brake drum/cake tins i'd say from reading that article??

Just feel for Horner's position - the team are coming under pressure from all directions. You know when he starts insinuating others are doing illegal things, it's called "projection". They're doing stuff all the time which is "borderline" and if another team is getting the better of them , well they just must be cheating. Expect the front wing deflection query to go away, at least for 2024, with a possible clarification or an adjustment to the rules interpretation for 2025.
Just my opinion.

The competitive situation is very good for business, George winning the GP the week before Silverstone filled the stands in a difficult year for the BRDC. Only my opinion but one this will go away. As the cake tin hole was summarily dismissed. I'm starting to understand why Zak is being drawn into verbal stouches with Christian Horner - he's a cheeky ba%#*&rd and it gets under people's skins. Brown has always contended that having two teams is a very precarious thing for the FIA to keep on the top of. I'd sooner we have a clean and competitive fight to the end of the season.

Red Bull/Horner looking at what other teams are doing is exactly the same as what every other team does on the grid. Its the nature of the sport and if you are not doing things by the book, ANY team will jump on it and complain. Mercedes did it in 2022 with the floor and being hugely vocal about it, 2021 with the pit stops where nobody could get close to a Red Bull stop, multiple teams working together to work out what Ferrari were doing with their PU. Its all a big piranha tank and everyone is out to get to each other. Remember there is more than the battle on track.

RE front wing deflection..... Appreciate your opinion, but the matter was rightfully raised by a team(s) and the FIA looked into it. Clearly they have decided there is something there, or they wouldnt have spent masses amount of time and equipment/detection methods and making selected teams run cameras to determine whats going on. If there wasnt something 'serious' going on, teams would just say, "nah, we not going to run your cameras". We will see what comes of it, but at the minute, it appears to be getting a proper looking into by the FIA - quite rightfully. Its no different to the rear wing deflection tests they have put dots on the rear wing for in reality.

Cake tin holes could be quite a thing, if they are/were using additional holes to potentially warm/cool tyres up/down quicker then that could have quite an advantage come a race distance. Who knows what the advantages are on a potentially small detail like that.

Thanks Chris. You're not arguing against anything I believe (and said). These things get quite pointed when you're at the sharp end of the grid. The FIA had to act and I expect they will come up with an announcement in due course - but don't hold your breath! They have a method of measurement - a static load test - which they set as their method of controlling how much the wings flex. They have every right to say "we see no reason to change the method of testing for this flex which we have been aware is happening". There's a commercial reason - when the front teams are all super competitive - for not disrupting the show. There' a technical reason also - if not a static load test, then the alternative is quite a bit more complex. On the cake tin sensor hole issue, check out Stella's full and frank comment to the TV crew on Friday - this was all rather unnecessary. Yes the potential for cheating exists (as always) but there's a valid reason for the holes, and taping them closed for qualifying and races is their simple solution. Yes, clarification is fine, but a certain two principles behave like angry bulls and for whatever reason Brown has decided to join the antagonism. I personally hate it, coming from an age where teams chip in to help another team in times of great trouble.

[chrisc90]

3.15.5 Front Wing Flap Flexibility
Any part of the trailing edge of any front wing flap may deflect no more than 5mm, when measured along the loading axis, when a 60N point load is applied normal to the flap.

I believe this is the front wind deflection tests. I was always under the impression it was done on the 2nd flap up only, but appears to be all of them; unless there is additional tests.