Team: Tim Goss (director of engineering), Paddy Lowe (TD), Neil Oatley (DRD), Martin Whitmarsh (TP), Jonathan Neale (MD), Sam Michael (SD) Drivers: Jenson Button (5), Sergio Pérez (6)
A place to discuss the characteristics of the cars in Formula One, both current as well as historical. Laptimes, driver worshipping and team chatter do not belong here.
Well one of the problems was the tires how they acted aerodynamically, they will now change back to 2012 way of working the air so that means Mclaren will get it abit easier.
I'm slightly confused as to why people are saying that Mclaren won't fair better on the 2012 tyres, given that several have said the issues are because of the disturbed air flow at the rear caused by this seasons tyres; given that Macca are working hard in the area around the rear tyre even going as far to cut holes in the floor; given that Macca are complaining about the ride; and given that the tyres this year are known to be completely different in size, shape, strength, texture and flexibility compared to last years tyres which fits nicely with the rest of the story.
Macca are also adamant that they have more total downforce this year but claim they cannot use it because of the bouncing around. Many have pointed to pullrod yet Ferrari don't have problems. Ride is known to be the problem, therefore tyres might be were the blame lies - it took 1 and half seasons to sort out their tyre degradation problems who is to say that it won't take Mclaren just as long to sort out ride issue.
I have also heard that Macca designed this years car from data generated on 2012 tyres. If true it isn't hard to envisage serious pitfalls for a team who goes super aggressive in their design approach, only to then come a cropper when it turned out that all the simulations where based on data which turned out not only to be obsolete, but potentially very misleading.
Then there is the ancient characteristic of a great many of Mclarens cars, which is that they run their cars extremely stiff compared to others. Tyres are the only thing that have changed this year, I suspect their general philosophy of running a stiff car has not.
Therefore I don't see how anyone can rule out a drastic increase in performance. It is at the very least possible that the car fairs better on the older Pirelli tyres, maybe even very well provided they haven't fooked their own heads up with all the crap data they have been generating chasing their tail.
I for one would love that yet I don't hold my breath.
The geometry of the Mclaren pull-rod is hugely different from the Ferrari.
This is reminiscent of when Ferrari copied the rear pull rod of Redbull but made the end links too low. The result, massive turbulence of blown exhaust gasses and sever under-steer. They finally corrected it in Monaco of that year (2011? or 2012?)
n smikle wrote:The geometry of the Mclaren pull-rod is hugely different from the Ferrari.
This is reminiscent of when Ferrari copied the rear pull rod of Redbull but made the end links too low. The result, massive turbulence of blown exhaust gasses and sever under-steer. They finally corrected it in Monaco of that year (2011? or 2012?)
I don't remember any such issues - but the 2011 Ferrari still had push-rod rears and fronts.
I only hope that Mclaren doesn't go for the pull-rod in the design of the next year machine. It may have lot's of benefits but I don't think that Whitmarsh will risk again with the pull-rod after this year's results. Mclaren surely will revert to push-rod next year, and will not took this risk again.
"...and there, very much in flames, is Jacques Laffite's Ligier. That's obviously a turbo blaze, and of course, Laffite will be able to see that conflagration in his mirrors... he is coolly parking the car somewhere safe."Murray Walker, San Marino 1985
"...and there, very much in flames, is Jacques Laffite's Ligier. That's obviously a turbo blaze, and of course, Laffite will be able to see that conflagration in his mirrors... he is coolly parking the car somewhere safe."Murray Walker, San Marino 1985
"...and there, very much in flames, is Jacques Laffite's Ligier. That's obviously a turbo blaze, and of course, Laffite will be able to see that conflagration in his mirrors... he is coolly parking the car somewhere safe."Murray Walker, San Marino 1985
