mclaren two step

[-shr3d-]

seems that mclaren took one step forward and two steps back at the European Grand Prix. What looked like being their most competitive weekend ended up in smoke again possibly from a bad batch of pistons.... surely with the quality control procedures that they would be running that the days of receiving a bad batch of goods from a supplier would be gone....
wonder if the improved pace came from engine improvements or chassis development??

[Monstrobolaxa]

Like F1 engineers say about a new car:

"it's easy to make a quick car reliable but it's hard to make a reliable car go quick"

In Mclarens case.....at the start they didn't have either of them...now at least they have a fast car....that lacks in reliability.....now the next goal....to keep the speed and gain the reliability.

But if they keep going the way they are....like -shr3d- said....taking 1 step forward and 2 back....maybe next season Ron should better put Kimi and Montoya looking in the mirrors While Stoddy's Minardis are lapping them!!!! (I'm laughing about this....but I know it isn't funny....I'm a Montoya fan....so I sincerely hope the get back on top)

[mvf4sp]

To me seems that there's a looooottt of work to do with Mclaren. I really don't think that early in the next season Mclaren will be what they used too, they're pretty far back.

[West]

McLaren was doing great before their engines blew, so you have to admit that they are going in the right direction. Maybe Mercedes is the one going backwards. Their engines have been blowing up more than their 2003 ones, which is very strange...

It's still funny to me that DC is getting kicked out of McLaren after this year and he has more points than Kimi. I'll be he'll be glad to move if he could go into a car, if a somewhat less competitive one, that can churn out 60 laps a race as opposed to the 19's 60 laps a season.

[-shr3d-]

hey all, yeah they were looking more competitive, but still both lacked race pace in the end with kimi holding up the train and david starting brilliantly but then faded... not sure whether that is a tyre wear issue or just a general grip issue as Martin Brundle inferred....
tis sad cause while i have always been a ferrari fan, i love mclaren and was gonna back kimi for the title this year.....hehe bad investment that one. :b

[dumrick]

McLaren started the season so far at the back, that they surely are improving their pace. What strikes me is their ability to make this car more competitive, while finishing a new one against-the-clock.
About reliability, it's indeed very strange that Mercedes is having that much trouble in making the package reliable , first with the pneumatic system problems, now with piston failures ...
Did anyone noticed Newey's answer when questioned about if the MP-4/19B will have the same engine? He replied: "Still a Mercedes-Benz".
Is Mercedes making a new or revised engine for the 19B? In that case, this problems could be justified by development work...

[Guest]

There are some rumours that 19B will have a different engine which would not even fit in 19A... The fact that in 19B the engine is mounted differently(higher) could back that?

Anyways I guess we'll find out next year if the engine would be named FO 110S instead of FO 110R.

[Timstr]

Did anyone noticed Newey's answer when questioned about if the MP-4/19B will have the same engine? He replied: "Still a Mercedes-Benz".
Is Mercedes making a new or revised engine for the 19B? In that case, this problems could be justified by development work...

In a post-race TV interview yesterday this question was asked to DC and his anwer was that the forthcoming 19B would have the same engine as the current 19.

[Monstrobolaxa]

Yup the MP4/19B will only be an evolution on the car...the engine might be slightly improved but the base block if from the actual engine.

[StiK]

(Well this is my first post in this forum!!)

Well, people are saying that the problem with the McLaren Mercedes is Mercedes but remember that the overheating problems the MP4-18 had which caused problems to the engine where due to tight "packging"(?) which didn't allowed the engine to be cooled enough! Since the MP4-19 is very similar to the MP4-18 the same problems could be happening.

[Monstrobolaxa]

Bemvindo ao novo Tuga do site

but don't forget that they are also having some more problems besides the overheating problems.

....lack of front end grip and at the begining of the year lack of stifness in the engine mounting points. Another thing we cannot forget is that Mclaren is using 3 diferente materials in the gearbox (cabon, titanium and aluminum) and each of these materials for the same temperature increase their size slightly in diferente porporcions....

....another thing are the uprights....mclaren has tried 3 diferente constructions for their uprights because the original ones were flexing

[-shr3d-]

hmm very interesting with regards the gearbox monstro.... i remember reading last year that mclaren were looking at introducing a radical new gearbox (twin clutch arrangement i think)... does anyone know if that is being used or not??
and i spose the question gets raised is Mike Coughlan up to the job...

[Monstrobolaxa]

Don't think it is....but not sure.

[-shr3d-]

cant remember when i saw the article....late last season i think......will go back and check then may put a new post to see if anyone knows whether it is in use or not cause was quite a novel idea...

[Guest]

these developments are strictly MB asfarasiknow...so they will work as well as the engine..
BTW Mr Laurenz who was put into charge at illmor is no longer working there as mr Haug stated in an interview last weekend (RTL) he is still at MB thou...clearly an indication who was in charge for the latest failures.
Mario illien seems to be back in charge now a good sign at last...
The engine trouble were also block failures ,these were cracking after very short mileage...Mclaren may have had to soften the engine mounts to let the engine live a little longeras a stop gap??this would explain their drop in performance during the wintertests.