McLaren MCL34

[f1rules]

[E8404424]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DzwQS7aWwAAxQao.jpg:large

The guys on sky F1 have been talking about McLaren having a new design to their wheel nuts or axles. Mercedes have been looking at it and said it's and innovation and the management during interviews have been quite coy when asked.

Looking at the above picture their wheel nuts do look slightly different from other cars.

Does any one have any other information on this?

I heard that interview on Skysports too. They said axles though? Ive not heard anything else about it apart from that interview.

There was a mention in one of the testing feeds that Lando came in and the team did an Indycar style pitstop with just one guy at each corner removing and replacing the wheel. Maybe they've come up with a new system to speed up pitstops, cant think of any other reason for re-designing wheel nuts.

[PhillipM]

I think that was probably for a bit of PR fluff with Alonso's indycar tie-up - Mclaren were filming it themselves. Might be a comparison video.

However, the ends of the wheelnuts there definately look different to most teams, some new sort of secondary locking collar?

[DarkAlman]

for comparison
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DzwzMLSX4AAiJYx.jpg

What is the 4th pipe? The one bellow the right waste gate pipe. Some breather?

Speculation, likely an oil breather. Possibly from the transmission,.

[PhillipM]

It'll be the engine crankcase breather, all cars have them there.

[Dipesh1995]

[NathanOlder]

Maybe those guys are going to Indy to do the wheels on Alonsos car ?

[DiogoBrand]

The front wheel nuts do look different than usual, I'd be curious to know if there's something interesting going on there.

[roon]

The guys on sky F1 have been talking about McLaren having a new design to their wheel nuts or axles. Mercedes have been looking at it and said it's and innovation and the management during interviews have been quite coy when asked.

Looking at the above picture their wheel nuts do look slightly different from other cars.

Does any one have any other information on this?

I heard that interview on Skysports too. They said axles though? Ive not heard anything else about it apart from that interview.

There was a mention in one of the testing feeds that Lando came in and the team did an Indycar style pitstop with just one guy at each corner removing and replacing the wheel. Maybe they've come up with a new system to speed up pitstops, cant think of any other reason for re-designing wheel nuts.

The end of the hub/axle looks like it has a depressable button.

[FittingMechanics]

Maybe those guys are going to Indy to do the wheels on Alonsos car ?

That was my thought as well, or just a PR thing to do a video where you enter the pits as F1 and leave as an Indy car, would be an interesting promo as that's kind of what Alonso is doing.

[willmesquita]

Renault cooling demand is so high we need to use the larger airbox and be this "open" at MCL34 rear?

for comparison
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DzyZT3sW0AEoycp.jpg:large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DzwzMLSX4AAiJYx.jpg

[PhillipM]

What? It's smaller than the Redbull opening you posted as a comparison

[willmesquita]

I mean, ok we have to be careful with cooling but I see how Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull are dealing with it in a extreme way and think if just we try something more aggressive...

[PhillipM]

Did you read that at all? It's smaller than the Red Bull's opening that you call 'more aggressive'

[Jackles-UK]

The rear cooling opening will open and close almost on a race-by-race basis. Given that racking up the miles in testing is their top priority, I would think that McLaren have gone slightly conservative early on to help ensure good reliability (particularly given their issues around this area at the start of 2018) but expect this to be reduced as time passes.