I do agree with this. Whilst it is not possible to say we have definately run away with it and gained a huge amount of time from the front runners, I do think it is a stretch to suggest that these regs definitely haven't worked in our favour.DiogoBrand wrote: ↑18 Feb 2021, 23:07What I fund funny is that everywhere you read about the car you see more or less the same thing:
"McLaren have started on the backfoot because they had to spend tokens to accomodate the power unit while other teams can use them to upgrade the chassis".
I mean, isn't the new PU an upgrade itself? I know it's anyone's guess how much better the Merc is in comparison to the Renault, but I think it's still pretty clear that it is superior, not to mention the packaging benefits it seems to have allowed.
I'm not saying that assumption from the journalists is definitely wrong, but at the same time there is a possibility of McLaren losing out due to spending tokens for the new PU, there is a slight possibility for it to work the other way around and become the best upgrade they could've made. I mean, the car from 2018 wasn't very good at the end of the season, but it was quite clear that it was a better car at the start when they changed to Renault.
It isn't just the engine, or the packaging, it is the ability to extend the wheelbase too in a time when a larger floor can be beneficial.
I've seen a lot of contradictions from Mclaren about how the token system can affect them, how limited they are and how some changes couldn't be for performance but had to be required in order to get the engine shoe horned in. I saw statements from Zak brown about how they will only really take an advantage from the engine, but that it is an upgrade in itself so he's OK. I saw James key saying the changes were largely functional and to get the engine, and in another he started it by saying he had to compromise and ended it saying he didn't feel like they had to comproimise too much on performance.
But then you look at that car and that car contradicts those statements. I don't see too much in compromise with the FIA and I don't see anything that suggests we haven't been able to take a huge amount of advantage from the packaging of the Merc engine, as they had previously said. I'm sure they could do some more, but I mean the dress size reduction on that car is akin to a crash diet (forgive the pun). If this is a compromise then the solution that might have been created without token restriction must have been magnificent.
I'm not so sure that Mclaren weren't playing a little gamesmanship as they negotiated with the FIA and I think that part fueled this "poor Mclaren" feeling, when in reality, with the ability to alter the wheelbase, the engine, the packaging and the aero, our scope for change is enormous compared to the other teams. We should be able to use it right and gain a lot of time. It doesn't mean we have, but with that scope, the potential was there for Mclaren to gain a lot of speed this season, in albeit a throwaway season.
