2023 - McLaren Formula 1 Team

[chrisgr]

What was our fastest lap compared to 2022 1’32.753?

[Darth-Piekus]

All I can hope is starting with Baku they fully attack with updates to get to at least close to AM with the new design philosophy. Lets hope this is the last setback.

[Xero]

Race was ruined in the first few corners, so nothing much to say. Clearly the car is compensating for lack of floor performance by piling on dirty downforce. Good to see Piastri right on the pace, he's going to push Lando all season which is what the team needs.

I was convinced staying on hards was a mistake, but he used them perfectly. I do hope they manage to sort the car back into front end of the midfield soon, because drivers are more than capable to deliver good results.

I thought so too, but perhaps gambled on a second safety car which could have allowed them to really get in the mix. Can't really be critical of anything the team or drivers did today, just unfortunate. I have faith the upgrades in Baku will give a good step and set them up going forward, new floor that will allow them to shed that drag. More upgrades to arrive in Barcelona a few races later, so progress should be steady enough to get them back into that battle.

[Stig14]

All I can hope is starting with Baku they fully attack with updates to get to at least close to AM with the new design philosophy. Lets hope this is the last setback.

They won't be close to AM. The team have said as much. I'd advise you reset your expectations or you will be very disappointed.

[McL-H]

All I can hope is starting with Baku they fully attack with updates to get to at least close to AM with the new design philosophy. Lets hope this is the last setback.

They won't be close to AM. The team have said as much. I'd advise you reset your expectations or you will be very disappointed.

The team said they want to do what McLaren did in 2009. McLaren turned the season around to the point they had the fastest car in the 2nd half of the season. So the team themselves are setting high expectations too.

[Stig14]

All I can hope is starting with Baku they fully attack with updates to get to at least close to AM with the new design philosophy. Lets hope this is the last setback.

They won't be close to AM. The team have said as much. I'd advise you reset your expectations or you will be very disappointed.

The team said they want to do what McLaren did in 2009. McLaren turned the season around to the point they had the fastest car in the 2nd half of the season. So the team themselves are setting high expectations too.

I don't recall 2009 transforming on a single race a few rounds into the season though. It's a gradual process across many upgrades and months as you understand the regulations. They've mentioned "a few tenths" for Baku but then others will be finding performance too.

EDIT: for the record, I hope I'm wrong!

[JordanMugen]

What would you consider top end of the midfield? At the moment Red Bull and Aston Martin is at a pace of their own and Mercedes a little back. Then Ferrari seems to be the top end of the midfield.Are we targeting Ferrari? Unless you are in the top 3 you are midfield.

No, there is a "big four" (Aston Martin, Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull) who will take positions 1 through 8 in normal circumstances. So the midfield is P5 WCC onwards racing for position 9 through 20, so Alpine, HAAS, AlphaTauri, Alfa Romeo, Williams, & McLaren are the midfield through backmarkers (no particular order).

If McLaren can close the gap and make it a "big five" during the season, that would be exceptional.

[Darth-Piekus]

There are no big 4. There are the big 3. Everything else is midfield.

[Ground Effect]

All I can hope is starting with Baku they fully attack with updates to get to at least close to AM with the new design philosophy. Lets hope this is the last setback.

You should add Baku to your username...

[chrisgr]

It seems to me that there is Big 1 and then upper midfield, middle midfield and lower midfield.
Last year we had the same problem with our top speed. We were sitting ducks in many races. At least now I am a bit optimistic. All I want now is one normal race for us...

[Swed3121]

There are no big 4. There are the big 3. Everything else is midfield.

So Ferrari is midfield, or are you still in AMR induced denial

[Mostlyeels]

What was our fastest lap compared to 2022 1’32.753?

That's the RB fastest lap? Around early 1'35s I think. Ferrari, Merc, and AM were doing around a second slower than RB (not always, but when RB turned it up at the end), so we'd be about 1s+ off that (I lost track after the Sargeant battle started happening). That's my guess, but hopefully someone can post actual lap times.

E: fastest laps from F1 Tempo PIA 1:34.287 on lap 48, NOR 1:34.222 on lap 49. From the midfield TSU 1:33.931 on lap 50, ZHO 1:33.894 on lap 49, OCO 1:33.222 on lap 49. From the frontrunners SAI 1:32.882 on lap 50, RUS 1:32.433 on lap 50, ALO 1:32.240 on lap 50.

I agree with some other posters, the last laps battle between Piastri and Lando was a bit of a risk, but they kept it pretty clean. So clean in fact, it was like they were just having a little fun at the end.

[willmesquita]

Christ some people love to overreact.

McLaren were incredibly unlucky with Oscar being squeezed and the subsequent debris taking out Lando's front wing. The pace looked fine in clear air but the high downforce setup meant they were always going to struggle to make up places. Better reliability though and Oscar getting some much needed race experience are small positives.

Hopefully the team can have a "normal" race soon!

Pace wasn't good today. Car is faster than Alfa Romeo and Wiliiams, pace similar to Alpha Tauri, others are faster.

[AR3-GP]

Car is slow on the straight. The Williams was so fast. Recipe for being held up.

[Stig14]

Christ some people love to overreact.

McLaren were incredibly unlucky with Oscar being squeezed and the subsequent debris taking out Lando's front wing. The pace looked fine in clear air but the high downforce setup meant they were always going to struggle to make up places. Better reliability though and Oscar getting some much needed race experience are small positives.

Hopefully the team can have a "normal" race soon!

Pace wasn't good today. Car is faster than Alfa Romeo and Wiliiams, pace similar to Alpha Tauri, others are faster.

I disagree. It was hard to judge. The best comparison would be laps 1-15 of McLaren vs the midfield where everyone was on new tyres. McLaren were certainly running at top 10 pace for this section of the race and only noticeably slowed once others pitted to cover them off before pulling away on new tyres (e.g. Magnusson). Not spectacular but not bad.