https://autoracer.it/mclaren-houldey-bi ... -mercedes/
Main ideas:
A good starting point with room for growth
According to Houldey, the MCL40 was built on a solid design foundation, even if the initial level of development wasn't yet as desired. "The launch car was a good starting point. We made the right decisions on the main concepts, the layout, and the elements that were established throughout the season, such as the suspension geometry."
“ We were slightly over the launch weight limit and had to dedicate time and resources to bringing the car back to the regulatory minimum before the first race . Naturally, this took resources away from performance development.”
Houldey emphasizes, however, that the plan worked as expected. "We knew that after the Barcelona tests we would identify where to remove material and where to add. In the end, we reached the weight limit already in the first race, which was our goal ."
“ We learned a lot about how tires work , what they need in terms of heating and cooling, and this influenced some of the updates we introduced.”
Despite recent progress, Houldey believes the MCL40's potential hasn't yet been fully realized. "The drivers have given us very useful feedback: the car isn't easy to drive yet . We can increase the overall aerodynamic load, but above all, make it easier to exploit both in qualifying and in the race."
Updates until Baku, then the choice between 2026 and 2027
The development program won't stop after the summer break. "We have small updates planned for the next few races and then
a potentially more significant package in Baku." The strategy after that will depend on the aerodynamic work. "After Baku, it will depend on how much performance we still find and whether we feel it's more advantageous to prepare a further package for the end of the season or focus all our resources on next year's car." For now, the decision hasn't been made yet and will also depend on the progress of our rivals. "
I believe there's a good chance we can continue introducing updates beyond Baku without compromising the 2027 project. They will mostly be additional components, rather than major bodywork changes, but there's still performance to be found in these areas."
