2022 - McLaren Formula 1 Team

[Big Tea]

I think we wasted a big chance by rejecting Audi. A deal like Mclaren/Mercedes, Red Bull/Porsche might have been possible.
Going back to being #1 is hard enough, but being a customer who has to outdo the works team is an extra challenge that we really didn't need.

Getting involved too deep with an international company like Audi (group) puts you at the mercy of a board (or assorted boards) most of which have no idea of or interest in racing and could easily become a minefield of 'we are not making enough, sell it off', and could end up in the position of Williams in just a year or so.
I prefer to see Mclaren as a strong self owned company, but with a good engine supply.
With the cost cap and rules on what engine makers must supply to the customers, I think it is for the best as it is.
Things are coming together, nothing is ever a straight line graph.

[mclaren111]

I think we wasted a big chance by rejecting Audi. A deal like Mclaren/Mercedes, Red Bull/Porsche might have been possible.
Going back to being #1 is hard enough, but being a customer who has to outdo the works team is an extra challenge that we really didn't need.

Getting involved too deep with an international company like Audi (group) puts you at the mercy of a board (or assorted boards) most of which have no idea of or interest in racing and could easily become a minefield of 'we are not making enough, sell it off', and could end up in the position of Williams in just a year or so.
I prefer to see Mclaren as a strong self owned company, but with a good engine supply.
With the cost cap and rules on what engine makers must supply to the customers, I think it is for the best as it is.
Things are coming together, nothing is ever a straight line graph.

I agree... I hope for a Honda reunion with a ironclad 10+ year contract...

[CjC]

Mclaren could consider seizing this current financial boom and invest in their own powertrain division. Off set some of the cost onto the road car division.
I know Red Bull are a mighty outfit but they have proven it’s possible. When Porsche come in to Red Bull- Mclaren could buy the Honda IP?

[Big Tea]

Mclaren could consider seizing this current financial boom and invest in their own powertrain division. Off set some of the cost onto the road car division.
I know Red Bull are a mighty outfit but they have proven it’s possible. When Porsche come in to Red Bull- Mclaren could buy the Honda IP?

If they have their own engine they only have that option. If they have a problem with a customer engine there is the option of switching if things get too bad.

[mwillems]

Mclaren could consider seizing this current financial boom and invest in their own powertrain division. Off set some of the cost onto the road car division.
I know Red Bull are a mighty outfit but they have proven it’s possible. When Porsche come in to Red Bull- Mclaren could buy the Honda IP?

The costs associated with that are huge and whilst we can happily fund an F1 team, I doubt we could afford an engine programme. It's OK for RB now because of the engine freeze and because their income is bigger than ours, but when the freeze finishes the costs will skyrocket again, not to mention the costs of developing a new engine for the new regs.
I'm sure it will have carry over but I expect the electrical system to be much changed and an expectation for the engines to run more efficiently on greener fuels.

[Slahinki]

I think we wasted a big chance by rejecting Audi. A deal like Mclaren/Mercedes, Red Bull/Porsche might have been possible.
Going back to being #1 is hard enough, but being a customer who has to outdo the works team is an extra challenge that we really didn't need.

From what I've understood of the rumored Audi deal there might not have been a McLaren at all had the deal gone through. No McLaren Audi, just Audi. And no amount of money or competitiveness is worth risking the outright loss of McLaren, imo.

[SmallSoldier]

Mclaren could consider seizing this current financial boom and invest in their own powertrain division. Off set some of the cost onto the road car division.
I know Red Bull are a mighty outfit but they have proven it’s possible. When Porsche come in to Red Bull- Mclaren could buy the Honda IP?

Have they though? The engines are still been made by Honda, the current engine they are running was designed by Honda and the engines are locked until 2025… Is not like if Red Bull Powertrains is designing any engines yet… I wouldn’t be that quick to say that they have proven it’s possible, we would know a bit more once engines for 2026 are designed / build and by then, it will be Porsche’s designed engine… Red Bull Powertrains may never design or build an engine.

[SmallSoldier]

Mclaren could consider seizing this current financial boom and invest in their own powertrain division. Off set some of the cost onto the road car division.
I know Red Bull are a mighty outfit but they have proven it’s possible. When Porsche come in to Red Bull- Mclaren could buy the Honda IP?

The costs associated with that are huge and whilst we can happily fund an F1 team, I doubt we could afford an engine programme. It's OK for RB now because of the engine freeze and because their income is bigger than ours, but when the freeze finishes the costs will skyrocket again, not to mention the costs of developing a new engine for the new regs.
I'm sure it will have carry over but I expect the electrical system to be much changed and an expectation for the engines to run more efficiently on greener fuels.

With the MGU-H gone for 2026, the question is if they will be able to generate enough energy with the MGU-K and Braking… Today, even with the MGU-H it takes a few laps to fill a battery… If we add larger batteries and larger allowance of deployment, it will be an interesting challenge for the PU manufacturers.

[runningmanz]

Anyone have any later updates on the new wind tunnel?

Be together and running by the end of the year but not calibrated and certified till well into 2023. Late enough that it won't have much input even into next years car bar the later update packages.

Thanks yeah can't wait to see it up and running, it seems to be taking forever but pardon the pun at least there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel!

[CjC]

Mclaren could consider seizing this current financial boom and invest in their own powertrain division. Off set some of the cost onto the road car division.
I know Red Bull are a mighty outfit but they have proven it’s possible. When Porsche come in to Red Bull- Mclaren could buy the Honda IP?

Have they though? The engines are still been made by Honda, the current engine they are running was designed by Honda and the engines are locked until 2025… Is not like if Red Bull Powertrains is designing any engines yet… I wouldn’t be that quick to say that they have proven it’s possible, we would know a bit more once engines for 2026 are designed / build and by then, it will be Porsche’s designed engine… Red Bull Powertrains may never design or build an engine.

I don’t think Red Bull have either.
I’m under no illusion that Red Bull or Mclaren can design and build an engine.
Red Bull are doing and Mclaren should build someone else’s proven design just as you said

[mwillems]

Mclaren could consider seizing this current financial boom and invest in their own powertrain division. Off set some of the cost onto the road car division.
I know Red Bull are a mighty outfit but they have proven it’s possible. When Porsche come in to Red Bull- Mclaren could buy the Honda IP?

Have they though? The engines are still been made by Honda, the current engine they are running was designed by Honda and the engines are locked until 2025… Is not like if Red Bull Powertrains is designing any engines yet… I wouldn’t be that quick to say that they have proven it’s possible, we would know a bit more once engines for 2026 are designed / build and by then, it will be Porsche’s designed engine… Red Bull Powertrains may never design or build an engine.

I don’t think Red Bull have either.
I’m under no illusion that Red Bull or Mclaren can design and build an engine.
Red Bull are doing and Mclaren should build someone else’s proven design just as you said

RB are just maintaining the engines in essence. IIRC there was an update provided by Honda at the back end of last year and now it is just keeping the engine ticking over. There will be some small updates that they bring in the name of reliability but this is not the aggressive development paths of old. RB Could not afford that without the freeze.

This was just a temporary arrangement until the new engine regs to keep them in the sport for a few years.

[the EDGE]

McLaren already have the basis of an engine department in their road car partner Ricardo

Their new V6 Hybrid in the Artura was actually designed by McLaren

Sure, it would take a lot of work to ramp that partnership up to F1 levels, but if the the new regs were enticing for them both, it’s not beyond the realms of feasibility

Quite possible if F1 go in the direction of a sustainable fuelled NA V8

[Slahinki]

McLaren already have the basis of an engine department in their road car partner Ricardo

Their new V6 Hybrid in the Artura was actually designed by McLaren

Sure, it would take a lot of work to ramp that partnership up to F1 levels, but if the the new regs were enticing for them both, it’s not beyond the realms of feasibility

Quite possible if F1 go in the direction of a sustainable fuelled NA V8

That would be pretty cool if they could manage. Ricardo does have a pretty legendary past in engine design going back over 100 years.

[MrGapes]

Anyone have any later updates on the new wind tunnel?

Be together and running by the end of the year but not calibrated and certified till well into 2023. Late enough that it won't have much input even into next years car bar the later update packages.

Thanks yeah can't wait to see it up and running, it seems to be taking forever but pardon the pun at least there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel!

I think we are all waiting impatiently, the team have been quite adamant of the infrastructure deficit and its disadvantages.

I am curious, obviously having a inhouse wind tunnel improves accessibility and efficiency etc. but what are the technological disadvantages of the cologne tunnel to what the team are constructing now?

[djos]

Be together and running by the end of the year but not calibrated and certified till well into 2023. Late enough that it won't have much input even into next years car bar the later update packages.

Thanks yeah can't wait to see it up and running, it seems to be taking forever but pardon the pun at least there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel!

I think we are all waiting impatiently, the team have been quite adamant of the infrastructure deficit and its disadvantages.

I am curious, obviously having a inhouse wind tunnel improves accessibility and efficiency etc. but what are the technological disadvantages of the cologne tunnel to what the team are constructing now?

Lando mentioned the biggest issue they've found is:

“I guess having our own wind tunnel is one of the biggest things,” he continued, adding, it would be much easier for “the guys and girls who travel all the way to [Toyota’s facility in] Germany every time and go to the wind tunnel, spend time in isolation, there for three weeks, come back and spend time in isolation again and so on. We lose a lot of time compared to other teams who are able to do it a lot quicker.”

https://www.racefans.net/2021/05/23/mcl ... ning-them/