Ground Effect wrote: ↑24 Feb 2021, 08:42
Hammerfist wrote: ↑24 Feb 2021, 02:39
djos wrote: ↑20 Feb 2021, 23:16
Mclaren have a better PU than both Ferrari and RedBull, and likely a better car than Ferrari imo.
Also, Perez isn’t the messiah, he’s just a very naughty boy.
Didn't Mclaren already concede that they haven't optimized the Merc PU transplant yet? And not only that, but development tokens have been spent in order to do the swap. The same tokens other teams have used to add performance to their car. It's only logical that Mclaren will fall back in the pecking order this year. Will not be shocked if they are only the 7th fastest team.
Optimised is relative in my opinion. So far, Alfa Romeo and Alpha Tauri have used their tokens on a new nose, which McLaren already switched to last year and have collected loads of data on it already, so they won’t be compromised on the front end. McLaren actually did more than 2 tokens worth of changes to get the PU installed, and seeing what they’ve done, they achieved a lot packaging wise, aside from the obvious power benefits of the Mercedes PU. The media pundits are saying/hoping Red Bull will be take the fight to Mercedes this year, and they’re largely basing it on their Abu Dhabi performance. If we go by that, which team had the 3rd best car in Abu Dhabi? I’m pretty certain the MCL35M is a better race car.
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.
It isn't just the engine, or the aero, it is the ability to extend the wheelbase too in a time when a larger floor can be beneficial, improve the cooling layout. There are upwards of 6 tokens of work on this car.
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 where he started an interview 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.
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