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Ash1

Is Mclaren Screwed This Season?

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I still don't buy a word of it, mainly because the reason they were using the rear wing has changed about 3 times from different people within McLaren IIRC.

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I still don't buy a word of it, mainly because the reason they were using the rear wing has changed about 3 times from different people within McLaren IIRC.

That's true. I've read a few different reasons for using the 2008 rear wing. Hmmm... :eusa_think:

Mark Webber: It's amazing how close all the teams are after such a big change of rules. And about McLaren: You can never count them out.

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RE Mclaren's pace: "While many teams have been going for fast lap-times during differing phases of their test schedules, McLaren appear to be unperturbed and are continuing on their usual pre-season schedule of running the car with a reasonable level of fuel and used tyres. With this approach, McLaren have been absent from the top of the testing timesheets and for some this appears to be a sign of problems.

These concerns are multiplied by the constant re-appearance of the 2008 rear wing and further flow-vis tests.

It would be unwise to discount McLaren's pace, as the team devoted some time to testing in preparation for the 2010 regulations (no tyre warmers and no refueling), while this test is critical in preparation for next year, the time would not have been spent if McLaren were in crisis with their new car."

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Yes, that's a good point. The testing times can't possibly be representative of their real pace because there's no way BrawnGP on their first day of testing are genuinely 1.8s/lap faster than McLaren.

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He may be the next Schumi, but he'll never be the next Kimi. Unless he changes his post quali drinking habits to deliver a quality race day grog bog. Did I read your question right?
Erm, I guess!

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RE Mclaren's pace: "While many teams have been going for fast lap-times during differing phases of their test schedules, McLaren appear to be unperturbed and are continuing on their usual pre-season schedule of running the car with a reasonable level of fuel and used tyres. With this approach, McLaren have been absent from the top of the testing timesheets and for some this appears to be a sign of problems.

These concerns are multiplied by the constant re-appearance of the 2008 rear wing and further flow-vis tests.

It would be unwise to discount McLaren's pace, as the team devoted some time to testing in preparation for the 2010 regulations (no tyre warmers and no refueling), while this test is critical in preparation for next year, the time would not have been spent if McLaren were in crisis with their new car."

thats what I said earlier! <_<

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Anything can happen with these new front wings. The tracks will be littered with them in the first few races, methinks. The puncture risk heightens and there'll be pit lane mayhem. McBenz have an inherent gearbox issue with the Newey 09 chassis and Ferrari are way off the pace. Renault and Red Bull are fast but Toyota and BMW are more reliable. STR will always be in there scrapping as this will probably be their swansong. It's a lottery. Farce India and the brawling Brawns are using the engine LH won the WDC with [just!] and the latter may throw a surprise or two because of the quality within the team. I can't wait!

Newey and McLaren? That's twice you have said that. I dont understand, Sean.

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I cant wait for MElbourne now!

Gonna answer alot of questions for me.

I predict a close fight between Renault and Ferrari with Red Bull and Toyota finding themselves in higher ground than usual. Glock and Vettel will shine this season, The rise of the Germans i predict.

Mclaren dont look good though, yes yes they could be sand bagging and doing different programs but Its pretty risky not running with a light fuel load at some point against the others. The sponsors will start lacking confidence if they dont see something impressive soon.

Force India bring up the rear but will be close to Williams.

Brawn GP... hmmmmmm I think they'll spring a suprise. I mean they have been developing that car since half way through last year and over the winter the team were up for sale, but that doesnt mean the team has all gone on holiday and stopped developing the car. Lack of testing may hurt them but its definitely able to mix it up with the rest.

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McLaren get radical with new floor

09 March 2009

The McLaren team has revealed a radical new aerodynamic modification on the MP4-24 in Barcelona, which could explain the team's recent lack of pace in testing; the car, driven by Heikki Kovalainen on Monday, is sporting a new floor which is missing certain parts in an attempted bid to improve airflow to the rear end of the vehicle.

The new device, if successful, should allow the McLaren to increase the number of kilometres per hour that it carries on straights. By cutting out a triangular-shaped section of the floor on both sides of the car, between the sidepods and rear wheels, the design aims to aid smoother airflow which first passes through the car via the front wing.

By cutting out the 'triangle', the edge of the diffuser of the car (aerodynamic device located under the rear wing) is effectively moved backwards, thus allowing greater airflow to the rear wing; with this greater amount of airflow subsequently creating more rear-end downforce, the team can afford to reduce the size of the car's rear wing which, in turn, results in less drag and greater top speeds on straight sections of the circuit.

This new design naturally raised questions in Barcelona over its legality, although F1 rules state that, when viewing the car from underneath, no body work must be visible; this is the case for McLaren and therefore no questions over whether the device is legal or not should apply.

With poor weather conditions dogging last week's Jerez test, the new device could be a reason towards McLaren's distinctly off-colour performances recently, and it is very likely that the mechanics from Woking were very happy to see clear skies in the Barcelona area on Monday morning, which allowed them to gain an accurate reading on the MP4-24's new innovative design feature, and comparisons over previous configurations.

Wishful thinking aside, this only confirms one thing.

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Mclaren dont look good though, yes yes they could be sand bagging and doing different programs but Its pretty risky not running with a light fuel load at some point against the others. The sponsors will start lacking confidence if they dont see something impressive soon.

hey we are talking about McLaren...not Jordan, Arrows etc

i dont think Vodafone will ''lack confidence'' from testing..especially after sponsorship a champion's car ;)

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Flow of "help" from ferrari has been stopped by sacking Stepney so Macca has to produce their own design. That might be a shocking experience :D

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'MCLAREN ARE BEHIND FERRARI, BMW, TOYOTA AND RENAULT'

Wednesday 11th March 2009

At least four different teams will start the 2009 season ahead of McLaren unless the Woking outfit can produce a sudden improvement in performance during the few remaining days of winter testing, according to F1 broadcaster James Allen.

Now an observer rather than a commentator following ITV's exit from the sport, Allen attended the opening two days of this week's test in Barcelona and departed concluding that McLaren are currently trailing Ferrari, Toyota, BMW as well as Fernando Alonso's Renault.

'I come away from the Barcelona test feeling that this is going to be a great season of racing, but in a very different way from the McLaren vs Ferrari battles of the last two years,' he wrote in a blog on his website, jamesallenonf1.

'The testing performances we have seen so far suggest that McLaren has, if not a mountain, then certainly a big hill to climb, while Ferrari, BMW and Toyota look very strong, one might almost say equally strong.

'If the performance we've seen here is carried over to the early part of the season, as it has been in recent years, then you could see Kubica, Heidfeld, Raikkonen, Massa, Trulli and Glock fighting for wins and podiums early on. I don't think it will be too long before Alonso joins in either, as the Renault team made a big step forward this week thanks to a new front wing and underfloor parts. They started behind and are still a bit behind, but closing in fast.'

McLaren's repeated insistence that they are satisfied with their performances in testing has convinced few and it would appear that they are having particular problems with the rear-wing on their MP4-24.

Lewis Hamilton will be behind the wheel of the McLaren for the final two days in Barcelona, with the team then scheduled to return to Jerez next week for the final major test of the winter before the season begins in Melbourne at the end of the month.

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Who knows...everybody are ruling out Mclaren but it's a big team and if someone can turn things around it's them.That said,big teams also have crisis,and especially in years with big rule changes,like Ferrari in 2005...anyway,letswaitandsee.

Now an observer rather than a commentator following ITV's exit from the sport

mwahahahaha

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They're not having troubles with KERS.

They're not having troubles with the rear wing.

They're not having troublues with lack of pace.

They're having troubles with the photocpier.

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James who?

They're having troubles with the photocpier.

They don't need the photocopier anymore. :)

All McLaren improvement in 2007 was because of Alonso's great spying skills. :clap3:

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They're not having troubles with KERS.

They're not having troubles with the rear wing.

They're not having troublues with lack of pace.

They're having troubles with the photocpier.

:lol:

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They're not having troubles with KERS.

They're not having troubles with the rear wing.

They're not having troublues with lack of pace.

They're having troubles with the photocpier.

:lol:

Vicious, my friend, vicious.

Bye the way, you know when Renault had to take that 'other team's information' off their mainframe, did anyone check their backups??? :whistling::lol:

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:lol:

Vicious, my friend, vicious.

Bye the way, you know when Renault had to take that 'other team's information' off their mainframe, did anyone check their backups??? :whistling::lol:

very vicious my friend, very vicious :lol::lol:

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