McLaren Wheel Nuts

[Tufty]

Hi, professional lurker here...

I was wondering what exactly the problem is with McLaren's wheel nuts, and what they can do to improve their stops?

[GrizzleBoy]

Ask the left rear wheel gun man.

He seems to have a disproportionate amount of experience on this subject compared to anyone else.

[Gerhard Berger]

ted explains it well on sky. Maybe Raymondu can upload the video.

[Raptor22]

Hi, professional lurker here...

I was wondering what exactly the problem is with McLaren's wheel nuts, and what they can do to improve their stops?

Lewis needs to tip his mechanics more than Jenson does

[Trocola]

Last year they had no problems at all at pit-stops (probably one or two, but not too many). This year, 4 GPs, and on three of them they had destroyed Lewis or Button's race.
It is stupid to change the wheel-nut system to improve half a second on a pit stop but it results on big errors. If something works, do not change it.


Trocola

[beelsebob]

Last year they had no problems at all at pit-stops (probably one or two, but not too many). This year, 4 GPs, and on three of them they had destroyed Lewis or Button's race.
It is stupid to change the wheel-nut system to improve half a second on a pit stop but it results on big errors. If something works, do not change it.


Trocola

Right, because Button didn't end up leaving the pits with no wheel nut at all last year. McLaren had several pit problems last year, they need a new design on their wheel nuts, pronto.

[Nando]

1-2 victory in Australia
Possibly a win in Malaysia
Possibly a win in China
Possibly a win in Bahrain

These chances Mclaren blew away all by themselves.

[Trocola]

Last year they had no problems at all at pit-stops (probably one or two, but not too many). This year, 4 GPs, and on three of them they had destroyed Lewis or Button's race.
It is stupid to change the wheel-nut system to improve half a second on a pit stop but it results on big errors. If something works, do not change it.


Trocola

Right, because Button didn't end up leaving the pits with no wheel nut at all last year. McLaren had several pit problems last year, they need a new design on their wheel nuts, pronto.

That's why I said "probably one or two". This year there are too many pit stop errors and this is just the fourth race, as Nando pointed on his post.
Maybe after Mugello they won't have the best car and having it for the first races did not earn them too many points because pit stop problems. At the end of the year we will see, but they probably will be saying "oooh, without those problems in Malaysia or China we could be champions"

Pit stop errors apart, on China they managed to make the stops in the right moment to put Button and Hamilton in traffic on fresh tyres.



Trocola

[multisync]

Last year they had no problems at all at pit-stops (probably one or two, but not too many). This year, 4 GPs, and on three of them they had destroyed Lewis or Button's race.
It is stupid to change the wheel-nut system to improve half a second on a pit stop but it results on big errors. If something works, do not change it.


Trocola

Nonsense. It's called progress. If you don't like change you're following the wrong game..

[Trocola]

Last year they had no problems at all at pit-stops (probably one or two, but not too many). This year, 4 GPs, and on three of them they had destroyed Lewis or Button's race.
It is stupid to change the wheel-nut system to improve half a second on a pit stop but it results on big errors. If something works, do not change it.


Trocola

Nonsense. It's called progress. If you don't like change you're following the wrong game..

If that progress means more problems and bad results, can we call it progress? Seems the opposite of it


Trocola

[Raptor22]

they must be progressing mostly on one car then...

[Trocola]

they must be progressing mostly on one car then...

Button had the same problem in China, so they are progressing very well on both cars


Trocola

[Raptor22]

but Lewis had the problem in Australia, Malaysia, Button in China and Lewis again today...

[scotty86]

Batch manufacturing issue? Assuming they make their own wheelnuts.

[GrizzleBoy]

but Lewis had the problem in Australia, Malaysia, Button in China and Lewis again today...

Not the same problem.

Australia:
-Problem with clutch settings botches Lewis' start from pole.
-Sketchy strategy/race setup for Lewis.

Malaysia:
-Rear jack man fell asleep on Lewis' second stop
-Another mechanic spent about five seconds trying to remove brake duct tape on third stop. If Lewis hadn't just driven off, he might not have secured his podium place.

China:
-Lewis' grid penalty for faulty gear box.
-Rear left wheel nut doesn't go on right for Button.

Bahrain:
-Rear left wheel nut doesn't go on right for Lewis on first pit.
-Rear left wheel nut doesn't go on right for Lewis on second pit.
-Rear left tyre change still creates a stop that is over a second longer than it should be for Lewis.
-Buttons stops are upto twice as long as they should be, then his car dies.


Honestly, what are they playing at?

Not even HRT do this to their drivers.