This forum contains threads to discuss teams themselves. Anything not technical about the cars, including restructuring, performances etc belongs here.
"We know we must improve our braking and cornering to challenge our main opponents on tracks like Hungary and the Netherlands. We have upgrades coming for the second part of the season, and while not everything will be solved at once, our objective is clear - we want to consistently fight for podiums and, ultimately, victories."
Since when was braking an issue ? I thought we just lacked downforce.
Braking is critical for corner entry. It can also affect platform stability and therefore downforce on entry, though in this instance I don't think that is the issue.
They had issues last year with braking, struggling to feel the limits on entry and the car itself also struggled with trailbraking on some tracks, due to bumps in the track or bigger kerbs, as well as a lack of feel as to where the braking limit was.
I'd assume that since they are trying to push the car everywhere, that this feels like a limitation because they want to extract more from the front. When I say feels like, I mean it was less of a limitation last year when the rest of the car was fast enough that it overcame it.
This year it isn't. My understanding is that last year the team worked heavily on the parts of the car they could carry over, so the platform and suspension work to similar principles as last year and so I expect that it is simply not something they can ignore, they need to work on it now because the car isn't good enough to drive around it.
Edit: Push vs Pull might have some kind of affect too, though the general teachings are that it shouldn't.
He pops up now and then.
I think he’s just appreciating his teams successes quietly from a far. 3 titles for McLaren and Arsenal finally got the league- I think he’s taking a break
And like many, I don’t think he’s a massive fan of the new F3 PUs which are masquerading as F1 PUs.
But correct me if I’m wrong Mwillems if you see this
I also avoided a lot of the noise and downbeat commentary at the start of the season (And some of the downright silliness). It felt as though any assessment of the car was being clouded by the team still learning the new engines, adapting to the new formula and dealing with a fair amount of bad luck.
Rather than keep repeating the same view, I took a step back until things had settled down. It was extremely difficult to extract meaningful data at that stage, and some of the analysis felt more like reading tea leaves than drawing more reliable conclusions. I haven't looked at data since so don't know if it is easier to extract meaningful insight now.
Away from F1, it has been a very up and down year personally. I've separated, my mum passed away, and my daughter broke her arm badly enough to need an operation. As a result, I haven't actually watched a single full race this year. I simply haven't had the time or headspace for it.
I'll probably start getting back into F1 once I'm home from holiday with the kids, so I should be around a bit more after the summer break.
You are not missing much. F1 is no longer 'driving at the limits of grip' , it's become 'driving at the limits of efficiency'. So the racing is pseudo.
Take care.
Yes the efficiency race has really put me off. And this is part of the reason I never believed the conclusions people could take from traces, particularly in shorter sessions. There are layers upon layers of why a car behaves in a way in a given moment. Now there is an extra dimension to the data and this layer isn't hugely tangible, and the way the car behaves for efficiency can change lap to lap...
I'm all for electrics, but F1 isn't going to push the tech. Car companies are already pushing billions into electrical research and F1 won't add much to that, so they should live within their means. F1 is currently existing with technical debt as the tech doesn't yet support what we are trying to do. Unlimited electrical energy generation through heat would be great, something that doesn't affect the cars drive and would be a meaningful and useful war.
In my opinion Lando was just unfortunate, whatever strategy he picked he would always play catchup to the cars in front. Idea behind the strategy they picked was sound but they were unlucky that there was an early SC and VSC that allowed medium runners to pit. When VSC came Norris was behind Piastri and would lose out due to double stack plus it was quite early to go onto mediums. Whatever the choice it wouldn't be much better than the end result. As Norris said it's a shame because he looked to have the pace of the front runners, but with the gaps being so small this pace wasn't enough to overtake 10 cars.
Piastri probably shouldn't do yoyo racing with Norris - I hope that they agree to stay out of each others races in the future. That was silly from Piastri.
I'm happy with the electrification of F1 but with common sense, I believe it adds another layer to the strategy that can make races more entertaining but it has to be technically sound. Removing one of the energy sources (MGU-H) and expand the power of the electric engine, despite the active aero shortcuts, has been a massive misstep that it's going to create a bad rep for hybrid engines. Horner's proposal to keep it at 70/30 (or even a 60/40) would have been the best option, but these cars are energy starved in most races. Manufacturers cannot dictate terms, you need to find a balance, if Merc wants to leave, good riddance. 10 years ago they were critical, now F1 is in a much better place.
Regarding Mclaren. I think the evolution of the team is promising, reliability seems to be improving a lot and now the focus is on pace. Yesterday's pace with one upgrade and the new battery system was pretty good, specially in Lando's case. So hopefully Hungary is another step in the right direction.
Edit: Btw, it seems drag was improved with the new rear wing. With a better use of the engine hopefully we'll be close to Merc in the fastest areas of the circuits.
I've been saying since the start of the year. Mclaren are in a strong place given how much less time they have had to design the 26 car. And now they believe they have found the right concepts to apply to the car.
That's exciting. The car in my view was second fastest at the start of the season, but unable to show it, but Ferrari have pulled away. But still the gap to the front is what, around 4 tenths?
That's not big at all at this stage. We are close and well within range of fighting for wins this year. I'm excited for the team, and if more of their upgrades are now going to pull in the right direction, the upgrade path should gain momentum beyond this next set of upgrades.
The team were really clear that the aero upgrades would slow down at the start of the season as they sat back and learnt from other cars concepts before going all in. So McLaren's upgrade wars start from now. Looks pretty damn promising.
What does Zak even do on the F1 Pitwall, apart from interviews. Why do we have a CEO on the pitwall? I wonder what racing decisions he influences...
From the pitwall, Zak :
- talks to David Croft on Sky twice during a race (just to reiterate the obvious what we see on the screen, no detailed answers anyway)
- if McLaren wins, high-fives anyone in an orange top within a 100m radius
Zak Brown didn't travel to Belgium. Perhaps overseeing the final bits of the Hungary upgrades.
Zak was in Toronto with the Indycar team. He has to show his face now and again to the other outifts
What does Zak even do on the F1 Pitwall, apart from interviews. Why do we have a CEO on the pitwall? I wonder what racing decisions he influences...
Zak isn't useful overseeing upgrades or at the pitwall.
He is useful negotiating sponsors and partnerships.
During a race weekend he might be slightly more useful if team members have a strong disagreement, but that is mostly Stella's job.
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Who sits on the McLaren pit wall and what they do when they’re up there
McLaren RacingImage - Formula 1 - 2026 - Who sits on McLaren’s pit wall? - Hero
2026
...
Who Sits On McLarens Pit Wall
15 July 2026 15:00 (UTC)
WHO SITS ON THE McLAREN PIT WALL AND WHAT THEY DO WHEN THEY’RE UP THERE
They’re the best seats in the house, so how do teams decide who gets them?
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The pit wall has become an iconic element of Formula 1, a key subplot to what is happening out on track. TV cameras spend an increasing amount of time during Qualifying and the race capturing the reactions on the pit wall, but who is up there and what are their roles during the sessions?
‘Pit wall’ is the shorthand, while the structure itself is called the pit stand, and every team treats theirs differently. We have seven seats: some teams have four, others eight. Some teams will have the same people in the same places every session, others will have blank spaces or a revolving cast of characters.
A more technical lineup may be used during a test or practice session, with senior management occupying those seats on race day. Meanwhile, some teams will swap positions depending on whether the cars are running from right to left or left to right.
Many of the original reasons for the pit wall have been rendered redundant by improvements in technology: timing is done via transponder rather than stopwatch, cameras cover every inch of track, and telemetry and radio comms are delivered in real time to every console, from the pit stand to the garage, and right back to the MTC.
Technology, however, is not everything. For some senior staff, it’s about being in a position where you can influence and communicate, but without getting under the feet of a busy crew in a cramped garage. There’s also a human element: out on the pit wall, you’re in the middle of the action, garages to your back, grandstands looming overhead, cars whistling by inches away. These are the best seats in the house.
So, who’s on our wall, in what order do they sit, and what are they doing?
McLaren RacingImage - Formula 1 - 2026 - Who sits on McLaren’s pit wall? - 2
Senior Director, F1 Operations and Commercial Liaison: Paul Barnes
Paul joined McLaren in 2001 and started working trackside as a car systems technician in 2005. Twenty years on, his title, Senior Director, F1 Operations and Commercial Liaison, doesn’t quite paint the full picture.
Although he is responsible for everything from travel logistics to team services, across a race weekend, the electronic systems configuration of the cars falls under his purview, as does the supporting IT infrastructure that enables us to go racing, and the off-car tool chain behind it.
The way in which data is collected from the car and distributed to the team also falls within his remit, as does the slightly more mundane but utterly crucial task of ensuring radio communications are working as they should.
Paul will sit on the stand during practice, Qualifying and some races, but will switch to the central engineering island in the garage on a Sunday when Zak is in attendance and on the pit wall.
McLaren RacingImage - Formula 1 - 2026 - Who sits on McLaren’s pit wall? - 1
Senior Racing Director: Randeep Singh
Randy leads our strategy group, but his role is multifaceted. While each car will have its own individual strategists, Randy’s overview is holistic, making the decisions that are best for the team. That might mean splitting strategies or juggling the order.
During Qualifying and the race, he’ll spend much of his time in discussions with Team Principal Andrea Stella and each driver’s Race Engineers and Strategists, ensuring he is across every possible scenario and equipped to make the right decisions.
He’ll also often serve as point man, charged with updating the team when inclement weather is approaching. And during Qualifying, he’ll keep an eagle eye on other garages from his vantage point, with a running commentary on who’s firing up, heading out, or staying put.
McLaren RacingImage - Formula 1 - 2026 - Who sits on McLaren’s pit wall? - 3
Sporting Director: Will Courtenay
Next to Randy is Will Courtenay, who joined the team at the beginning of the year as Sporting Director.
While the majority of the Sporting and Strategy Team will work from the (mostly) calmer, (usually) cooler confines of Mission Control at the McLaren Technology Centre, there is a need for boots on the ground to provide an in-person perspective alongside the data.
Chiefly, Will’s role is to liaise with the Race Director and brief Race Engineering on the latest instructions and opinions from Race Control.
It’s also useful to have a second pair of senior eyes and ears alongside Randy on the pit wall, who can help monitor proceedings. It just means nothing is missed if he is embroiled in a discussion with Andrea or one of the engineers.
McLaren RacingImage - Formula 1 - 2026 - Who sits on McLaren’s pit wall? - 8
Team Principal: Andrea Stella
Team Principals always sit on the pit wall, but it’s been Andrea’s natural habitat for longer than most, spanning his decade at McLaren and his tenure as a Race Engineer at Ferrari.
When he’s on the pit wall, Andrea acts as an extra pair of eyes for the race engineering group. It’s no coincidence that he’s seated between Randy and Zak, because, on the rare occasion the team is faced with a momentous and difficult decision, that’s the triumvirate that will make the final call.
Primarily, though, over the course of a normal weekend, Andrea will spend his time on the pit wall studying race data and offering insight to the Race Engineers. A lot of the time, he’ll be focused on the bigger picture, but he’ll also get stuck into the more granular details, such as suggesting how a driver might get a better exit from a particular corner.
McLaren RacingImage - Formula 1 - 2026 - Who sits on McLaren’s pit wall? - 5
CEO: Zak Brown
Zak is both metaphorically and geographically at the centre of the team, sitting in the middle of the pit wall. His pedigree as a racing driver makes him a useful extra pair of eyes, and while he won’t be heard on the wider team channels, he’ll be talking to the people around him on the wall.
McLaren Racing’s empire spans multiple series, meaning Zak isn’t present for every Grand Prix (though he probably spends more time at race tracks than anyone else in papaya).
When he’s away, his seat will be filled by Paul Barnes, who sits on the pit wall during practice and Qualifying, but switches to the central engineering island in the garage on a Sunday when Zak is on the pit wall.
Zak Brown didn't travel to Belgium. Perhaps overseeing the final bits of the Hungary upgrades.
Zak was in Toronto with the Indycar team. He has to show his face now and again to the other outifts
What does Zak even do on the F1 Pitwall, apart from interviews. Why do we have a CEO on the pitwall? I wonder what racing decisions he influences...
Zak isn't useful overseeing upgrades or at the pitwall.
He is useful negotiating sponsors and partnerships.
During a race weekend he might be slightly more useful if team members have a strong disagreement, but that is mostly Stella's job.
Yes exactly, that's my thought. He's literally there cos no-one can say no and he's a racer, so he has the best seats in the house to watch the race and be the pitwall front of house, let the team focus. I hope he doesn't try to steer decisions though...
What does Zak even do on the F1 Pitwall, apart from interviews. Why do we have a CEO on the pitwall? I wonder what racing decisions he influences...
From the pitwall, Zak :
- talks to David Croft on Sky twice during a race (just to reiterate the obvious what we see on the screen, no detailed answers anyway)
- if McLaren wins, high-fives anyone in an orange top within a 100m radius
The question is. Why was Leclerc not penalized since he did not leave a car's width and clipped Piastri's whole side. Instead we saw Hamilton getting penalized because Russell who was behind at the start of the turn dived from the outside and cut across Hamilton while at the same time Hamilton had an understeer due to air currents from Piastri in front. While that was a racing incident, what Leclerc did is 100 times more punishable.
The question is. Why was Leclerc not penalized since he did not leave a car's width and clipped Piastri's whole side. Instead we saw Hamilton getting penalized because Russell who was behind at the start of the turn dived from the outside and cut across Hamilton while at the same time Hamilton had an understeer due to air currents from Piastri in front. While that was a racing incident, what Leclerc did is 100 times more punishable.
Because the rules say that the defender (on the inside) can legally push the attacker off track if his front axle is ahead of the attacker at apex. This is a rule clarification they made because Verstappen kept pushing Norris off. This rule is bad for F1 because it means both drivers are super focused on reaching apex first, even if it means they can't make the corner. Norris learned to live with it, usually forcing Verstappen to overdefend and then cut back. Here Leclerc just let himself go deeper and the touch was "legal" because he had right to the track.
Stupid, I know.
Every driver should 100% focus on defending the inside, it gives you so much leverage. You can even go wide afterwards and push the other car off.
