2018 McLaren F1 Team - Renault

[JordanMugen]

Mclaren is a whole different matter. It seems that not only management is bad, but the engineers are not on the level that we expect of a racing pedigree with a name like Mclaren.

There are hundreds of engineers in the team. I am sure most of them know what they are doing and how to design parts well!

It's just that some, in hindsight, wrong strategic and concept decisions have been made by higher-up technical director and chief designer types...

[GoranF1]

Mclaren is a whole different matter. It seems that not only management is bad, but the engineers are not on the level that we expect of a racing pedigree with a name like Mclaren.

There are hundreds of engineers in the team. I am sure most of them know what they are doing and how to design parts well!

It's just that some, in hindsight, wrong strategic and concept decisions have been made by higher-up technical director and chief designer types...

2 problems
1. Lack of money
2. Lack of factory engine deal.

[marmer]

Mclaren is a whole different matter. It seems that not only management is bad, but the engineers are not on the level that we expect of a racing pedigree with a name like Mclaren.

There are hundreds of engineers in the team. I am sure most of them know what they are doing and how to design parts well!

It's just that some, in hindsight, wrong strategic and concept decisions have been made by higher-up technical director and chief designer types...

2 problems
1. Lack of money
2. Lack of factory engine deal.

Load of rubbish


They have out spent every team apart from reb bull mercedes and Ferrari since the V6 era.

Started with the best V6 engine got destroyed by Williams who were also a customer


Got a works engine but placed ridiculous demands on honda and rushed them when they didn't really need to

Blame should be aimed squarely at management

[godlameroso]

I think most people here are disappointed with the results, but are interested in the areas that need to improve. To work out these areas, you need to be critical of the current car and structure of the team

I don't understand how the team have managed to "bake in" some of the design around the leading edge of the floor, and are supposedly unable to change it (to say develop towards 2019). It seems so strange.

Would it be so impossible to make a pair of new tubs and new floors with the new concept looking towards 2019?

I notice that McLaren are proud of their sophisticated tub design which is incredibly labour-intensive to layup...

But can't they just be un-McLaren for once and make some "quick and dirty" basic F2-grade tubs, without sophisticated layups, so they can make the aeroynamic changes they need to get themselves up the grid with improved aero performance! Even if it means carrying an extra 2.3 kg and a fraction less less torsional stiffness in their tub!

Knowing next year will be completely different and knowing your hands are tied this year can be and is demoralizing.

It's the same rules next year though, only the front wing is different. Can't they wheel out the updates to the 2018 car!?

It's concerning that as late as the Spanish GP, McLaren had yet to realise there was anything fundamentally wrong with the design of their car. If they had realised then, then perhaps they could had a B-car ready by after the summer break?

Rules are quite different, wider rear wing, wider front wing, less complex front wing, lower bargeboards, and teams will have to rely even more on the bargeboard to deal with tire wake.

Modifying what needed modifying means they have to churn out a new floor for each iteration. So I'm guessing they want to make this area modular, which means re-engineering the tub to allow this. At this stage in the season there's no point in doing this. So they did the sensible thing and are taking the time to make the best design they can with the new regulations in mind.

The new car is already much faster than this year's car at least according to the simulator, so there's some hope this move will pay off next year as the team tries to establish a strong foundation for the future. Realistically they can fight for 4th in the constructors with their capabilities, so if they get next year's chassis right, and the Renault engine actually takes a step forward I could see it happening.

[KingHamilton01]

From reading the above comments, I feel like a lot of this should be common knowledge, Zak has explained that there are departments that are not running as they should and having to report to wait to get certain bits signed off because of current Matrix they all follow.

McLaren need time to implement these changes and recruit to make what they have stronger, Pat Fry know's a lot about the team and more than likely what they did well in the past so he will be a great addition, we can't underestimate what need's to be fixed and that more than likely some staff need to be re-motivated as they don't feel like team has the right direction.

Changes have already been put in place by Zak Brown and still I see people calling for his head, I really don't understand what that would achieve unless you have someone lined up who know's what they are doing for instance Horner, who won't leave Red Bull imo and then if they did change management they would be back to square one. Hakkinen was interviewed recently and said the team need time to get back to the front, I for one agree and think that McLaren need more time to find themselves again.

[bigblue]

The new car is already much faster than this year's car at least according to the simulator, so there's some hope this move will pay off next year

A note of caution, they said this last year as well. Anyway, pretty much the only way is up, it's obviously a question of how far they get though.

[McG]

Was the car slower than last year at the start of the year?

Interesting to see someone still sticking up for Honda lol. Honda are still dire to this day. That's just facts.

[Ground Effect]

Has anybody heard anything about Mclaren hiring more people, in addition to Fry and the incoming James Key? Their quickest way up would be by adding people from Red Bull, it would be awesome, though unlikely if they could get one or two key staff from there.

[McMika98]

Has anybody heard anything about Mclaren hiring more people, in addition to Fry and the incoming James Key? Their quickest way up would be by adding people from Red Bull, it would be awesome, though unlikely if they could get one or two key staff from there.

Hmmm. Wasnt that the whole idea of poaching Peter P who was head of aero in Redbull. Not working to plan considering the money they are paying him. It aint the bosses they need, its the smaller pieces who does the grafting that they should find.

Regarding salesmen Zak, the sooner he is fired the better.

[M840TR]

I think most people here are disappointed with the results, but are interested in the areas that need to improve. To work out these areas, you need to be critical of the current car and structure of the team

I don't understand how the team have managed to "bake in" some of the design around the leading edge of the floor, and are supposedly unable to change it (to say develop towards 2019). It seems so strange.

Would it be so impossible to make a pair of new tubs and new floors with the new concept looking towards 2019?

I notice that McLaren are proud of their sophisticated tub design which is incredibly labour-intensive to layup...

But can't they just be un-McLaren for once and make some "quick and dirty" basic F2-grade tubs, without sophisticated layups, so they can make the aeroynamic changes they need to get themselves up the grid with improved aero performance! Even if it means carrying an extra 2.3 kg and a fraction less less torsional stiffness in their tub!

Knowing next year will be completely different and knowing your hands are tied this year can be and is demoralizing.

It's the same rules next year though, only the front wing is different. Can't they wheel out the updates to the 2018 car!?

It's concerning that as late as the Spanish GP, McLaren had yet to realise there was anything fundamentally wrong with the design of their car. If they had realised then, then perhaps they could had a B-car ready by after the summer break?

Rules are quite different, wider rear wing, wider front wing, less complex front wing, lower bargeboards, and teams will have to rely even more on the bargeboard to deal with tire wake.

Modifying what needed modifying means they have to churn out a new floor for each iteration. So I'm guessing they want to make this area modular, which means re-engineering the tub to allow this. At this stage in the season there's no point in doing this. So they did the sensible thing and are taking the time to make the best design they can with the new regulations in mind.

The new car is already much faster than this year's car at least according to the simulator, so there's some hope this move will pay off next year as the team tries to establish a strong foundation for the future. Realistically they can fight for 4th in the constructors with their capabilities, so if they get next year's chassis right, and the Renault engine actually takes a step forward I could see it happening.

Insider source?

[diffuser]

Mclaren is a whole different matter. It seems that not only management is bad, but the engineers are not on the level that we expect of a racing pedigree with a name like Mclaren.

There are hundreds of engineers in the team. I am sure most of them know what they are doing and how to design parts well!

It's just that some, in hindsight, wrong strategic and concept decisions have been made by higher-up technical director and chief designer types...

2 problems
1. Lack of money
2. Lack of factory engine deal.

Alonso said they knew in winter testing...

If you take the time and money your were gonna put towards this years car and put it towards next years car....You've in effect doubled budget and staff for next years car. By staff I mean man hrs towards 2019.

I think you need a good enough PU "full stop". McLaren/Honda prooved that a factory engine deal could be your denise.

[godlameroso]

I don't understand how the team have managed to "bake in" some of the design around the leading edge of the floor, and are supposedly unable to change it (to say develop towards 2019). It seems so strange.

Would it be so impossible to make a pair of new tubs and new floors with the new concept looking towards 2019?

I notice that McLaren are proud of their sophisticated tub design which is incredibly labour-intensive to layup...

But can't they just be un-McLaren for once and make some "quick and dirty" basic F2-grade tubs, without sophisticated layups, so they can make the aeroynamic changes they need to get themselves up the grid with improved aero performance! Even if it means carrying an extra 2.3 kg and a fraction less less torsional stiffness in their tub!



It's the same rules next year though, only the front wing is different. Can't they wheel out the updates to the 2018 car!?

It's concerning that as late as the Spanish GP, McLaren had yet to realise there was anything fundamentally wrong with the design of their car. If they had realised then, then perhaps they could had a B-car ready by after the summer break?

Rules are quite different, wider rear wing, wider front wing, less complex front wing, lower bargeboards, and teams will have to rely even more on the bargeboard to deal with tire wake.

Modifying what needed modifying means they have to churn out a new floor for each iteration. So I'm guessing they want to make this area modular, which means re-engineering the tub to allow this. At this stage in the season there's no point in doing this. So they did the sensible thing and are taking the time to make the best design they can with the new regulations in mind.

The new car is already much faster than this year's car at least according to the simulator, so there's some hope this move will pay off next year as the team tries to establish a strong foundation for the future. Realistically they can fight for 4th in the constructors with their capabilities, so if they get next year's chassis right, and the Renault engine actually takes a step forward I could see it happening.

Insider source?

I've seen that tossed around. There's just so much surface area they're not using this year, and seeing how much improvement Sauber and FI and others have made upgrading this area, along with a much better integration of the engine into the chassis, and the full focus on next year's regulations. I can't imagine the car being slower than this year's, when this year's car is already slower than last year's car.

[max_speed]

Yesterday in quali alonso lap was as good as it can be. He overhauled one of the force india and almost got ocon. That car is loosing close to half second in sector 1 ( red bull looses same but recovers that bit in sec2 and sec3). Very sad to see alonso go. He is still at top of this very game.he improved almost 7tenth in last run in q3 ( previous run was on used HS) ,i guess he brings almost 3tenth on table on his own.

[M840TR]

Yesterday in quali alonso lap was as good as it can be. He overhauled one of the force india and almost got ocon. That car is loosing close to half second in sector 1 ( red bull looses same but recovers that bit in sec2 and sec3). Very sad to see alonso go. He is still at top of this very game.he improved almost 7tenth in last run in q3 ( previous run was on used HS) ,i guess he brings almost 3tenth on table on his own.

He said it was a scruffy lap.

I had a little bit of understeer in the high-speed corners with the last set of tyres, so I wasn’t totally happy or proud of my lap. We made a few mistakes here and there and lost a couple of tenths, so when I crossed the line and they told me over the radio I was P12, realistically speaking, it was much better than we thought.

Probably better this way now that he can start on better tyres.

[proteus]

This is how Vandoorne should have been driving this year, he did a good job today. He was not gaining just by others pitting, but he was overtaking as well.