McLaren MCL34 speculation thread

[Jackles-UK]

People seem to want to forget that the MCL33 was arguably the 4th or 5th best car out of the box at the start of the season but slipped back dramatically as time passed, their planned upgrades didn’t bring the gains they expected and the grid around them improved.

Even if they only find the performance they expected to find throughout 2018 you would think they would be a big chunk faster to at least trouble the rest of the midfield, any improvement over and above this is just the icing on the cake.

Pat Fry has a history of producing decent (albeit not particularly revolutionary) chassis’s at McLaren and a year of dependable solidity would do the team no harm whatsoever whilst they build towards 2020 and beyond.

Only two Q3 appearances the whole season. Doesn't sound like 4th or 5th fastest to me.

Perhaps not in quali trim but in race trim Alonso finished 5th, 7th, 7th, 7th & 8th in the first five races and Stoffel had three points finishes in that time too.

You can say the same for Red Bull who probably finished the year with the best race car despite not out-qualifying their rivals at any race except Monaco and Mexico.

[M840TR]

People seem to want to forget that the MCL33 was arguably the 4th or 5th best car out of the box at the start of the season but slipped back dramatically as time passed, their planned upgrades didn’t bring the gains they expected and the grid around them improved.

Even if they only find the performance they expected to find throughout 2018 you would think they would be a big chunk faster to at least trouble the rest of the midfield, any improvement over and above this is just the icing on the cake.

Pat Fry has a history of producing decent (albeit not particularly revolutionary) chassis’s at McLaren and a year of dependable solidity would do the team no harm whatsoever whilst they build towards 2020 and beyond.

Only two Q3 appearances the whole season. Doesn't sound like 4th or 5th fastest to me.

Perhaps not in quali trim but in race trim Alonso finished 5th, 7th, 7th, 7th & 8th in the first five races and Stoffel had three points finishes in that time too.

You can say the same for Red Bull who probably finished the year with the best race car despite not out-qualifying their rivals at any race except Monaco and Mexico.

But race has so many variables like strategy and retirements ahead. For example Max was stuck behind Alonso in Melbourne even though he was much faster because the overtaking delta was very high. It's not really an accurate measure of true pace.

[Alonso Fan]

Only two Q3 appearances the whole season. Doesn't sound like 4th or 5th fastest to me.

Perhaps not in quali trim but in race trim Alonso finished 5th, 7th, 7th, 7th & 8th in the first five races and Stoffel had three points finishes in that time too.

You can say the same for Red Bull who probably finished the year with the best race car despite not out-qualifying their rivals at any race except Monaco and Mexico.

But race has so many variables like strategy and retirements ahead. For example Max was stuck behind Alonso in Melbourne even though he was much faster because the overtaking delta was very high. It's not really an accurate measure of true pace.

But max was in the 3rd best car so...

The race pace early in the season was very good, ewaiky best of the rest on some occasions and thereabouts on others

[M840TR]

The new Renault PU reportedly has 50 more horsepower but they're still struggling with the turbo.

https://it.motorsport.com/f1/news/renau ... o/4317992/

[hamilton#1]

Sneak peak of the new car
https://twitter.com/McLarenF1

[f1rules]

and here it it aahahahaha

[proteus]

Sneak peak of the new car
https://twitter.com/McLarenF1

Wow, very nice nose design, nothing seen so far on any other car on the grid. Sidepods are sleeker, and finally they have made them as complex as the other teams did last year. On the picture you can clearly tell the airbox inlet is much bigger then it was before. Front suspension is interesting and front wing assembly is something never seen as well.

Interesting halo design as well.

Cant imagine what were they thinking showing us this picture, now every team will copy their design, even before the season starts

[bill shoe]

The new Renault PU reportedly has 50 more horsepower but they're still struggling with the turbo.

https://it.motorsport.com/f1/news/renau ... o/4317992/

This happens with every new version of the Renault. It has lots of dyno potential but they have to dial it back or use old components in the car because something doesn't work. It took almost two years for them to start using the lighter MGU-K.

EDIT: Damn, just like that I sound like Marko and Horner!

[M840TR]

The new Renault PU reportedly has 50 more horsepower but they're still struggling with the turbo.

https://it.motorsport.com/f1/news/renau ... o/4317992/

This happens with every new version of the Renault. It has lots of dyno potential but they have to dial it back or use old components in the car because something doesn't work. It took almost two years for them to start using the lighter MGU-K.

Hey man, just let us live in our pre-season fantasy world.

[charliesmithhd]

Agreed! Anyone notice how reserved mclaren have been so far. So bold claims so far

[adrianjordan]

Sneak peak of the new car
https://twitter.com/McLarenF1

Wow, very nice nose design, nothing seen so far on any other car on the grid. Sidepods are sleeker, and finally they have made them as complex as the other teams did last year. On the picture you can clearly tell the airbox inlet is much bigger then it was before. Front suspension is interesting and front wing assembly is something never seen as well.

Interesting halo design as well.

Cant imagine what were they thinking showing us this picture, now every team will copy their design, even before the season starts

I can't actually see that on their Twitter feed now....maybe they weren't supposed to release it yet...

[godlameroso]

It would be funny if the bargeboards and sidepod deflectors merge to look like some type of big wing, then an orange McLaren would look like a phoenix which would make it doubly ironic if it were a very fast car. A kind of rising from the ashes metaphor, in car form.

[DarkAlman]

and here it it aahahahaha
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DwDVijxXQAEz12U.jpg

Why would the MCL34 have any paint on in at this point in the design process?
It's just a publicity stunt, the picture is probably a blurry MCL33...

We'll see a brand new and shorter gearbox for sure, new suspension mounts, and different sidepods to optimize the cooling and fix the aero problems they saw throughout 2018.

As for the talk of McLaren finding a loophole, what makes you say other teams haven't found the same one?

[mwillems]

Wish I had seen that picture before it was taken down. Anyways, I doubt the car has been fully put together once yet as we are 5 weeks away from the reveal.

[mclaren111]

Sneak peak of the new car
https://twitter.com/McLarenF1

Wow, very nice nose design, nothing seen so far on any other car on the grid. Sidepods are sleeker, and finally they have made them as complex as the other teams did last year. On the picture you can clearly tell the airbox inlet is much bigger then it was before. Front suspension is interesting and front wing assembly is something never seen as well.

Interesting halo design as well.

Cant imagine what were they thinking showing us this picture, now every team will copy their design, even before the season starts

I simply can't open it... Any pictures available ??