McLaren preparing 'B' car for Spanish Grand Prix
- Published on 18 Apr 2018 10:34
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- By: Rob Veenstra
McLaren has confirmed that it will have a substantially different car in Spain. After a tough start to the 2018 season despite the Honda era having ended, Spain's Marca newspaper said the team may be preparing a 'new chassis' for the race in Barcelona next month.
Team boss Eric Boullier now confirms to Speed Week: "The 2018 car as we imagined it will be in Spain. In an ideal world, we would have had it for Australia but it was not possible. So we have used so far a development of the 2017 car," revealed the Frenchman. "We knew from the beginning that our options would be limited, although it has been frustrating, particularly in qualifying."
Asked if the 'B' car will finally put McLaren where it wants to be, Boullier answered: "I'd rather promise less and deliver more. I've been in formula one long enough to say that we'll drink champagne when we reach the podium." (GMM)
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Replies (18)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
's the spirit Boullier. Keep overpromising. Oh, and I got some catfood to your brain parasite (I know it likes the chunky one).
Savio
Posts: 145
What are You talking about Calle? Catfood?!
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Yes, for Boullier's McLaren Boss Brain parasite.
michielhimself
Posts: 132
Meanwhile, back in Woking, the engineers and designers go "B car? What B-car?". Bullshittier: "Shhh, that's what we have to tell Fernando or else he will sign with another team. Just put some new fins on, he won't even notice!".
mbmwe36
Posts: 533
This is probably more accurate than it has any right to be :-D
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Hahaha, good one!
siggy74
Posts: 194
Rofl, that is so got to be true...
And dont forget the " just pop some gp2 stickers on the car" He will feel like nothings changed and its hondas fault.
macbeth191
Posts: 1
Wasn't last years car the best on the grid also. Shouldn't slow them down too much!
Bhurt
Posts: 320
These guys were telling us over the winter that switching to a Renault engine caused zero problems and that their car was absolutely perfect.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
They did. And they havent suffered from making the switch. But it hasnt been as good as they clearly either said or believed. There is little doubt that they have a decent chassis, but it looks very specialized and draggy, far from even the less competitive Red Bull chassis. I also expect Renault to overtake them in the long run, the power of being a works team cant be overstated.
mcbhargav
Posts: 1,332
The reality has hit the McLaren with thousand bolts in 2018. 1) McLaren doesn't have the best chassis 2) More partners should have been allowed to use Honda in 2016. 3) They are one of the major proponents for the Honda's engine problems.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
1) was a known factor, it isnt the best because it lacks the kinda versatility we see Merc, Ferrari and especially Red Bull have with their models
2) is almost certainly correct. McLaren of all teams should know the value of getting fed extra data.
3) I think its correct to an extent (moral is: never give one department too much influence over the other). Honda wouldnt've produced a Merc' unit without Mcmeddling, but it probably contributed.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
I think all three points are tremendously biased by a repeatedly acknowledged dislike for all things McLaren.
1) It probably wasn't true, but definitely wasn't a known factor. At least the claimed to be looking at data on the GPS around corners. We can only rely on our observations and of course. But it's ok to have an opinion on this.
2) In hindsight it's very easy to suggest that, but the expectation was that Honda would not be a catastrophic failure as a manufacturer and therefore would allow them to protect whatever innovative stuff they produced. It was an attempt to get competitive advantage.
3) This is the most ridiculous claim out of all of them. McLaren sabotaged the success of a PU that they didn't build. Works teams always have specific requirements to try to better incorporate the PU into the chassis. That's supposed to be an advantage as a works team. It's preposterous to suggest that in 3 years of working on the PU, McLaren could be considered "one of the major proponents" of their engine problems.
The only fact is that if Honda had managed to produce a half-decent engine in the almost 4 years they had to work on it, we would still be talking about McLaren-Honda. It's almost as if you (and many others) were infected by the same McLaren Boss Parasite whenever discussing this subject.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Not really though. You can be critical of something you like, hell, thats a healthy stance to take. Mind I am a bit pissed and tired of them. I see your points, HOWEVER, and here are my shrimps:
1) We saw this pretty immediately this year. They have the same engine as Red Bull, and are so far behind them, which clearly indicate that they do in fact not have the best chassis around. We also see that its a far too draggy car, just like last year. Red Bull had the Renault engine, but could build up some major speed, and thats because their design has a something called versatility.
2) It was easy to see that back then, and its easier to see it now. Hell, even McLaren saw that, and late 2016 tried to get Sauber on board, but it was too late for Sauber to switch supplier by then, so the deal broke through.
3) Read my statement more carefully. It wasnt sabotage as much as it was requirements that werent really beneficial in the long run. McLaren is first and foremost a chassis builder. What are they most interested in, if not getting good balance and aero, and a low weight? They asked for the size zero concept, and didnt expect any compromises to happen with a very compromised design. Likewise, an engine designer shouldnt go too much into how the chassis should look, because that could lead to an aero-inefficient design. At the end of it all, Honda did fuck up, for sure, but they werent alone in it. And thats not a preposterous statement, considering how deeply involved McLaren were in the development of the engine. I'll site this: McLaren asked Honda to make the engine even smaller for the 2017 season... McLaren did that.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
@calle Sorry if my initial tone was a bit abrasive. It had less to do with what you said, and more with other factors. Although I like being able to argue about F1 with someone. I stand by what I said, just with a kinder tone :).
Reading your response I mostly agree. It's more that as a McLaren fan (with all the corresponding biases) I've been as fed up with McLaren's slow progress, but also with the popular trend of almost completely excusing Honda from their failure to build a proper PU. You are right that McLaren didn't make it easy for them, but I still think that specific requirements given with several months of anticipation, and working over 3 years to improve and refine should have yielded at least a PU that was somewhat reliable. I'm not even talking about performance, but finishing races. Honda never got there. The size zero concept? That's not new, I can think of at least two teams in the last 5 years that applied that concept (whatever the hell it means!).
Anyway, thanks for the civilized debate.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Likewise, I really enjoy our discussions, whether we agree or not. :)
As a Honda fan, I agree that many can be a bit too apologetic to Honda, and this trend has gone a bit too far when all Honda need is patience. But thats the way it tends to be if one party overpromise while always blaming the other.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
I agree that a degree of influence and communications is vital to an operation, but excess of anything will be a poisonous dose. As you say, size zero aint new, but to push for it so hard in the hybrid era? It works for a regular engine, but was too soon in this gen at the time. And if Renault struggled to make a big engine competitive, imagine making a small engine competitive.
You too, and I hope I dont come off as rude. Really enjoy debating with the folks here, and I bet my Honda fanboyism shows regularly. :)
f1ski
Posts: 726
BLAH BLAH BLAH just like renault we will deliver 30 HP. Boullier is french no surprise