McLaren to introduce new radical nose in Barcelona
- Published on 09 May 2018 10:32
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- By: Danny Sosef
The centrepiece of McLaren's 'B' car for Barcelona and beyond is a radical new nose. That is the claim of Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, although Fernando Alonso warned that the significant upgrade is not a "magical solution".
"Barcelona is an opportunity to try some new things, see where we are and the direction we will take for the rest of the season," the Spaniard said.
Correspondent Michael Schmidt said the 2018 McLaren's wings, bargeboards, floor and sidepods will be all-new in Barcelona.
"The most striking detail will be the new nose," said the journalist. "The crash test was passed on April 11. Rumour has it that the design is pretty spectacular. It's quite possible that McLaren says goodbye to the stub nose, perhaps doing something similar to Force India and Mercedes."
A McLaren source revealed: "There were two working groups over the winter. One was tasked with a basic test car for the Renault engine, while the other worked on the actual aerodynamic concept. That had to be held off until the new nose was ready. The nose and front wing determine what happens further back on the car."
Officially, McLaren is playing down its expectations for the 'B' car. "It's part of a season-long plan to develop the car, as we always do until the final race," said boss Eric Boullier.
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Replies (8)
Login to replyKean
Posts: 692
I can't believe that I'm actually getting my hopes up. I'm having strange thoughts, such as: McLaren are playing down the expectations, could that mean that they've actually managed to build something competitive? ... I guess I really want Alonso to be in a competitive car, would love to see him battling at the front.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Im less optimistic. 'member, Boullier, a.k.a the Peter Molineux of F1 started off with hyping this B spec up, and now its gone down to this. But I hope this spells the end for those silly looking stub "noses".
denis1304
Posts: 284
@KEAN
I'm also getting my hopes up and would like to see Alonso in a competitive car
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
I too have irrational expectations.
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
With Alonso driving, even a 'better' car will put him in front of the other Renault cars. I would also like to see Alonso winning races again. At least he's getting a good car in the WEC.
Major Tom
Posts: 152
Sounds feasible. Let's hope it really is a decent step forwards.
michielhimself
Posts: 132
The radical new nose will be spherical, red and on Boullier's face.
Barron
Posts: 625
Good answer!