Photo: McLaren F1 Team
Fans are bracing for the first race of the 2023 Formula 1 season to showcase what the teams have managed to do over the winter break. But thanks to the pre-season testing, we already know some teams are struggling, with McLaren being the most prominent.
The Woking-based team happens to be yet again at the forefront of poor performances, similar to what happened at the start of the previous season. The British racing outfit has fallen right back into the clutches of the lower midfield after seeming to improve just two years prior.
The pre-season testing in Bahrain has showcased the exact same problem the team was struggling with in 2022. The car still has too much drag for the levels of downforce it is able to generate. This puts the car in a state of limbo, where the team is either fast in the corners and slow on the straights or vice-versa.
Such a problem is unacceptable in a sport like Formula 1, considering McLaren had a full year to understand the newly introduced ground-effects regulations and adapt its contender. On top of this, other teams have made considerable strides with their concepts, leaving McLaren even worse for wear.
For fans of the Woking-based team, however, there is a silver lining. Formula 1 cars develop throughout the year as upgrades are brought. And this should play into McLaren’s hands, considering the team is fully aware of what kind of problem it is facing.
Granted that’s only the big problem faced by the team. As showcased during the pre-season test, McLaren also struggles with the overall balance of its car. But as upgrades come in, the weight distribution of the car could also improve alongside aero.
That could, however, prove easier said than done. When a car is as far off the pace as the McL60, upgrades might be too little too late. According to the team’s star driver, Lando Norris, this is what could end up happening to McLaren.
The young Brit pointed out that, despite the fact that bringing upgrades is a positive thing, what the McL60 will get at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is what it should have started the season with. This means that the team is severely on the back foot in an already highly competitive midfield. Even so, Norris is determined to minimize the team’s handicap, as he already proved he’s able to.
But there is a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of both a new wind tunnel and simulator, due to arrive this summer. Such an improvement in the equipment the team has available could prove invaluable in making it back to the top of Formula 1, giving fans at least a glimmer of hope for the future.
The pre-season testing in Bahrain has showcased the exact same problem the team was struggling with in 2022. The car still has too much drag for the levels of downforce it is able to generate. This puts the car in a state of limbo, where the team is either fast in the corners and slow on the straights or vice-versa.
Such a problem is unacceptable in a sport like Formula 1, considering McLaren had a full year to understand the newly introduced ground-effects regulations and adapt its contender. On top of this, other teams have made considerable strides with their concepts, leaving McLaren even worse for wear.
For fans of the Woking-based team, however, there is a silver lining. Formula 1 cars develop throughout the year as upgrades are brought. And this should play into McLaren’s hands, considering the team is fully aware of what kind of problem it is facing.
Granted that’s only the big problem faced by the team. As showcased during the pre-season test, McLaren also struggles with the overall balance of its car. But as upgrades come in, the weight distribution of the car could also improve alongside aero.
That could, however, prove easier said than done. When a car is as far off the pace as the McL60, upgrades might be too little too late. According to the team’s star driver, Lando Norris, this is what could end up happening to McLaren.
The young Brit pointed out that, despite the fact that bringing upgrades is a positive thing, what the McL60 will get at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is what it should have started the season with. This means that the team is severely on the back foot in an already highly competitive midfield. Even so, Norris is determined to minimize the team’s handicap, as he already proved he’s able to.
But there is a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of both a new wind tunnel and simulator, due to arrive this summer. Such an improvement in the equipment the team has available could prove invaluable in making it back to the top of Formula 1, giving fans at least a glimmer of hope for the future.
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