McLaren Development Program. Abandon 2011 ?

Should McLaren Abandon their 2011 car developement.

  • Yes but not until after Korea

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    20

Greenlantern101

Super Hero And All Round Good Guy
Contributor
With Redbull so far in front in the championships and with only 7 races left, are McLaren being foolish to continue with the development of their 2011 car ?

If they stopped all work on this car (in secret) and just ran it 'as is' until the end of the season, they could get a 3 month head start on Redbull and Ferrari for next seasons car. Sure they would be looking a bit rubbish come the last few races, but who cares when your 2012 car could be the fastest.

Your thoughts.
 
As long as there isn't a major change/evolution between now and next year, then any work now can be carried over to next year and it will just be a constant evolution.

Prior to last weekend's race I said that McLaren were still in with a chance of the WCC.

Not any more.
 
I think it would be foolish to stop development on this years car as they can use what they find on the car for next year so I can't vote for any of the above I'm afraid. I know there will be rules changes on the exhausts next year but there is bound to be other things they can find out.
 
No blown diffusers next year is a major change. The exhausts exit 'up top' and McLaren have had constant problems with developing the exhaust this year. I would say they need the time.
 
The car itself is now not too far off the red bulls.

With the regs not changing greatly into next year, and for the first time in 3 seasons the car being fairly strong, I would suggest they carry on. With relatively stable regs, I do not think there is a great benefit to switching. I also am not sure exactly how that would be defined, I. Would think that most teams are always looking for ways to make the cars better, Some which they can incorporate into the current car, and some they cannot.

Personally, I would ask my team to focus on the new diffuser regs, and the impact on other areas of the car. I would believe that the teams will have been doing that already.

in terms of wind tunnel and Cfd times, I would expect that the allowance would change focus from current car to the future in a phased manner through the year, depending on how well each team was doing.

I think switching focus can be over rated, based on the brawn example.

Ferrari switched early in 09, and McLaren did not, who was higher in the wcc? Same for 2010.

A more important consideration for the smaller teams perhaps.
 
How informed are you? Like most, they effectively run two development teams side by side and work on next year's car is well under way.

I seem to recall an article in autosport saying they had changed structure so they were not working that way from the beginning of this season.

any informed people out there recall?
 
Here's an idea to make the teams hurry up on their development programs - make them run Brazil to the 2012 regs...
 
I would vote "No, driver and constructor titles may be out of reach but prize money for championship position is still up for grabs." Unfortunately, that option is missing. Maybe there is time for it to be added to the poll?
 
OP's post seems a perfectly reasonable question to me. Brawn did carry off a title in '09 precisely because Honda abandoned their '08 development. There was just one option missing from the poll, that's all.:)
 
Brawn did carry off a title in '09 precisely because Honda abandoned their '08 development.

There was a big difference between Honda in '08 and McLaren now, though...

Honda had produced a shit car incapable of winning anything. McLaren have a very good car. They could have won the Beligian GP with Lewis...they could have had a 1-2 in Hungary.

McLaren are in with a shot of winning lots of races in 2011. They have a Super Car branding strategy underpinned by winning Formula One Grand Prix races.

Honda weren't even a top 4 or top 5 car in 2008.

Big difference. Not even close.

Lastly, there are no guarantees. Brawn was an anomoly (at a big reg change w them finding a DD loophole)...BMW 2008/9 and Ferrari 2009/10 show that there are no guarantees.

There was just one option missing from the poll, that's all.:)

Indeed. :)
 
By the way Grand Prix wins are a precious commodity.

Williams will tell you this.

Ferrari will tell you this.

McLaren won nothing after Senna left...until Newey/Mercedes helped Hakkinen win nearly 4 years later.

You win when you can...otherwise don't bother.
 
Even if neither of there drivers wins the drivers championship they should still be pushing hard with developing this years car and finish as high up in the constructors championship, so they get more prize money. Also to beat Ferrari aswell should be incentive enough to keep developing the car.
 
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