McLaren MP4-24

[cider_and_toast]

Teabag, Most of the Motoring press reports seem to suggest that VMM are having some issues with the rear end of the car and as part of the process of dialling it out they have been using last years wing so as to remove one un-known variable. In terms of their speed relative to the others I've no idea. Suffice to say on the other board the usual debate has started between the "Fanboys". While I don't think that VMM are quite up to speed yet, only in first qually in Melbourne will we get any idea of their real speed.

 

[Croydon Bob]

It certainly doesn't look good for McLaren at the moment. Talk of "sandbagging" is obviously silly. But it might be a small problem that once sorted out allows them to be competitive.

 

[teabagyokel]

Well, its all a bit strange, because you'd expect McLaren to be up there, but I think BMW and Ferrari have to be the favourites atm; it is likely that McLaren will get it right eventually - whether that's in time for Melbourne, who knows. I don't believe for a second that Brawn are the fastest car out there - maybe McLaren's problems will focus the minds - sometimes that's needed after a Championship season!

 

[McZiderRed]

I'm a little worried by McLaren's performance, coupled with these comments by Ron Dennis -

"The objective is to go to Australia and be the most competitive car there, not to come out of every single test at the top of the timesheets," he said.

"Testing is about a disciplined approach to making the car go faster and you have to ignore the performance of the other teams."

This sounds fine, but then there's this -

"We had a strategy for this year to leave it to the last possible moment to produce our aerodynamic package for the Australian Grand Prix" !

As you do !

By the way, team Brawn's lookin' good!

 

[cider_and_toast]

I've had a bad day on the mighty 606 thanks to Mclaren.

I suggested when you look at the best times set by each team in the last four days (with the exception of Brawnda) it looked like situation normal from last season apart from those times set by Mclaren. I.e. if some one came up to you and said this is the grid for the OZ GP and we've taken the Mclarens out, show us where you think they qualified you wouldn't guess it was down near the bottom with the STRs and the Force Indias. I can't remember the exact list but it went something like:

Ferrari
BMW
Ferrari
BMW
Toyota
Williams
Toyota
Red Bull
etc etc etc

Now as for the Brawn GP times, I said it was still too soon to tell but that they did look pretty impressive over all. I really do hope they compete. Until that great day when Lotus return (yeah I know I've got more chance of seeing Lord Lucan chatting to Elvis in my local chip shop) I will always want to see the indipendant British teams do well. But I remember the speculation and hope that surrounded the Williams team when they topped the time sheets in testing last year. After a great 3rd in OZ it all went off the boil.

Thankfully I can take refuge in clip the apex for some honest debate and exchange of opinion.

Roll on the OZ Gp and good luck Brawn and Williams.