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[What's Burning?]

According to autosport, McLaren put Lewis' win down to qualifying and their fast pitstops.

McLaren believes that the key to its success in the Hungarian Grand Prix was its qualifying position and the swift pitstops that helped Lewis Hamilton hold track position for the whole race.

Qualifying yes. Pitstops?? Wasn't one of them slow?(4point something, one to two seconds slower than it need be , and about the gap Lewis had to Grosjean?) and the only reason Lewis stayed ahead of Lotus was that Lotus screwed up similarly?

Here's what Sam Michael has to say...
"Lotus were definitely on us for the whole race," Michael told AUTOSPORT. "I think they really have a good race car and we basically only beat them because of qualifying and the fact that we beat them in the pits."

Well Sam, you were lucky in the pits! Nothing to do with Lewis preserving his tyres and managing the gap then?

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/101654

Michael did confess at the end that Lewis 'drove well to keep Kimi off him'
I'll say he did!!

By that logic everyone should come in the place they qualify in. Jenson must have really mucked it up losing two spots.

Sometimes it's best not to read post race blathering.

[Hammer278]

Well, Sam Michael knows he's failed miserably so far this year in his quest for good pitstops, and finally the good pitstops manifested in Hungary which assisted Hamilton to his 2nd win.

I guess it's time to crow a bit about his departments' success and probably trying to convince Whitmarsh and everyone else who bothers to listen that he's good enough to be in the team. Whatever, I just know that Williams were sh*t since this guy took a leading role there, and their uptrend began the day he left his Williams gear behind.

And yeah, a few great pitstops after many sh*t ones which lost the team and Lewis many many points...but we're looking for consistency here. If we get pitstops like we did in Hungary for the rest of the season, he could start crowing a bit then.

[vaptin]

Qualifying was all important, it was very difficult to pass in Hungary, Kimi was a lot faster. But look at how Button stayed behind Alonso, or Senna stayed Behind Webber after their third stop.

Although seeing as this thread is about McLaren's strategy capability, they knew they screwed up with Jenson, and abandoned the option for Hamilton. I think the three stop was probably a fair shot in terms of raw pace but McLaren massively underestimated how difficult it was to pass at this circuit, even with DRS. Redbull made the same mistake with Webber.

[racechick]

Qualifying was all important, it was very difficult to pass in Hungary, Kimi was a lot faster. But look at how Button stayed behind Alonso, or Senna stayed Behind Webber after their third stop.

Oh I agree with the qualifying , that was hugely important. It was the pitstop bit I thought was off. One of the stops nearly blew it for Lewis, it was only cos Lotus also screwed up that Lewis stayed ahead. I think mentioning pitstops over Lewis' command of the tyres and control of the race was a bit rich. Yes if they'd completely screwed up a pitstop that would have been that, but not completely screwing up a pitstop isnt really something to gloat about.

[acosmichippo]

I swear you people look for things to complain about with a microscope. McLaren finally has a solid weekend to get Lewis pole and the win, but OH NO! one insignificant media soundbyte doesn't kiss Lewis's butt. F*** YOU, MICHAEL!!!

[vaptin]

They did have fast stops though, didn't they?

[Ichabod]

Three fast stops
two male chicken ups

[racechick]

the chicken up that Lewis got was only saved because Lotus had an equally bad one.
@acosmichipo I'm not complaining about McLarens' performance last weekend, I was pleased with it. But saying it was down to the pitstops was crap.They nearly blew it with the pitstops.

[CookinFlat6]

Sam Michael was brought in by Whitmarsh to help him with being a TP, making the right calls etc. For Sam to actually say Lewis' win was down to pit stops shows what a winner he really is. The pit stops were not perfect, like Red Bulls, they again almost cost Lewis the win by a tardy stop and only got away with it because Renault similarly messed up

Also allowing Lewis to not change to plan B was obviously his call after some persuasion from Lewis' side, even after seeing how it messed up Jenson. Hence Lewis telling him at the end 'you didnt believe in me' when he seemed amazed by Lewis making the 2 stop work.

So the future McLaren boss saw there was no overtaking, saw Jenson fall into trouble AND still wanted to change Lewis to 3 stop, he then acknowledges Lewis' talent and 'tyre management' after the race AND still hs the nerve to say th win was own to quali and pitstops

What a joke, Whitmarsh has basically admitted he is not the best race day boss and has brought this joker in to start taking over decisions etc

[The Second Coming]

To switch gears a bit, it strikes me as odd that McLaren are so quick to divulge to the world every advantage they are working on...long before it sees the light of day, thereby potentially giving away any advantage. Take for example the recent announcement that they are working on a DDRS system.

Source: ESPN
McLaren is currently developing its own double DRS device but has not yet decided when or whether it will hit the track this season.

Mercedes has been running a double DRS since the start of the year that stalls the front wing and boosts straight-line speed when the DRS is open. The system works in a similar way to the F-ducts first introduced by McLaren in 2010, by channelling air to certain parts of the car to alter its aerodynamics.

At recent races Lotus has tested its own double DRS concept in Friday practice and McLaren's Sam Michael has now revealed to Autosport that his team has been working on one too.

"It's not like the Lotus one, but we have got a system like that," he told Autosport. "As for the chances of us bringing it, I don't know yet. We will look at all the programmes and see if it is feasible, because it requires work and it detracts from normal upgrades as well.

"So it is quite difficult to make the system work, as Lotus are discovering. But like anything in the pit lane, if we see a new idea then the guys jump on it, they analyse it and, if we decide that it will be a benefit to the team, then we will bring it."

Why would you do this, especially when you are not sure if you will even run it this season or possibly in 2013 (assuming that hasn't been outlawed). Are they throwing a dummy to their rivals? Seems an awkward attempt. Why not simply do it then show up on a race weekend and catch everyone by surprise, putting them on the back foot. Lotus didn't announce their DDRS. Red Bull didn't announce their hole in the floor. Wait...that's a sore subject. Sorry, I digress. McLaren seem to operate on another planet.

I'm just saying...

[scotty]

In 2010 everyone worked on an f-duct even after they knew they were getting banned - this was the case for most teams on the grid. Same with EBD last season.

If it can bring decent time to the car, even only for one season, it will be investigated cause there's championships to be contested...

[The Second Coming]

In 2010 everyone worked on an f-duct even after they knew they were getting banned - this was the case for most teams on the grid. Same with EBD last season.

If it can bring decent time to the car, even only for one season, it will be investigated cause there's championships to be contested...

That's without dispute. My point is, why give your competition advanced notice about your developments? It's like getting ready to bomb an enemy camp and tell them ahead of time, "We're coming, by plane, on Tuesday morning, 9am sharp—we're the ones with the red, white and blue pattern on our fighter jets. If you come out a few minutes before, you'll even see us circling and doing flips and loops." My suggestion is McLaren take a more stealth-like approach.

I'm just saying...

[scotty]

Well, i don't think they've really lost out anything by it, cause no doubt all teams have had a look at developing something themselves anyway.

If it was something unique they won't say anything, ever, much like the f-duct, which was not public knowledge until the car release.

[The Second Coming]

Well, i don't think they've really lost out anything by it, cause no doubt all teams have had a look at developing something themselves anyway.

If it was something unique they won't say anything, ever, much like the f-duct, which was not public knowledge until the car release.

Maybe all teams have had a look but at this stage of the game, it's all to play for in 2012 so you never ever give away anything in terms of direction...even if the competition may be doing the same. F1 is all about finding an advantage and playing your cards well. It's won Red Bull the 2010 and 2011 WCC.

I'm just saying...

[LRW]

McLaren today equaled Ferrari's record of 55 consecutive races in the points. That's pretty impressive.....?