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[Jabberwocky]

Interesting.

Maybe Mclaren have looked to the 2014 season and decided that the higher front will work better and do not want to be (like ferrari) with a handle on that setup. Also if I remember the video that Scotty posted up a while ago about the front suspension that it worked better at warming the tyres up, but caused higher degradation. Mclaren must of looked at their driver line up and as Button and Perez are easy on the tires that the extra bit of warmth on the qualifying lap was a good trade off. If you look at Redbulls/Vettels modus operandi like to take pole, sprint off at quali past for the 1st 2 laps and then stay out of DRS reach for the rest of the race. Mclaren just like all the rest of the other top teams need to break that cycle. So if they can out qualify or out sprint them in the 1st 2 laps then they have a chance.

As for bringing Lowe back that is odd. It means the go not have the confidence in Goss. Maybe they want to use Lowes skill to get the suspension working for '14 car.

Then again Mclaren are paying him so he might as well do something. However I would imagine it would be hard for them to hide 2014 stuff from him. Unless Goss is focusing on the 2014 car. Who knows

[CookinFlat6]

Interesting.

Maybe Mclaren have looked to the 2014 season and decided that the higher front will work better and do not want to be (like ferrari) with a handle on that setup. Also if I remember the video that Scotty posted up a while ago about the front suspension that it worked better at warming the tyres up, but caused higher degradation. Mclaren must of looked at their driver line up and as Button and Perez are easy on the tires that the extra bit of warmth on the qualifying lap was a good trade off. If you look at Redbulls/Vettels modus operandi like to take pole, sprint off at quali past for the 1st 2 laps and then stay out of DRS reach for the rest of the race. Mclaren just like all the rest of the other top teams need to break that cycle. So if they can out qualify or out sprint them in the 1st 2 laps then they have a chance.

As for bringing Lowe back that is odd. It means the go not have the confidence in Goss. Maybe they want to use Lowes skill to get the suspension working for '14 car.

Then again Mclaren are paying him so he might as well do something. However I would imagine it would be hard for them to hide 2014 stuff from him. Unless Goss is focusing on the 2014 car. Who knows

Ah you have good logical points that I would have also have thought explains things a little. However the decision to change to the new philosophy was apparently made in June last year, BEFORE Perez was even a twinkle in Whitmarsh's eye

And this is where it starts to look as if farce is following tragedy, check out Sams reply in this Q&A with Sky;

Now Lewis has left McLaren, people have said that the team will design a car to suit Jenson Button's needs. How much input does a driver have in the design of a car?
SM: "The driver's most important input is telling what the balance is and what the changes are. When it comes to driveability and transient responses in the car, the driver's input is still quite important. You don't need a driver to say more downforce makes you go faster, more power, more grip. But when you change the car's handling characteristics, or the way it warms its tyres up, for example, that's where you need the driver. And a driver of Jenson's experience is pretty important. He's got a lot more experience than Lewis has - he's done more seat hours - and this is his 14th season.

"It's those areas that they help contribute on and you can't underestimate as well the football mentality side of things: they're there to motivate and inspire and gee up the engineers and mechanics. We're humans and if a driver can talk on different levels, about his life and what his aspirations are and say, 'Come on guys I really want to win this race' then that motivates people to push harder.

"They're a figurehead and will always be more inspirational than an engineer. We've got 600 people in our company and what everything each person does is ultimately on the shoulders of two drivers. We've got this massive funnel to these two guys and because of that, you've got a lot of emphasis on what they think and feel."

So Tim Goss would never go to Jenson and say, 'Tell me what you want and we'll put it on the car'?
SM: "He does, but he gets that through debriefs and listening to what the driver's saying about the balance of the car. He's not going to go to Jenson and say, 'Shall we do a pullrod or a pushrod next year?' He'll tell him what we're doing but the driver would never get involved with the decision because it's a technical decision based on metrics and understanding what the principal flow mechanisms are and what the trade-offs with stiffness are. It comes from calculation rather than a driver's feel."

What is going on here? Did the team believe they could hit the ground running with this when Ferrari couldnt? The teams line is now it will take us(Button) several races to understnd the car but we will then catch up with the rest? So the first few races are going to be a bit similar to Buttons slump last year but hopefully shorter?

http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12433/8557263/

[Jabberwocky]

It would follow on from Ferrari's trend when they did it last year.

It is not looking good for anyone who has put a bet on for Perez to win in Oz!

Saying that Mclaren are normally strong in Melbourne

[racechick]

It gets weirder. I'd heard it said that the 2013 car had been designed with Lewis in mind (I was surprised to hear that, but that's what I heard) now I hear that pull rod system helps warm the tyres up, then it's been done to cater to Jensons driving style. And this decision you say was made in June? Which was way before Lewis said he was leaving. Unless they've done it because the pull rod helps with the new engine when It comes, but surely that's silly if it screws up this year when they had the fastest car?????Paddy has said the first time they gave Lewis a car he just got in and drove it very fast, where the regular drivers would be bitching it was undrivable. So maybe all along they sacrificed ultimate speed to make it drive able for Jenson? But that goes against what I heard that this car was Initialy designed for Lewis. So it's a big mystery. I don't really understand push and pull rods, so apologies if what I've said is stupid. I read about these things and can understand some of the outcomes of them, but not how it all actually happens.

[PartsaS]

Ferrari with the pull-rod had a different design approach than McL, so even if it didn't worked out for them, it may be a gain for better grip and balance on the McL car.The clear ''advantage'' of a pullrod suspension is that it lowers the high of the center of gravity. Looking at the rear design of the mp4-28 looks like they are trying something weird with the airflow. Maybe they try to find a regulation loophole there.

[Nin-Chin]

[youtube]ppbqt882gMk&feature=share&list=UU8dxVgZl9u5HeCOXnosCtuQ[/youtube]
0:40 Notice Checo said oversteer and Button said understeer...interesting

[Hammer278]

Yeah, ask them to rewatch this vid and tell everyone again how their 'similar styles will help McLarens development'.

[racechick]

hmmmm so Checko's an oversteery after all that could be interesting. I wonder if he's assertive?

[CookinFlat6]

Every answer, Button buys time, eyes up and to the right, Checo, bang , tells it as it is

anyone whos driven competitively or in a hurry wont have a preference oversteer/understeer - Understeer is just plain wrong, like the devil, pointless,
Oversteer is dangerous but part of the whole art of racing and facing your fears as you push the limit

Imagine Button in a rear engine 911, the seats would have to be standard fitted with brown upholstery

[What's Burning?]

Driving my 911 has made me acutely aware of what oversteer can do if you're not a good enough driver. I've become a better driver because of it.

[youtube]uaSwxGhzKPA[/youtube]

around 1:34.

[CookinFlat6]

Haha great stuff, hairs sprouting on your chest and hair greying instantly

yeah with the 911 theres no real gradual build up, no wining and dining and kisses in the dark, its lift and bang, 'your bottom is mine boy, prepare to meet your maker'

A real mans car, no sick understeer on them puppies (unless you stick a bag full of heavy metal in the boot)

[Nin-Chin]

Vodafone and McLaren to split

Vodafone and McLaren have confirmed they will end their partnership in Formula One at the end of the year, with the team set to announce a new title sponsor in December.

Telecommunications giant Vodafone has been McLaren's title sponsor since 2007 after it left rivals Ferrari at the end of 2006. The Financial Times broke the news that the agreement will end this year and the team confirmed it in a press release.

"We're immensely proud that, having been set a number of ambitious challenges by Vodafone back in 2007, together we've met or exceeded each and every one," team principal Martin Whitmarsh said. "Our focus is on continuing to drive results for all our partners throughout the 2013 season and we look forward to making a major title partnership announcement towards the end of the year."

Vodafone Group chief commercial officer Morten Lundal said: "Vodafone and McLaren set ourselves highly ambitious goals in 2007. Over the past six years, we've set new standards in sports marketing together, and in doing so have achieved all of those objectives. We look forward to continuing to work together throughout the 2013 season."

Ever since Sergio Perez was announced as a race driver last year there have been rumours that Mexican telecommunications giant Telmex could back the team after its long standing relationship with the driver. However, the team will not make an announcement about its new sponsor until December 2, 2013.

[CookinFlat6]

Thats a big blow thats been coming for a while. Still a massive blow especially when they dont have a replacement confirmed of equal stature.

They still got Tooned though, maybe the team will become Tooned McLaren Mercedes or just McLaren Mercedes, or just McLaren at the end of 2013. just McLaren would actually be pretty cool but very very costly

[LewEngBridewell]

Thats a big blow thats been coming for a while. Still a massive blow especially when they dont have a replacement confirmed of equal stature.

They still got Tooned though, maybe the team will become Tooned McLaren Mercedes or just McLaren Mercedes, or just McLaren at the end of 2013. just McLaren would actually be pretty cool but very very costly

Well as the article says, there's a good chance Telmex could be stepping in, what with Perez as their driver.

[Hammer278]

Big changes at Mclaren huh...I'd like to think Lewis leaving was kinda a catalyst for these recent management/sponsorship changes.

Btw, just read this:

Jenson Button has admitted McLaren was not able to match some of the headline times at the last Barcelona test, but is confident things will be different in Australia this weekend.

Mercedes Nico Rosberg was the pacesetter at the final test with Button over a second off, although at the time it was not clear whether that was down to his fuel load or the car's pace. Speaking ahead of this weekend's Australian Grand Prix, Button explained that McLaren never really hit its stride in testing and that some of the times were beyond the MP4-28's reach.

"The first two tests weren't great because we had so much to test," he said. "We had to put mileage on so many different parts that we weren't able to do any set-up work with the car. The last test was much better but we haven't run the car the same for two days in terms of set-up. It's not been perfect but I feel that on the last day of testing I got a much better feel for the car and we actually found something with the set-up and direction with the car that I liked. But if you look at testing times, there were certain times that we definitely could not have done in testing."

However, Button said McLaren was able to refine its package during testing and is confident that it will be better suited to the Albert Park circuit this weekend.

"The way that the car is here, we understand it very well," he said. "But there were certain things we tried over the winter that we haven't got a handle on and those parts are not on the car. The way the car is, I think we have a very good understanding of it."

Asked if he was worried by the quick test times in testing, Button said: "If we were racing in Barcelona this weekend then we would be. But it's different here, and I know it's going to be cooler on Sunday, but it's still hotter than the test. It's a very different type of asphalt, and as we know it's a very different sort of circuit to Barcelona.

"But we're very excited about getting out there and seeing where we stand. We're expecting quite mixed conditions this weekend so it's going to be tough to see where we are, but the important thing is to make the most of what we have. It's an important time in the year to pick up big points and a time when people maybe aren't quite up to speed with everything, so you've got to collect the big points when you can."

________________________________________________

I'd be a teeny bit concerned if I were a McLaren fan right now...for Perez' sake I hope he can drive a 'confused car' as well as Lewis does. Because I could see Button even being lapped this Sunday, since he couldn't even get a handle on it during testing.