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[Denthúl]

Unless Ferrari in secret really told the FIA to allow McLaren to co-develop the electronics system so then when Ferrari's cars stuff up they know how to blame McLaren with proof and have them excluded and fined again? Seriously though one has to draw the line somewhere. Ferrari can't really be that low to even think of some conspiracy to that degree. I just hope Ferrari's electronics do not fail too often, one because I want them to win races and 2 because they are most certainily going to blame McLaren for it and then I don't know how the FIA is going to react to this, as the FIA approved this electronics system and I would really hate to think that there is a new consipiracy going on here.

If the FIA approved the system, then they can't really impose any punishment. I don't think McLaren would make a unit that wouldn't work properly in other cars and the problems are almost certainly down to the teams not being able to integrate the ECUs properly yet with their systems. But that in itself presents problems, so really the whole thing is a bit of a mess. I guess it could be argued as a necessary mess (since the FIA can now at least police driver aids and such) but a mess nevertheless.

I'm hoping that it was just a few first-race gremlins, because it would be a real shame to see the season being fought out in the courtroom. Again.

A new techincal component like this is going to take some extra development time for the teams no different to when teams all had to start over again with a new tyre supplier.

The difference is that, with the tyres, no team was one step above the rest with the advantage of having been working with Bridgestones for some time. With this, McLaren know their system inside out, so they didn't have as much trouble adapting to it.

There you go. So for now we can conclude that there is no cheating going on.

Only one person said there was

[madbrad]

Here's the thing: If you're the team that makes the ECU for all the teams, but you want it to kill the cars of only one of those teams(and unfortunately collaterally any team using its engines), you need detailed knowledge of said teams car, so the PCM can identify it. You need 900 pages of technical data somehow smuggled from that teams office and into yours. Now let me think, how does one do that?

[Jabberwocky]

I am not sure that it will favour McLaren.

We do not know what the design spec was that the FIA put out to tender. We do not know if FIA said "right then we want a new ECU, crack on" or they might of said "right then this is exactly what we want, here we have written it all down in this 800 page book" If it was a bit of a wishy-washy brief then McLaren might of turned it to there advantage.

Now that the units are out then we do not know how much information is available to the teams as about the unit, do they have the full technical description and schematics?

As for it being part of the Mclaren group, how many electronics companies around could

A, Design it
B, Build it
C, where not currently building and designing them for a team anyway?

When the contract was won and the company turned up at Ferrari/Honda/Toyota/Renault door saying "Hi We are part of the McLaren group would you mind if you gave us all the information about how your engines work?"
What do you think the reply was?

[Denthúl]

Probably not a very pleasant one.

But there are companies out there that designed ECUs for more than one team. If one of those companies was given a specification for a new ECU then they could have designed it and given it to all teams at the same time. Those teams would then have to learn about the new system from scratch (like all but McLaren have had to anyway) and it would work out fairer than it being developed by one team who will have a lot more knowledge of it.

[bud]

The difference is that, with the tyres, no team was one step above the rest with the advantage of having been working with Bridgestones for some time. With this, McLaren know their system inside out, so they didn't have as much trouble adapting to it.

are you crazy? its common knowledge that Ferrari were one step ahead with their relationship with Bridgestones....

As for it being part of the Mclaren group, how many electronics companies around could

A, Design it
B, Build it
C, where not currently building and designing them for a team anyway?

yes that is true, if it wasnt MES it would have been another company that was making ECU for one of the F1 teams.

[al4x]

its really annoying how these constant rule changes are benifiting certain teams,

ferrari with the tyres, mc with the ecu

[f1usa]

No mention of ECU reliability issues in pre-season testing at different tracks, just some teams haven't come to terms with the new ECU. In previous years teams supplied their own ECU and electronics which probability consisted of several small units to control different functions. Now several functions are controlled by one ECU, a bigger unit, creates more heat and needs more cooling capacity. I posted my concern about this in the topic "Ferrari : Vow to work on reliability issues". I thought it was an ECU cooling problem then because of the absence of oil smoke from allegedly blown engines.

[Jensonb]

An apparent conflict on a board of directors is just as bad as an actual conflict of interest. It's the same deal here. McLaren didn't engineer the ECU to screw up Ferrari's engines, but they know how it works better than everyone else does, since they made it. As such, their cars work better out of the box because they don't have to learn the new ECU. It's not McLaren cheating, it's the FIA being unfair.

[racechick]

I dont understand the electronics enough to argue this point. I understood it was a McLaren subsidary that makes the ECU's and they were chosen because they made the best ones. I cannot imagine the FIA sanctioning anything that would advantage McLaren or disadvantage Ferrari

[f1usa]

I dont understand the electronics enough to argue this point. I understood it was a McLaren subsidary that makes the ECU's and they were chosen because they made the best ones. I cannot imagine the FIA sanctioning anything that would advantage McLaren or disadvantage Ferrari

I agree with that. Pre-season testing was done in cooler weather, this ECU problem (Ferrari problem) did not surface until the high temperatures of the Australian GP. Teams whose ECU's failed, have only themselves to blame for poorly designed cooling of unit.

[mooker]

Its worth pointing out that the ECU was developed in an open book manner. All the teams have full access to the technical specs of the unit, and just because the unit is sealed doesn't mean there's any secrets in there.

To be honest, I think McLaren will do well at the start of this season but with their developement restrictions it won't take long for the rest to catch up and surpass them.

[McLaren Fan]

Although I agree that I would rather have seen an independent company design and manufacture the ECU, there is absolutely no substance in what Ferrari are saying:

1. They've had reliability problems for several seasons now;
2. They had no problems over winter testing;
3. The failures on the Ferrari cars at the weekend were not electronically related;
4. The ECU has been on the go for ages now;
5. The ECU was developed in an open manner. Other teams were consulted and had full access to the designs etc.;
6. Teams have, are and will be allowed to seek help on any of their concerns; and
7. McLaren are not the only company involved.

Basically, the ECU is going to be used as a scapegoat for teams' problems and a stick to beat McLaren.

[texasmr2]

Basically, the ECU is going to be used as a scapegoat for teams problems and a stick to beat McLaren.

I agree and in all actuality no one is to blame except the FIA or whoever allowed McLaren to develope the ECU. The power's that be should have gotten someone like Magneti Marelli to develope and build the ECU. Did they not forsee the turmoil that will arise from such an important program that is directly linked with a team? That is what really baffle's my comprehension why was it allowed in the first place??

[stonemonkey]

From what I gather, Ferrari have said that it's some sort of incompatibility or conflict between their own software and the ECU software rather than the problem being caused by the ECU itself.

Got any links to it being temperature dependant f1usa?

[onelapdown]

I think the idea that McLaren would intentionally develop an ECU that would favour them is simply barmy. TAG McLaren Electronics is a serious business with a variety of interests and like all businesses it has its reputation to think about. Also what outside company would have the proper experience of the unique demands F1 places on machinery? It may be that McLaren get a temporary advantage from not having to adjust to the new software, but this would be marginal and wouldn't last long. F1 teams have some of the best electronics and software specialists in their field, and Ferrari have some of the best in F1.

I think it's simply too tempting for Ferrari, following on from a bad result and with morale low, to blame a part of the car they're not responsible for, and although it's not exactly classy, it is understandable. In any case they're stuck with it for the season so they'll just have to like it or lump it.