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[darwin dali]

With the kind of money Toyota has, they may be able to make some big moves during the season if the other guys are hampered by not being allowed to test.

I don't see the logic here, Toyota are as 'hampered' as you put it by the testing ban as any other team (except for Ferrari's secret tests )

[darwin dali]

The testing ban usually DOESN'T help development...

In most cases it doesn't. But Mclaren have a superior simulator among a host of other resources in comparison with the majority of teams. With no track testing allowed, bar the free practices on Friday, Mclaren are best placed to make gains.

Whether they do or not is another story.

I have to agree with EwmanM. Even if you don't take McLarens "superior" simulators into account it shouldn't be to difficult to catch up. The other teams won't improve as fast as normal and McLaren will know what their problems so can aim at fixing them.

If they are utterly awfull they could use the entire race weekend as testing

Yeah well, but that would make their season crap.

[Malibu327]

With the kind of money Toyota has, they may be able to make some big moves during the season if the other guys are hampered by not being allowed to test.

I don't see the logic here, Toyota are as 'hampered' as you put it by the testing ban as any other team (except for Ferrari's secret tests )

Well, it's not an advantage but, maybe the rules will help to even out the playing field. Traditionally, the resources set in place over the last 30 years or more have helped Ferrari and McLaren dominate with regards to advancement. Last season they pulled out miles ahead of everyone with each race. Perhaps the big teams that don't have as rich a history have a chance to play a little catch up now.

[McLaren Fan]

Is it a impression, or Schummy is laughing at Mclaren's expense at this picture?

http://www.f1today.nl/fotos/eki03hu111.jpg

Ferrari sent him to get a closer look at that McLaren...

The car's s*** (or so it certainly looks anyway), so Ferrari are welcome to copy it.

[Stealthgate007]

If McLaren continues to show poorly, I wonder what the line is gonna be on Hamilton at Melbourne.. I'd throw a $10'r at it... Can someone look on bodog?

[Gaz]

Apparently they were doing pit stop practices.

why would they do that if the car was messed up surley they'd want to concentrate on getting data?

[Denthúl]

Is it a impression, or Schummy is laughing at Mclaren's expense at this picture?

http://www.f1today.nl/fotos/eki03hu111.jpg

Ferrari sent him to get a closer look at that McLaren...

The car's s*** (or so it certainly looks anyway), so Ferrari are welcome to copy it.

Ferrari should send Schumacher over to Force India. With things looking the way they are, his time would be much better spent over with Dr. Mallya's crew

Apparently they were doing pit stop practices.

why would they do that if the car was messed up surley they'd want to concentrate on getting data?

Preparation. Worst case scenario is that the car is a backmarker. They will still have to race it, however bad it is, so they need to be ready to race it.

[cap-dude]

Is it a impression, or Schummy is laughing at Mclaren's expense at this picture?

http://www.f1today.nl/fotos/eki03hu111.jpg

Ferrari sent him to get a closer look at that McLaren...

The car's s*** (or so it certainly looks anyway), so Ferrari are welcome to copy it.

They were checking what not to do

But imagine this. What if Toyota are all of sudden a top team. Could Glock or Truili be WDC. I think not, but it's an interesting thought. Who will be champion by the end of the year.

[scotty]

Is it a impression, or Schummy is laughing at Mclaren's expense at this picture?

http://www.f1today.nl/fotos/eki03hu111.jpg

Ferrari sent him to get a closer look at that McLaren...

The car's s*** (or so it certainly looks anyway), so Ferrari are welcome to copy it.

Heh, although i think it's more a case of trying to suss out whether McLaren are sandbagging or not, seeing if there is anything abnormal or amiss on the car.

[Denthúl]

Is it a impression, or Schummy is laughing at Mclaren's expense at this picture?

http://www.f1today.nl/fotos/eki03hu111.jpg

Ferrari sent him to get a closer look at that McLaren...

The car's s*** (or so it certainly looks anyway), so Ferrari are welcome to copy it.

Heh, although i think it's more a case of trying to suss out whether McLaren are sandbagging or not, seeing if there is anything abnormal or amiss on the car.

Surely he'd have to lift that cover off to do that..?

[Malibu327]

I just can't see a team sandbagging at this stage in the game. You sandbag in back-roads drag races for pink slips, not on the world stage with the kind of money that's involved...

[Griff]

I just can't see a team sandbagging at this stage in the game. You sandbag in back-roads drag races for pink slips, not on the world stage with the kind of money that's involved...

Says the hopefull Ferrari supporter

[scotty]

Is it a impression, or Schummy is laughing at Mclaren's expense at this picture?

http://www.f1today.nl/fotos/eki03hu111.jpg

Ferrari sent him to get a closer look at that McLaren...

The car's s*** (or so it certainly looks anyway), so Ferrari are welcome to copy it.

Heh, although i think it's more a case of trying to suss out whether McLaren are sandbagging or not, seeing if there is anything abnormal or amiss on the car.

Surely he'd have to lift that cover off to do that..?

Maybe he got there before the mechanics did? Who knows, or indeed cares that much really.

[McLaren Fan]

I think anybody saying McLaren are sandbagging are clutching at straws, certainly insofar as Hamilton and Kovalainen intentionally slowing down when doing laps. According to several accounts, you can audibly notice both McLaren drivers are later on the throttle when exiting a corner compared to other teams and the car is getting left in the dust in a straight drag race. As the MP4-24 is at the moment, it's difficult to drive and not fast enough. I just hope what Ron Dennis says is correct.

[Denthúl]

I think anybody saying McLaren are sandbagging are clutching at straws, certainly insofar as Hamilton and Kovalainen intentionally slowing down when doing laps. According to several accounts, you can audibly notice both McLaren drivers are later on the throttle when exiting a corner compared to other teams and the car is getting left in the dust in a straight drag race. As the MP4-24 is at the moment, it's difficult to drive and not fast enough. I just hope what Ron Dennis says is correct.

I agree. I definitely think the team have the resources to get themselves up to a decent position should they start the season at a disadvantage.

This is what James Allen noticed about the McLaren yesterday:

To my eye Kovalainen was having to wait another 30-40 metres on the exit of a corner to apply the power and that is lap time being dropped. The McLaren car seems to have less grip than the others and that would also explain why they weren’t very quick in the wet at Jerez last week. McLaren tried different floors, rear wings and diffusers here to try to settle the rear end of the car down. They did make some leaps forward in lap time, such as yesterday afternoon when they went from doing mid 1min 24s laps to doing mid 1m23s. It could have been a lighter fuel load, but the general performance suggests otherwise.

Thirty to forty metres is a massive distance. Think how much the other cars, particularly those that are KERS-equipped, could accelerate in that distance.