It's a moot point anyhow, it's the engine that matters not the aero.

 

LOL

 

It's a moot point anyhow, it's the engine that matters not the aero.
[/quote]


It's both. Back in the Senna/Prost era Honda supplied McLaren with a significant power advantage, which meant that they could trade drag for downforce and run bigger wings. But the engine regs have become much tighter and more prescriptive, so the engines are much closer in terms of power output. Granted, Mercedes had an estimated 80bhp advantage in the first year of the new formula, but the only other team to have won races had a much greater power deficit but arguably better aero.

Last year, Mercedes managed to put together a package which gave them good aerodynamics (a "Mark 2 front wing which, once it passed the crash test, was able to provide increased downforce through contra-rotating vortices from the front wing supports which dragged more air under the centre section of the wing), and a lower front wishbone which was effectively a single piece of sculpted wing-section until it divided just before it met the tub. A combination of these two features gave greater downforce at the front, and fed more air to the rear diffuser. Coupled to a more powerful engine/ERS and the titles were theirs to lose.

Power is nothing without aero.

 

According to PlanetF1 there could be some pretty interesting changes in a couple of years.

 

Ricciardo drives Helmut Marko's Alfa on roads of Targa Florio:

http://www.redbulletin.com/int/en/sp...speed-merchant

 

It's a moot point anyhow, it's the engine that matters not the aero.
[/quote]


It's both. Back in the Senna/Prost era Honda supplied McLaren with a significant power advantage, which meant that they could trade drag for downforce and run bigger wings. But the engine regs have become much tighter and more prescriptive, so the engines are much closer in terms of power output. Granted, Mercedes had an estimated 80bhp advantage in the first year of the new formula, but the only other team to have won races had a much greater power deficit but arguably better aero.

Last year, Mercedes managed to put together a package which gave them good aerodynamics (a "Mark 2 front wing which, once it passed the crash test, was able to provide increased downforce through contra-rotating vortices from the front wing supports which dragged more air under the centre section of the wing), and a lower front wishbone which was effectively a single piece of sculpted wing-section until it divided just before it met the tub. A combination of these two features gave greater downforce at the front, and fed more air to the rear diffuser. Coupled to a more powerful engine/ERS and the titles were theirs to lose.

Power is nothing without aero.
[/quote]

Adrian Newey would argue with you.

 

Another poor day of testing for McLaren-Honda.
First day of testing in Barcelona came to a halt after only 20-something laps with a big KERS-related issue.
An issue where the faulty part needs a complete redesign.

So if they're unlucky, the same problem can occur every day of testing until the new part arrives, whenever that'll be.
And, the team has also used up their two days of on-track filming already - apparently in an effort to rack up some track miles.

I'm sure Alonso is thrilled about moving away from Ferrari right about now

 

If stuff ain't breaking it's probably because you're slow.

Ferrari were monstrously reliable in Alonso's stint there, but never set the pace.

I think McLaren and Honda may have something that has serious pace once they fix the issues.

 

I am quite sure that Fred's thinking is a little more considered and long term than that.

 

As they say it's easier to make an unreliable fast car reliable than it is to make a reliable slow car fast.

And McLaren's problems so far are nothing like what Red Bull were going through this time last year. And they did all right.

Interesting that Maldanado yesterday beat Hamilton's 2014 pole position time at Barcelona. I guess it might be that Lotus is now better than Mercedes, or that Maldanado is a better driver than Hamilton, but more likely is that the tyres and engine improvements really are going to make the cars a couple of seconds faster this year.