Bahrain Winter Test #2: 27th Feb- 1st March

[RYH64E]

toppstuff said:

But Mclaren have been at pains to point out that although they are not showing a title sponsor, they are actually spending more money this year than they did last year, I believe..

Despite all the talk of cost caps and affordabilty I imagine all of the teams and engine suppliers are spending more money this season, implementing the rule changes can't be cheap.

I think Renault are going to have a 'Pirelli' season in 2014, they've spent god knows how much money designing, developing and manufacturing a complete new engine/energy recovery/storage system and I rather suspect we are going to see it either spontaneously combust in a variety of exciting ways, or trundle round at the back of the field. Not great publicity for Renault's technical prowess either way, especially if it is, as rumoured, 100bhp behind the Mercedes unit. So, dog slow and unreliable.

[The Stiglet]

Sam.F said:

AlexS said:

Tony2or4 said:

Scuffers said:

suffolk009 said:

Didn't Senna deliberately stick it in the wall - just after the finish line - on a qualifying lap? Because the fastest line mean a certain crash on the exit. Sorry, I don't remember where or when.

not sure it was Senna, but at Magny-Cours this happened a few times, if you crashed over the last chicane, you could cross the line then end up planted in the wall.

Yep, Senna at Magny Cours is what immediately came to my mind.

Wasn't that where the braking point for the first corner was before the finish line, so Senna kept his foot in and then tried his best to negotiate the first corner.

Nearly, the finish line was just on the exit of the Lycée corner on the original layout at Magny-Cours and the circuit opened out towards the pit wall beyond the exit kerb, so it was possible to cross the line while having an accident if you went into the corner too fast. Damon Hill did something similar in '94 too but didn't actually crash though.

Link to video chaps?

[Chrisgr31]

pozi said:

Interesting, so the team which has no title sponsor this year has loads of money compared to the likes of Ferrari, Red Bull & Mercedes??

Someone smewhere (Joe Saward?) did some analaysis last year on McLarens funding for this year, and I seem to recall that due to the way the prize fund works and TV revenue they will have a bigger income this year than last even without a title sponsor.

[ajprice]

3:10 into this, 1991 Magny Cours qualifying, Senna spins it on the line. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrvoGctx9v0

[Scuffers]

ajprice said:

3:10 into this, 1991 Magny Cours qualifying, Senna spins it on the line. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrvoGctx9v0

right cct and corner, wrong year...


not sure it's on youtube (can't find it)

[pozi]

Chrisgr31 said:

Someone smewhere (Joe Saward?) did some analaysis last year on McLarens funding for this year, and I seem to recall that due to the way the prize fund works and TV revenue they will have a bigger income this year than last even without a title sponsor.

The only articles I have read (I am happy to be proved wrong if someone finds a link) are from McLaren saying they have plenty of money, which is exactly what you would expect them to say.

I am not saying that they are about to "do a Lotus" but there is a difference between having a sponsor who will bank roll the continual development of a car and only having the budget to complete the season.

If the car is fast out of the blocks at Melbourne then great, but otherwise I do not see them having the vast reserves of cash to throw at the problem, and even then after failing to understand the car last years what has changed internally at McLaren with the exception of MW being put out to pasture somewhere?

[ajprice]

Scuffers said:

ajprice said:

3:10 into this, 1991 Magny Cours qualifying, Senna spins it on the line. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrvoGctx9v0

right cct and corner, wrong year...


not sure it's on youtube (can't find it)

Which year are you talking about then?

[Richard-G]

pozi said:

Chrisgr31 said:

Someone smewhere (Joe Saward?) did some analaysis last year on McLarens funding for this year, and I seem to recall that due to the way the prize fund works and TV revenue they will have a bigger income this year than last even without a title sponsor.

The only articles I have read (I am happy to be proved wrong if someone finds a link) are from McLaren saying they have plenty of money, which is exactly what you would expect them to say.

I am not saying that they are about to "do a Lotus" but there is a difference between having a sponsor who will bank roll the continual development of a car and only having the budget to complete the season.

If the car is fast out of the blocks at Melbourne then great, but otherwise I do not see them having the vast reserves of cash to throw at the problem, and even then after failing to understand the car last years what has changed internally at McLaren with the exception of MW being put out to pasture somewhere?

you've got a theory there, but due to Mclarens season of woe last year they didn't score many points so the fee they had to pay to the FIA was lower than say red bull who scored lots of points. So as a previous poster mentioned their operating budget is actually greater than 2012.

Mclaren have a plethora of long term sponsors/Partners, a few VERY VERY wealthy backers (google them, they are very well known)

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessm...
http://www.bmhc.bh/en/3/financials.aspx


and as I've stated they have more than enough in the bank to fund the team for the next few years yet, Handy as next year they will become a manufacturer backed Honda engined team.

Edited by Richard-G on Wednesday 5th March 15:36

[Chrisgr31]

pozi said:

The only articles I have read (I am happy to be proved wrong if someone finds a link) are from McLaren saying they have plenty of money, which is exactly what you would expect them to say.

I am not saying that they are about to "do a Lotus" but there is a difference between having a sponsor who will bank roll the continual development of a car and only having the budget to complete the season.

If the car is fast out of the blocks at Melbourne then great, but otherwise I do not see them having the vast reserves of cash to throw at the problem, and even then after failing to understand the car last years what has changed internally at McLaren with the exception of MW being put out to pasture somewhere?

http://www.pitpass.com/50654/Sponsoring-McLaren unfortunately not the most reliable of sources.

[skeggysteve]

carinaman said:

skeggysteve said:

Made me wonder if Adrian has come up with some clever way to mount them that he wanted hiding from the other teams.

I thought the location of the front cameras was now governed by the rules so they couldn't be mounted in a place that offered an aero advantage?

You may be correct but I still wonder if Adrian has found a loop hole?
Just speculation on my part!

[carinaman]

skeggysteve said:

You may be correct but I still wonder if Adrian has found a loop hole? Just speculation on my part!

No worries, I am not abreast of much of the new rules but that's just one area that may have been covered on a video that I watched.

I'm looking forward to the Motor Sport magazine preview podcast.

[RYH64E]

skeggysteve said:

You may be correct but I still wonder if Adrian has found a loop hole?
Just speculation on my part!

he needs more than a loophole, he needs another 100 bhp and an engine that lasts to the end of the race.

The teams only get 5 power units for the entire season, on current form I can see the Renault teams using that many in Australia.

[37chevy]

RYH64E said:

he needs more than a loophole, he needs another 100 bhp and an engine that lasts to the end of the race.

The teams only get 5 power units for the entire season, on current form I can see the Renault teams using that many in Australia.

He also needs to learn to package a car so it doesn't overheat"...I don't see ALL the problems coming from the Renault side!

[smack]

Richard-G said:

Mclaren have a plethora of long term sponsors/Partners, a few VERY VERY wealthy backers (google them, they are very well known)

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessm...
http://www.bmhc.bh/en/3/financials.aspx


and as I've stated they have more than enough in the bank to fund the team for the next few years yet

Yeah Pozi, did you know that?



Of course they never had to go cap in hand to HSBC 10 years ago... Oh no, of course they didn't.

[sjn2004]

Jimmm said:

I think they can work out the horsepower from the sound of the engine.

So true, I was passed by a 500bhp Corsa earlier today , all from 1.2L NA. It must have had a special exhaust.

[Some Gump]

Yes they can sjn.
By recording the frequency, you know the revs.
From watching the footage, you know the speed.
Now, you can work out the gear ratio.

You can estimate the weight of the car, due to rules in place etc.
You can estimate drag, because aero is what you do for a living.
Et voila, a set of simultaneous equations and you can work out work done, and therefore power.

[BritishRacinGrin]

Even that isn't much of an indicator, given that each car has dosens of instantly switchable engine modes etc.

[RealSquirrels]

here's a photo of someone doing a bit of sound recording

[pozi]

smack said:

Yeah Pozi, did you know that?



Of course they never had to go cap in hand to HSBC 10 years ago... Oh no, of course they didn't.

No of course not, the McLaren PR machine never said it so it can't be true

[pozi]

Some Gump said:

Yes they can sjn.
By recording the frequency, you know the revs.
From watching the footage, you know the speed.
Now, you can work out the gear ratio.

You can estimate the weight of the car, due to rules in place etc.
You can estimate drag, because aero is what you do for a living.
Et voila, a set of simultaneous equations and you can work out work done, and therefore power.

100% correct, there is normally someone back at the factory analysing the in car footage and with gear ratios fixed apart from one legal change I am guessing there will be plenty of this activity in Melbourne so everyone can figure out what their rivals are up to.