These tests will be about establishing the durability of the car and giving ourselves enough time to fix any issues we encounter. At the start of 2009, there were teams who were more competitive than us, but we were still able to pick up a good number of points because we were more reliable. Just about everything has changed on the car, there’s very little that hasn’t changed, so we want to make sure we’re fully reliable for the first race. Initially, the most important thing is proving that the car is robust. So we’ve looked at weight distribution, aero balance and mechanical balance in order to compensate for grip balance moving rearwards.įinally, what’s on your job list going into the four crucial pre-season tests? And with a narrower front tyre, you’ll lose grip, which will change the fundamental balance of the car.

Running with high fuel puts demands on braking – and it means you have to design the brake discs and pads to overcome that. The biggest problem is just the sheer weight of the fuel – it obviously increases the stopping distance quite considerably. The drivers will be carrying twice as much fuel at the start of each grand prix as they were last year, how will that affect the car’s handling and balance characteristics?

I think one of the greatest things about last year was the fact that on no single occasion throughout the whole team, whether that’s from shareholders, sponsors, team principal, management through to the night shifters, did I come across any individual blaming another That was a very encouraging situation, and spoke volumes about the degree of team spirit that exists here. I think we’ve learnt that as a team we can operate effectively and we pull together both in success and in adversity. On a human level, what has the organisation learnt about itself over the past 12 months? Click here for the full McLaren Secrets issue for just $7.26: McLaren Secrets full issue download Includes: Brake Steer, McLaren MP4-23, AlBe the super alloy, understanding roll.

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