F1 Rumour: McLaren To Bring In Huge Upgrade Package To Azerbaijan Grand Prix
The McLaren F1 team are set to bring in "real MCL60" at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Bahrain Grand Prix has brought to light several challenges that teams face in the 2023 F1 season. The most prominent is the wide gap between Red Bull and teams like Ferrari and Mercedes. In contrast, Aston Martin is seen as a significant threat this year, aiming to fight for podiums. McLaren, on the other hand, has experienced delays in developing the MCL60 and is only a small evolution of last year's car. Winter development work continues, aiming to introduce the first substantial package of new features that will officially start the 2023 season, with the target being Baku.
The new FIA regulations have impacted the team's development, with technical director James Key saying:
"The changes to the floor have penalised us a lot in the development of the MCL60.
“The floors of these cars are huge and produce an immense amount of downforce. They are very complex, and even a small change can affect the performance of this component.
"Porpoising was a problem at the time, even if we all went on to improve over the course of the season. However, at that moment, we agreed on these changes.”
While the regulations were aimed at reducing porpoising, the timing of the directive proved problematic for McLaren, causing a step backward and significant performance issues. It resulted in the team using a 'basic' version of the MCL60 for the start of the championship, with the first important developments expected later on.
The infrastructural problems have impacted McLaren's winter break work, and the team continues to use rather dated infrastructure, hoping to start using more modern and innovative equipment later in the season. A new wind tunnel will have some impact for next season, but only in 2025 will McLaren's car be developed entirely with new tools.
While awaiting new infrastructures, McLaren is looking at the 'market' of engineers and takes Sanchez from Ferrari. The technical department has experienced a lot of turnover in recent years, leaving the company last season to settle elsewhere, greatly impoverishing McLaren from a technical point of view.