FileSoup's (un)Official Formula One Team!

Spanish GP: Practice notes - McLaren

 spain.jpg ( 17.27K ) Number of downloads: 2


With both drivers equipped with new chassis, the team kicked off the European season with several key bodywork upgrades: most notably a new front wing (FW4 - essentially a finessed version of the previous front-wing iteration, first raced in Shanghai), rotating rear hubs and a new floor. Today was spent firstly evaluating the new front wing before focusing on the improvements to the floor.

Lewis Hamilton

P1 programme

Starting on a green circuit and running on prime tyres throughout, Lewis conducted an opening six-lap run (best time 1m23.850s) to establish a benchmark for FW4. Subsequently back-to-backing it with FW3 and returning again to FW4, he ran four laps, 1m23.121s, four laps/1m23.077s and four laps/1m23.974s). He ended up 14th

P2 programme

Switching his focus to the new floor - which features a double-diffuser for the first time this season, Lewis again started off on primes and completed a short, four-lap run (1m23.964s) before beginning his programme on the option tyre. Conducting two longer runs (seven laps/1m23.363s and 10 laps/1m23.140s), Lewis felt that the improvements to the car were inconclusive: "We're still a long way away and I didn't feel any improvement," he said. "I think it's going to be hard work to get into Q3 tomorrow. We're pushing but unfortunately the upgrades we tried didn't work for me and the car doesn't feel like it's improved. We lose a lot of time in Turns Three and Nine because we can't carry the speed through the high-speed corners like other teams. But we'll battle our way through."

He ended the day with a two-lap run (1m22.809s), more satisfied with his ability to lean on the car, but choosing to curtail the stint after locking up and running wide at the final chicane. He ended the day 13th.

Heikki Kovalainen

P1 programme

Beginning the session with FW4, Heikki completed an initial four-lap run (1m24.708s) before reverting to FW2 (the front-end he has preferred since Shanghai) to complete the comparison, he carried out a six-lap programme on the prime tyre (1m23.522s). A third and final run was brought to a premature halt by a gearbox hydraulic problem, resulting in him finishing 19th.

P2 programme

Heikki's afternoon running was slightly delayed as his mechanics fixed the gearbox issue and installed a new floor. As a result, he sat out the first 20 minutes before starting the session with a four-lap run (1m23.998s) on primes. Switching to options for the rest of the day, he conducted the following programme: three laps/1m23.183s; four laps/1m23.438s and nine laps/1m22.876s to end up 14th quickest.

He said: "We had a gearbox issue in the first session which was caused by a hydraulics problem. Fortunately, the team was able to fix this shortly after we started second practice so I didn't lose too much time."

Heikki was also pleased by the improvements the new components appear to have made to MP4-24's performance: "I'm really happy with the progress we made," he said. "The new parts we have on the car obviously seem to work: I think we've improved the technical package since Bahrain but we need to wait until tomorrow to compare our pace with our rivals'."

Martin Whitmarsh - team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: "Inevitably, when you come to a circuit with a big package of modifications that need assessing in a very short period of time, you get some successes and some failures. But coming into this weekend, we've been realistic and disciplined: we always knew this would be a challenging circuit, but we've gathered a lot of data - and that will enable us to study our performance overnight and enhance the car for tomorrow. Are we as quick as we want to be? No. Do we believe we can get through into Q3 tomorrow? Yes, we do."

Norbert Haug - vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "Our laptimes during our race simulation in the afternoon looked better than two months ago at the final winter test. The positive is this proves that we are working in the right direction; the negative is that we are still not quick enough to fight for podium finishes - in fact, it will be tough to enter Q3 tomorrow and to start the race in the Top 10. Also on this circuit, our KERS hybrid is a good help for improving our laptimes and hopefully KERS will be even more of a help at the race on Sunday as only four of 20 racers are running the system here."

Pitpass

Spanish Grand Prix report

10th May 2009

LEWIS HAMILTON

 lh.jpg ( 2.71K ) Number of downloads: 2


MP4-24-05
Started: 14th Finished: 9th
Fastest lap: 1m23.839s Pitstops: two (Op-Op-Pr)
Championship points: 9 Championship pos: 7th
Lewis was delayed at the start as he attempted to pass Nelson Piquet and ran onto the grass as the Renault jinked right ahead of him. Perhaps fortuitously, it dropped him behind the first-lap carnage, and he was able to steer around most of the debris to emerge 15th. A lengthy first stint saw him slowly work himself up the order to run as high as sixth before making his first pitstop on lap 31 to fit another set of options. Resuming inside the top 10, he struggled with his rear tyres, which prompted an earlier-than-scheduled switch to the prime on lap 49. Thereafter, he drove well to withstand a late charge from Glock and finished ninth.
“Today was a difficult race for me because we lack the downforce of the top cars,” said Lewis. “I was a bit worried about my tyres after driving over so much debris at the first corner but I came out of it okay. It was a tough, long race and it was incredibly hard to keep the car on the road – it felt like driving on ice at times, especially at the end of the second stint, when the tyres were finished, and in the final stint, when there was very little grip on the prime.
“I gave it 100 per cent for the entire race so ninth place doesn’t feel like the proper reward for the team, who worked hard all weekend. Still, we’re all hopeful that Monaco will be a better race for us because the absence of fast corners shouldn’t hurt us as much as it did here. In fact, I’m already looking forward to it.”

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN

 hk.jpg ( 2.83K ) Number of downloads: 2


MP4-24-02
Started: 18th Finished: ret
Fastest lap: 1m28.719s (16th) Pitstops: -
Championship points: 4 Championship pos: 11th
Starting from 18th on the grid and using the option tyre, Heikki got a good start, got himself ahead of the opening-lap chaos at the exit of Turn Two and ran 11th. However, when the Safety Car was deployed at the end of the first lap, Heikki lost fifth gear and then lost sixth and seventh gears in quick succession. Running back to the pits in fourth, he was forced to park it on lap seven.
“Luck just doesn’t seem to be going my way right now,” he said afterwards. “It’s been a difficult weekend – the car’s performance is not where we want it to be and this was tough for us all – but that’s life. But we shouldn’t forget that we’ve improved our car massively since we last tested here in the winter and eventually we’ll be fighting with Jenson and the other guys at the front. I’m already looking ahead to Monaco where I’ll be fighting harder than ever. I’m not going to let this get me down.”

MARTIN WHITMARSH

 mw.jpg ( 1.96K ) Number of downloads: 2


Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
“Lewis made a great start off the line – but, after having been obstructed by another car, through no fault of his own he lost time avoiding an accident and ended up at the back of the field at the end of lap one. After that, his task was always going to be a tough one, because the Barcelona circuit is not an easy one on which to overtake. Furthermore, his tyres went off during his second stint, and then he got pipped by Fernando when they made their second pit stops. But he kept pushing as hard as he could, in ninth place, in the hope that one of the cars ahead of him would drop out and thereby allow him to score one hard-earned championship point. It didn't happen, unfortunately, but the fact that Lewis never gave up demonstrates just what a competitive individual he is. Heikki made a decent start, but his race was ended disappointingly – and unluckily – by a gearbox failure.
“We predicted that this race would be a low point of our season, and we've been proved right. In two weeks’ time, at Monaco, which is a very different kind of circuit from Barcelona, things ought to be significantly better for us. But we know we aren't yet where we want to be, and we'll continue to work flat-out to get there.”

NORBERT HAUG

 nh.jpg ( 2.68K ) Number of downloads: 2


Vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
“We knew since testing here what to expect from our car on this racetrack. Being lapped here is not what Lewis deserves: he delivered everything that was possible with his car today – we just cannot handle the high-speed corners and need to dramatically improve over the next weeks and months. Thank God the Brawn guys saved our bacon again with our engine in the back. Congratulations Jenson, Rubens, Ross and the whole team, you guys are the benchmark since the season started.”

Source

Thanks lenny, those are some lovely post.