Kers cooling probably, they have that hole over a month now...

It's there from long since. As I remember they added that additional inlet in Portimao or at the first Jerez test.

Yeah think it was for KERS too. Re-call in the earlier tests it was overheating and reaching temperature thresholds so they had to keep switching it off.

Femi ignored your question. But answered other ones.

Yeah, it's been there since launch and was said to be the cooling for the KERS.

riiiiiiiiiiight, looks like someone hasn't been paying attention

Quote from Heikki:

"I definitely feel like I've really learned more about this team and how we can work together to get better results. It's something that Lewis already knew very well and I can see how that helped him last year. Now I feel much better prepared than I did last year."

The McLaren driver reckons, however, that it is still too early to judge how competitive each team will be.

"Honestly, who knows? Everybody at McLaren Mercedes has been working so hard over the winter and we feel we have a strong package. But who knows how much everyone else has done over the winter? "Not even a test like this, where the majority of the teams are running their '09 cars, can give a real indication. That's what makes Formula One so fascinating and unpredictable. And that's also why I can't wait to get to Melbourne to find out!"

Full story

Autosport.com

Great pictures, thanks!!!!

Stunning rearwing, beautiful car.

Forgive me but the car looks like it's still pretty much in launch configuation to an uneducated oaf like me.

OK higher downforce rear wing but we were told at the launch that the Melbourne car would be hardly recognizable. Were they bluffing or is there something really different to come later this week?

The teams say this every single year. Then 2 months later the cars that race in Melbourne are incredibly similar to the launch cars

New brake ducts, new wheel covers, new rear and front wing...

Expecting new diffuser, engine cover and sidepod intakes.

I cant see what was wrong with Madras' post anyway

WOW this is one huge & short rearwing!!!!

Don't know too much about aerodynamics but I seem to remember there being a formula for drag vs downforce in which the length of the wing has a huge impact on the amount of drag. Isn't that also why length is so important with sailboats and planes?

Well, Kova is currently 3 seconds slower than button at barca. Worrying, very much so. I've been on so may forums/websites looking for new info it has actually given me a migraine. I genuinely don't know where we stand. All that i do know is that we're pretty handy when it comes to kers.

It is possible for teams to run KERS without the yellow caution sticker? I would of thought it would be mandatory for marshalls safety, but who knows.

I think this may confirm McLaren have serious issues:

Here's my 5 cents.

Mclaren are going to be one of few running KERS in Australia.

Therefore they suspect they will have an 80bhp advantage over their opposition at a circuit with huge flat out sections and that in the past they have traditionally been very strong at.

Therefore, I think they are testing with a one stop concept in mind which means a lot of work on tyre management and endurance as opposed to posting the fastest time possible around a single lap or short stint of laps. I think a lot of this work is actually to collect data of the new tyres and their behaviour to feed back into their simulation programs.

Except Ferrari have been running around with their KERS and are confident they are going to run it in Melbourne, as are BMW.

so, what are mclaren gonna put in their press release today,

i think we as mclaren fans should stop beating around...everything including insider info rumors point to them having a fairly major problem, so maybe we just need to admit that.

I think the main question now is if they will rectify that before Melbourne or early in the season enough to still compete in the championships...

those who want Lewis in a midfield car might be dissapointed, the car currently seems considerably worse



yea its still testing, still testing...but its been way off pace all winter and it looks like the surprise pace/magic updates we were hoping for aint coming.

Keep the faith fellow McLaren bretherin. Keep the faith....until melbourne atleast

At the beginning of the day:



At the end of the day:



Notice the difference?

I can do that. I won't blub til Melbourne. Let's just say I'm re-adjusting my expectations. :\

There's bl*edin great chunk of the floor missing.

I´m confident we were near the pace at melbourne

Regards and keep the faith!!!!

Yes. I'm just browsing today's pictures right now. Also look at the exhaust outlets.

http://premium.f1-live.com/f1/photos-hires...2/diapo_141.jpg

And the strain gauges/temp strips all over the rear suspension.

deep down im still hoping...u always gotta hope innit.

but been a realist by nature, i have to brace myself for the worst and downgrade expectations.

I think the car is conceptually flawed and they are now going to try and patch the flaws up as best as possible.

That solution to me looks desperate.

I know what you mean, i just hope at worst its 06, and not 04.

its on both sides, they are trying a new floor

Surely even the most optomistic on here must now admit to a slight sense of unease...

Look at the diffuser, they have moved the fences of the centre tunnel upwards...

Totally looks ready for a williams copy jobbie

so today they used the new frontwing, floor and the 09 reatwing, now we only need to redesign the sidepods+coolings and introduce a new diffuser

Well, James Allen said that only Mclaren, Ferrari, Renault and RBR are likely to use KERS at Melbourne.

Apart from the new floor, this is completely new exhaust cover;



They are working on the car, every test brings something new.

So practically half the grid then.

I've always thought that the floor contours must be straight lines. Is that cut off within the rules?

Floor tech analysis

Pfff, don't tell you listen what Allen says. BMW-Sauber is as ready to use KERS as is McLaren, but still it's not clear for them if it gives advantage. They will probably use it only on track where it really gives better times.

First bit of positive news for a while?

brilliant

Dunno if this is the case, but from all the pictures I've seen lately with their 2009 wing, Mclaren seem to run with (visibly at least) more rear-wing than their opponents.

Their "launch" wing was low downforce

Yes, nothing wrong with the legality.

Today RBR said that they won´t drive with KERS in the first three races.

Allen

http://forums.autosport.com/showthread.php...750#post3503750