Finally they're doing exactly what they should have done years ago,they need to actively poach top staff from other teams,just a 50-100million investment in this could see them being successful for many many years.

What is that, a jack?

Nope, it's a moon.

Wait a minute, that's no moon...


Really sorry, I keep thinking of Star Wars quotes, and feel the need to add them into random conversations in some form.

That picture pretty much confirms that that is the diffuser they will use for this race.

five hours till we find out...something...maybe...

clutching at straws

Infidels!

The Überfüser of Justice will descent upon you in a few hours.

Years ago?

You mean like when they poached Martin Budkowski from Ferrari in 2007?

Or going further back Nick Tombazis from Ferrari in 2003?

Hmmm Pat Fry (MP4-24 chief engineer) and Paddy Lowe are also on the track! Interesting!

Ferrari guy is Tombazis.

Huh? What makes you think that?

No, a butt scratcher.

I know, but it's quite good fun and it's great to see the British never say die attitude is still in fine fettle. I imagine people'll still be waiting for the 'Diffuser of Justice' at the final race of the season!

As mentioned they're chatting with Nicholas Tombazis, who was behind the aerodynamics of the awesome MP4-20. Shame that he stayed at McLaren only for about 1.5 years, after which it was back to Maranello for him. I'd say he's the most important man WRT Ferrari's continued success.

I just dont think that they are going to change that whole floor now. It also looks glued on to the chasis

Yes but also there´s a Pat Fry, a man who was behind of the awesome mp4-22 too... I still can´t believe that he created shity car for this year. Though, they (Mclaren) were always slow at the start of the season. (in first races) :\

Whatever happens, this promises to be a heck of a season. With Brawn excelling and Mclaren not, BMW and toyota being strong and with the number of reliability issues Ferrari had during testing (even though not a great deal was made of it, they had quite a few) Throw into that a two time wdc driving a renault that is at the very least reasonably quick and then there's all the intrigue surrounding FIA and FOTA. One things for sure, there'll be enough to keep this forum busy!!! Can't wait!

I am quite surprised that so many people have fallen for McLaren's PR of "we are slow, we won't be challenging" malarkey.

I can guarantee you that if they were concerned, they wouldn't be telling us about it.

I fancy Lewis to qualify top 6 in Melbourne and collect some points in a normal race (if the race isn't 'normal', i.e. rain or attrition, then Lewis could win as usual).

Ha I really hope you're right.

McLaren this year already have had my opinions more up and down then a rollercoaster, I've given up trying to guess

They must be pretty slow, they must be, I'd say it'd make no sense otherwise, but then nothing has this testing season.

with sponsors to keep happy why would they lie?

would you be happy to pump in millions to a team for them to falsely downplay likelehood of success?

The sponsors need to be kept happy at the races, not in testing.

*snigger*

I can't believe there are so many people who still blindly believe they are not in trouble.


If they were not in trouble, they would not have wasted precious testing time performing desperate measure flow-visualisation, and slightly less desperate measure pitot probing.

I know it's been crazy. This is the first year I've followed winter testing etc. Is it always like this???!!

I know it's clutching at those proverbial straws, but I did notice in the interview with hamilton that he was saying that his reasoning behind the car being slow was based on the last time he drove it. Before the final parts went on. He also mentioned new parts coming that he hoped gave the results that they appeared to give in the wind tunnel. It is interesting that there's been a definite change in official line from, 'we're going to work hard and be challenging for the championship within a few races' to 'it's all screwed we've got no chance'. The thing is, nothing's happened in between to explain this change. I'm hoping that it is just lowering of expectations which'll mean that we'll (macca fans) be happy for them to be mixing in the midfield (which right now I would be) or they've realised that they are absolutely well and truly fubar'd and wanted to come clean before the sh*t hits the fan...

Ah well, fun and games, I've got £40 on button at 80/1 so at least I'll have something to liven up my season if they are as rubbish as they say they are!!!

x2

Perhaps they could bolt this on, 'though they might need another one lol!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=250393865408

Never quite like this, the rules changes have left everyone second guessing themselves, but imagine a slightly toned down version.

I am surprised that many people think McLaren is always lying.

The psychology of a successful sportsman is to never talk your chances down. It's called auto-suggestion and is not recommended as the psyche tends to believe what it hears and performs accordingly.

My guess is they're not in good shape and are trying to manage expectation

More or less, yeah. It's very rare that something seen in testing didn't also materialised when the season started.

For me personally, my first real testing season was 2005, and then I took all the lap times posted and put them into a spreadsheet, and seeing how good the Renault was over a stint was jaw-dropping, and I basically picked all top five teams. Sure, there are always a few discrepances, but usually, these days testing is a very reliable indicator.

http://www.wri2.net/preview_image.aspx?rep=00002888&img=227

http://www.sutton-images.com/preview.asp?f...e=d09aus763.jpg

sorry edited

new solution, so finally the latest aero spec, this we havent seen before

erm, you keep posting blanks

Was worried it was only me who couldn't see owt

blank for me too

Looks like the new diffuser is on the car, according to the beeb!

new diffuser for macca apparently.

Just watching beautiful free BBC free practice 1, live courtesy of the BBC, wonderful. Sorry can't quite contain my excitement.

Looks as though the engines are going to be limited a little during the free practices so may not be the lap time indicator we rather hopefully expect, Lewis is just cruising around.

Everything looks amazing on TV proper, I have already had more visual input in just five minutes than scouring the you tube clips all winter.

im listening to radio 5 and they are reporting, mclareen mechanics had a huge box and the commentator shouded to them, is that the new diffuser, and they confirmed it was, apparently it was fitted last minute, radio 5 is great

http://www.sutton-images.com/preview.asp?f...e=d09aus763.jpg

Yeah, I'm just watching Lewis and his Dad smarting rather philosophically at the diffuser area. Ron looks dead cocky!

F1rules


Any Uberdiffuser Pic?

no not at the moment, there is sutton, wri2.net, dppi.com and offcourse xpb.cc

but i can only encourage to go to the bbc page and choose channel 5, they have reporters in box and everything, and its available for swhole europe, interviewing lots of drivers team personnel

Yeah, got the video player going, lots better then Justin TV from last year

dunno if this is channel 5!

They are a bunch of deceitful lying toerags. I knew they were sandbagging and hiding their true bodyparts so that others cannot copy them.

Oh well, I guess that's it then. Another year of Formula Hamilton.

Time to mute the commentary.

I'm just calling it The Diffuser from now on. It shall bring light upon the Earth. And It shall see that it is Good.

i can only find the radio signal on bbc radio 5, i havent got the tv signal, im still not shure they will be in front but its definitly the biggest hideout we have seen for years

Just got a shot of the diffuser. Nowt different from the Jerez test, though they have said there is a different one on the way...