McLaren, first two races with lights and shadows: here are the strengths and weaknesses of the MCL38

The McLaren MCL38, it was thought, on its debut confirmed what the latest developments of the MCL60 had shown in the second part of last season. The car of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, however, seemed decidedly less competitive and not even remotely capable of approaching the Red Bulls, of which it was considered the designated rival before the tests in Bahrain and especially the first two races. In Jeddah, the MCL38 in relation to the specific characteristics of the track, with rapid changes of direction in sequence and few corners in support, its strengths and weaknesses emerged in a peculiar way.

the strengths and weaknesses

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Specifically, the Woking team’s single-seater proved to be very competitive in rapid changes of direction, in practice in those sectors of the Saudi track, it managed with relative ease to keep its pursuers at bay, and gained ground towards the single-seaters in front. On the other hand, in the leaning corners, where the time spent on the steering was greater, the MCL38 inexorably lost ground especially when compared to single-seaters characterized by a stable front end as in the case of the SF-24. A further negative point, revealed in Arabia, concerns the efficiency of the single-seater with the DRS open. It was evident that the increase in maximum speed in that specific condition was not remotely comparable to other cars, first of all, obviously compared to the RB20, but secondly also compared to the Ferrari.

the next developments

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McLaren technicians have yet to fully understand the behavior on the various types of circuits and no substantial developments are expected until Imola. From our sources, the first updates, but not substantial ones, will be seen between Australia and Japan, where a progressively better understanding of the behavior of the single-seater could allow us to find the basis also at the aerodynamic and dynamic setup level, necessary to then insert the subsequent innovations without having to further delve into the effect they will have on the behavior of the car. In essence, at the moment the MCL38 has not completely confirmed the goodness shown by the latest version of the MCL60, but it is worth suspending judgment for a few races, when the technicians of the team directed by Andrea Stella will be able to verify the sensitivity to the developments of the single-seater. As the English say, “Let’s wait and see”, then.