McLaren abandons its exhaust system

McLaren hopes that the vicissitudes of winter will only be a distant memory in Melbourne. Since the last tests in Barcelona, ​​the Woking firm has worked hard to make up for its huge gap. “I am not satisfied with the reliability and performance of the car after testing, laments the team director, Martin Whitmarsh. We have made drastic changes that we will see in Australia. This is a bit risky, but I think it was the right thing to do. We hope the risks prove unfounded and the car is more competitive in Australia. »

The ban on the double diffuser this year was a real headache for engineers. Some teams, including McLaren, have developed unique exhaust systems to compensate for the loss of downforce. Martin Whitmarsh admits to having pushed the boundaries of innovation too far in this area. By wanting to innovate too much, the system became incomprehensible for the team, even impacting the reliability of the car. “I would say the new system is a simpler design than what we had before. We have had some very creative ideas, some of which may have spectacular results. But even if they promise good results, they must be strong enough to be competitive. Frankly, some of our solutions were not, and that's why we came back to them. »

Will these changes allow Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button to fight for victory in Melbourne? Martin Whitmarsh remains evasive. “I can't make any predictions, but you always have the ambition to win races. I'm not predicting we're going to win, I'm just saying that's our goal." he concluded.