McLaren to extend MP4-23 development

Eurosport - Wed, 01 Oct 23:45:00 2008

McLaren revealed that, contrary to the team's own expectations, they will be working on a raft of technical updates for the MP4-23 car ahead of next month's season finale at Interlagos as they bid to wrest both F1 world titles from rivals Ferrari.

2008 Malaysian GP McLaren Whitmarsh - 0

The Scuderia's failure to add to their points tally at last weekend's inaugural Singapore Grand Prix has allowed McLaren to finally close the once-commanding gap between the teams in the constructors' championship.

With Lewis Hamilton also extending his individual advantage over Felipe Massa to seven points, the Woking team are now in the driving seat in both sets of standings, but know that, in the constructors' battle especially, things are far from over.

As a result, development work has been ongoing at the team's technical centre in the UK to wring one final performance jump out of the MP4-23, even though the team are hard at work on the design and build of their 2009 challenger which will be running to a heavily revised set of regulations.

"Ordinarily, the Singapore weekend would have been our last big upgrade package of the season," McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh revealed in the wake of Hamilton's third place in F1's first night race.

"But we've now got an upgrade package focused on Brazil, and will be looking to see whether we can pull any of those improvements forwards.

"There will still be little bits and pieces brought to the car for the two Asian races, but the package of upgrades won't be as big as the one we brought to Singapore."

The inaugural Singapore event proved to be a bigger challenge than many teams expected, not only because the entire travelling party had to get used to the unusual weekend schedule - which meant attempting to remain on European time despite the seven-hour time difference - but because the Marina Bay circuit turned out to be tougher than anticipated.

"The bumps were a factor that caught everybody by surprise," Whitmarsh admitted.

"Before we arrived for the race weekend, we sent people there to do an accurate survey of the track surface for use in our pre-race engineering work. Inevitably, with a new circuit, the track surface evolves and the asphalt settles - a factor that we either didn't measure or that developed after we'd done our survey.

"Otherwise, everything worked amazingly well. Both drivers were incredibly dedicated - and the team that set their schedule up, led by Aki Hintsa, put a lot of work into it.

"But it was quite a bizarre experience. I went back to the hotel after the sessions, had something to eat and then sat with our drivers until 4am. You left them to go to bed and they would be putting on a movie - it was quite a strange feeling, but it worked very well."

While the street circuit received a generally warm welcome, there were changes that either had to be made during the weekend - including the removal of some brutal corner-cutting deterrents - or will be suggested before the circuit returns in 2009.

"The bumps were the most unexpected element of the weekend, but we also need to look more closely at the pit-lane exit and entrance," Whitmarsh commented.

"I think the race organisers will probably have to extend the entrance and exit for next year, moving them further away from the apices of corners. I'm sure that will be changed.

"However, in terms of ambience, facility and backdrop, it was just fantastic. Clearly, this has been a learning year and the organisers will have spent a lot of time overcoming the unique difficulties of attempting to put a racetrack into a metropolis, but we've seen Monaco evolve over many years and I can see the Singapore Grand Prix becoming our 'Monaco of the East'.

"The commitment of the Singaporean government and the race organisers has created an enormous amount of goodwill and that will only be reflected by the teams, who will really want to make this venue work."

Crash.net / Eurosport

Comment 33 - 52 of 92

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  1. Yeah, right Mr. T. You're definitely taking things seriously!

    From Forza Ferrari, on Wed 1 Oct 10:44PM

  2. wizzo, the equipment did not fail. Ferrari said that they switched the system to manual because of the number of cars in pit lane. The mechanic in charge of activating the green light made a mistake and jumped the gun. I still think that they should go back to using the lollipop. The system is good on paper, but it's costing them points.

    From Forza Ferrari, on Wed 1 Oct 10:44PM

  3. Sad to say tifo that has more melody and understanding than most modern "pop" songs.
    You are all barking up the wrong tree though!
    I think Moss will win!

    From justblowinoffsteam., on Wed 1 Oct 10:42PM

  4. Here is marnio song for your lisening pleasure.

    There once was a man called Mr T,
    He have the brain the size of the pea,
    He would post comments until it late
    He thought he was geat
    And then he go to bed with mr Forza Ferrari.

    From Farmer of Sheep, on Wed 1 Oct 10:41PM

  5. Mr T says. Forza, dont let me catch you kidding again, this is a deadly serious life and death discussion site about F1. There is no place on here for people that dont take this serious. Im sure you would agree that the T man and his infinately wise comments are testament to that.

    From MR T, on Wed 1 Oct 10:40PM

  6. Tifosi4eva song is very appropriate especially as the lights were RED and Kimi's car is also RED bur LH must have thought his red mist was green!!

    From wizzo, on Wed 1 Oct 10:35PM

  7. have you noticed how titso always post things that someone else has said a few posts before.go and do some girlie thing;like knitting or sitting in a corner and keeping QUIET.

    From MGA, on Wed 1 Oct 10:32PM

  8. Come on guys! I was just having some fun. Actually, I was inspired by a Macca fan who wrote a similar song about Massa. It's all in good fun!

    From Forza Ferrari, on Wed 1 Oct 10:30PM

  9. stick to the day job Forza of posting informative and interesting things.song writing is definitely not your strong point lol

    From MGA, on Wed 1 Oct 10:25PM

  10. Like it Forza, he is my song for Lewy;

    Hamilton, Hamilton, what a tool,
    take him back to driving school,
    maybe one day he will see,
    even brits get penalties,
    in the pitlanes, try not to crash
    you will only make yourself look daft
    dont be too cocky,
    it comes with a price,
    think you are popular?,
    you're kidding right??

    From tifosi4eva, on Wed 1 Oct 10:22PM

  11. Before F1 even places the first spanner down in Fuji this matter with the fuel nozzles has to be sorted.I just cannot understand how this vital FIA sanctioned component can suddenly fail without warning more so seemingly in Ferrari pit than others.

    From wizzo, on Wed 1 Oct 10:21PM

  12. Forza Ferrari - you obviously didn't miss your calling, except of course you are a songwriter.

    Tifosi4eva - now there's one lady that hugs attention. Imagine how in-your-face she'd be if she where a Spice Girl? Yet she says LH talks too much...interesting.

    Race is wide open though and I can only wish LH all that's best and beautiful in the end.

    From Second S, on Wed 1 Oct 10:20PM

  13. Mr T says, good one forza, i have one for you too it goes a bit like this.

    Shut up fool!
    Shut up fool!
    Shut up fool!
    Shut up fool!
    Shut up fool!
    Shut up fool!
    Shut up fool!
    Shut up fool!
    Shut up fool!
    Shut up you crazy fool!!

    Mr T says. Im sure you will agree that its much more catchy than yours.

    From MR T, on Wed 1 Oct 10:19PM

  14. Let me share with you a little song that Lewis has been humming in preparation for China:

    "I'm crying in the gravel,
    Just crying in the gravel,
    I came in for fresh tires
    But had to retire,
    I thought I was the best,
    Just better than the rest,
    But really
    Just good for second best

    La la la la la, la la la la la"

    Sorry, I couldn't resist!!

    From Forza Ferrari, on Wed 1 Oct 10:02PM

  15. j.p.brockhill I can't but to agree with you even if I'm a Ferrari fan sadly if they continue like that they'll lose all thing in the end.

    From Brayan, on Wed 1 Oct 9:42PM

  16. princess of darkness??? Like the nickname, might change to that...

    From tifosi4eva, on Wed 1 Oct 9:37PM

  17. bilal m, in total agreement with you, Fernando at Ferrari would be perfect, and although I like Massa and Kimi, he is a lot, lot better than their current drivers, or any driver at the moment in fact.

    From tifosi4eva, on Wed 1 Oct 9:36PM

  18. oh and no23 ...bully a woman! that aint no woman bud..thats the princess of darkness,a true inbred with a forked tongue and a hate of its own countrymen

    From JEREMY, on Wed 1 Oct 9:29PM

  19. no matter how fast the reds may be...with zippo and bozo at the helm and the chuckle brothers doing the refuelling , should be a crack

    From JEREMY, on Wed 1 Oct 9:27PM

  20. I hope to see Fernando with us...oh come on Ferrari plz what the hell are you planning for.Fernando is the new MS... come on what are you waiting for! top driving experience, know how to develope the car, do less errors than all the existing drivers what are you waiting!!!

    From Brayan, on Wed 1 Oct 9:25PM
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