Firstly, the weight distribution of the Mercedes is different to the Renault, the front-mounted compressor pushes the block further away from the tub. The car also appears to have been lengthened (though this is always hard to judge from PR shots). It can be assumed that McLaren has stuck with an air-air charge cooling package on the car, rather than opting for the potentially more efficient, but vastly more complex water-air system Mercedes employs on the works machines. Beyond elements that were homologated in 2020 – such as the nose – the sidepods and engine covers have gained an extra bulge, presumably to accommodate the revised cooling package, but also potentially due to internal elements being moved higher in the chassis, allowing for a deeper undercut of the sidepod. Looking at the launch images of the car, it is evident that the new installation has altered the external form of the bodywork. Placing the compressor at the front of the engine and the turbine at the rear allows for a larger and thus more efficient unit, one of the many reasons for its power unit’s dominance over the years. Mercedes (in an approach later mirrored by Honda), has always split the turbo. The Mercedes and Renault units are entirely different in their architecture Renault mounts both the turbo’s compressor and turbine system at the rear of the engine, with the MGU-H nestled in the vee. What has become clear is that the Mercedes installation is very good, which has made it reasonably easy to shoehorn the engine into the homologated car.” Equally, there are demands on other areas which we have had to adjust to. Regardless, the Mercedes is still considered the best overall solution, Key stating, “The installation is certainly extremely tidy, you can see how much attention to detail has gone into it, which has given us some plus points. However, the team felt this disadvantage was offset by the greater performance of the Mercedes power unit, not just in the outright power stakes but also packaging and other subtle yet important refinements that have made it a winning combination.Īt the car’s launch, technical director James Key noted that unlike earlier in the current rules cycle, the various power units are now relatively evenly matched in outright performance. While other outfits have spent development tokens honing their existing packages, McLaren’s were committed almost entirely to the power unit swap. Regardless of its pedigree, the shift to Mercedes was a double-edged sword. For team principal Andreas Seidl, the choice of Mercedes was an obvious one, “We wanted to get a championship winning power unit in the back of our car.” Having entered the current hybrid era with Mercedes power, McLaren has returned to the German manufacturer following a fractious period with Honda and a deal with Renault marred by reliability issues. Changes to the aerodynamic regulations intended to check performance have had to be accommodated and in the case of McLaren – first out of the blocks in the car launch stakes with its MC元5M – the team also had to contend with a switch of power unit supplier. Sign up Subscribeĭespite a token system limiting updates year on year, coupled with relative regulatory stability moving into 2021, development through Formula 1’s off-season has been as intense as ever. Sign-up now for access to a limited number of articles.
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