Q&A WITH JONATHAN NEALE, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF McLAREN
RACING
During the build-up to the 2006 Formula One season, Team
McLaren Mercedes will be providing updates on the activities
of the team and the development process of MP4-21. In addition
to information from the tests and the Team McLaren Mercedes
drivers, this will include Q&A's from members of the McLaren
Racing technical team.
To start the series, Jonathan Neale, Managing Director of
McLaren Racing, discusses the overall development programme
of the MP4-21.
What is your specific role within the MP4-21 project?
As Managing Director, I am ultimately responsible for the
performance of McLaren Racing; I have to make sure we deliver.
My specific role with MP4-21 is to make sure we have a clear
set of targets and goals for the car; this doesn’t mean
that I can write the specification for the car but that I
make sure one is created, which we all believe is competitive,
within the McLaren Racing chief engineers system.
I'm also in charge of making sure the resource is applied
correctly and the programme is in place to achieve the technical
specification. We need to be goal driven in terms of timescale,
when do the critical decisions have to be made, on what basis
we are going to make them and who makes those decisions.
How has on track testing been progressing?
On track testing at this time of year is very important to
us. We have been running an interim car, which is the 2005
chassis fitted with a version of the Mercedes-Benz V8 engine.
Our key focus has been engine development and cooling systems
work, alongside significant tyre evaluation with Michelin,
with reference the change back from tyres that run a race
distance to tyres that operate for a series of short sprints.
The programme is progressing well, however it is early days,
and the specification of the chassis and the engine is changing
a lot at the moment as we gather more intelligence.
Looking more specifically at on-track work, the test that
began on Tuesday 13th December in Jerez, there were a number
of suspension items, body work and R&D concepts that we
were working on with the interim car, which are very relevant
to the baseline specification for MP4-21. After the Jerez
test, work continued apace at the McLaren Technology Centre,
with Manufacturing and Car Assembly teams having just one
and a half days off over the Christmas holiday, along with
members of the design team and senior management. Track testing
will recommence next Wednesday, 11th January in Jerez.
When did the team first start testing components
for MP4-21?
The reality is that because we are developing and testing
general concepts, and specific components, on a continuous
basis it is not possible to state a definitive date. The key
milestone in the testing would be in September when we debuted
the V8 engine at Silverstone.
When do you expect MP4-21 to debut on track?
Presently, MP4-21 is scheduled to go on track mid-late January,
however as always this is subject to change as we finalise
the baseline specification.
What is the overall schedule for the testing programme
in the build-up to Bahrain?
Following the pre-Christmas tests, we are currently planning
to test every available week in the run-up to the Bahrain
Grand Prix starting in week two in Jerez. Once the new car
has been released, our primary focus will be durability testing,
proving the software, the systems and the 11,500 car components,
90% of which have changed from MP4-20. Then we will start
to look at phasing in upgrade packages onto the car. For example
the aerodynamic specification was set in late October / early
November time and since then the aero team has been working
on a series of performance upgrades to bring on line and this
will take place before the cars leave for the first Grand
Prix in Bahrain and then continue throughout the season.
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