McLaren Seeks Redemption in Singapore: “We Want to Win Both Races”

McLaren faces the Singapore Grand Prix with the need to recover its course, the Woking team that had shone with Lando Norris's victories in Hungary and the Netherlands, has seen how its performance collapsed in the two most recent events. In Baku, Norris retired after a multiple crash and in Sepang, both he and Oscar Piastri finished far from the front positions, the urban layout of Marina Bay presents itself as an opportunity to reverse the situation and fight again for the privileged positions.

Neil Houldey, technical director of Applied Engineering at McLaren, has analyzed the challenges that the Singaporean circuit will pose: "Singapore represents a unique challenge because we know that temperatures will rise considerably therefore, we must ensure that the cooling system is optimized, whether for the engine, the gearbox, the brakes or even the driver. As for the setup the layout demands finding the right balance between keeping the car in the correct aerodynamic range and good behavior over the bumps and curbs" he explained.

The extreme heat and humidity of Singapore are factors that have historically tested the drivers' resistance and the reliability of the cars, to this is added the Sprint format that reduces the practice sessions and forces the teams to arrive with a practically defined setup: "Given the limited time available in free practice during a Sprint weekend, pre race preparation becomes even more important. We will arrive with a clear plan although we will be prepared to adapt to changes in track conditions" Houldey noted.

The British team is aware that it has not managed to extract all the potential of the MCL40 in the last races: "We believe we have not made the most of the car's potential in the last two races therefore, we have the opportunity to analyze the data and ensure we get the maximum out of the MCL40 in Singapore" the technical director stated.

The setup choice will not be simple either: "Maybe our car is not the most suitable for the slow 90 degree corners typical of Marina Bay but this year we have seen how the force ratios vary from one circuit to another. Our objective will be to maximize performance in all areas and see what results we get in terms of lap times" he added.

To the aerodynamic and setup problems is added the performance of the Mercedes power unit which in the last races would have caused a loss close to two tenths per lap by not allowing reaching the expected maximum speed. Houldey trusts that the data analysis will allow correcting part of those problems and returning the team to the fight for the first positions.

McLaren's goal is clear: to win again and take advantage of the seven remaining events to stay in the fight for the championships: "We want to win both races and we know we have a fast car but we must be able to take advantage of all its potential. The last two races have not given the expected results but they have provided us with valuable data and have highlighted areas for improvement now we must leave those races behind, use them as a stimulus and focus completely on doing well in Singapore, there are still seven Grands Prix left until the end of the season and everything remains open regarding the podium positions in both championships" Houldey concluded.

McLaren also seeks to reduce the 89 point disadvantage that separates it from Ferrari in the constructors' championship, a major challenge but not impossible if the team recovers its best version.