McLaren’s lack of pace was excruciatingly obvious in Bahrain.
While the MCL36 looked good during the first pre-season test at Barcelona, McLaren encountered problems with overheating brakes during the majority of the Bahrain test which limited how many consecutive laps they could run.
The team was able to produce a quick fix which allowed both drivers to reach the chequered flag in Bahrain. But team principal Andreas Seidl described it as “not the final, ideal solution.”
The team’s test was “heavily compromised by this unexpected brake issue” on the front axle of the car. The fact they had to quickly bring over new parts from the factory and have more to come indicate this problem had serious implications for the car’s front end.
McLaren looked in good shape at the first testAt round one Daniel Ricciardo was eliminated in Q1 and Lando Norris progressed no further than Q2, underlining the challenging situation the team faces. The race pace was not much better, their…