Martin Whitmarsh says McLaren are likely to run a higher nose on the MP4-27 at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
Team Principal says there is a reasonable chance the nose will be used
Martin Whitmarsh has confirmed that McLaren are likely to run a higher nose on the MP4-27 at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
McLaren and Marussia were the only two teams to opt for a sloped nose on their 2012 designs, with the rest of the grid adopting a 'boxer's-nose' design to keep the front end high.
However, during the final few hours of last week's Mugello test, Oliver Turvey took to the track with a
newly-designed front wing on the McLaren, which featured a far higher tip.
Speaking on Wednesday, Whitmarsh confirmed during a
Vodafone phone-in session that the team were likely to use the new design at the Circuit de Catalunya this weekend.
"There's a reasonable chance we will see it," Whitmarsh said."We got a lot of feedback from Mugello, so we have the data to set it up and can find the performance on track.
"Classically of course you are looking for lower drag and higher downforce, but be aware that nowadays incremental improvements are generally modest.
"In the case of the nose and front wing the attachment pylons are quite different and there are other subtle differences.
"You are managing the airflow that is enjoyed by the rest of the car. Nowadays, in quite a critical part of the car you are looking to find very small improvements.
"There are a lot of restrictions around the back end of the car, so you generate more improvement by managing the flow that arrives there than by developing the rear itself."
