McLaren’s Pre-season Testing in jeopardy as braking issues persist on Day 2

McLaren’s Pre-season Testing in jeopardy as braking issues persist on Day 2

McLaren's MCL36

The second round of pre-season testing is underway in Bahrain. The testing follows a similar schedule to that of the first round, which was held in Barcelona. Barcelona, where the McLaren team triumphed the 2022 car development and presented themselves as the contenders for the championship.

However, on day 1 in Bahrain, the team faced multiple challenges. Daniel Ricciardo, who was supposed to start for the team, was absent due to health issues, and Lando Norris had to take the wheel. Another challenge that has emerged for the team is that of overheating brakes. However, despite the two issues, Lando Norris managed to finish sixth on the timesheet on day 1.

In Barcelona, McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo achieved their best of P1 and P3, respectively, on the first and the third day of testing. They had cemented the team’s place as the one to look out for, as they can make and break the drivers’ championship.

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How will McLaren resolve the issue of overheating brakes?

McLaren drivers daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris
McLaren drivers daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris

McLaren is based in Woking, England. And the team is looking to secure a shipment containing the parts that might resolve their overheating issues of brakes. This story was reported by the journalist Tobi Gruner, who works for the well-known magazine- Auto motor und sport. 

The team must receive this as soon as possible, so they can test the viability of the solution on the last day of the testing in Bahrain. Overheating can cause the car to catch fire, which may disrupt their testing wholly, as it did with Fernando Alonso in Barcelona, albeit the cause for the fire was different.

With Bahrain GP only a week from the last day of testing, McLaren wouldn’t have a lot of opportunities to test their new braking system. It’s important that they get their drivers’ feedback in before heading into the race weekend.

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