Following the opening three rounds of the year, McLaren is third in the constructors’ championship behind Red Bull Racing and Ferrari.
The MCL38 has taken a clear step forward over last year’s MCL60, but many inherent weaknesses remain.
While strong through high- and medium-speed corners, it loses out in slower speed and long-duration turns.
It also has a straight-line deficit, a point highlighted in Saudi Arabia when Oscar Piastri struggled to pass Lewis Hamilton.
The Shanghai International Circuit boasts a 1.1km long back straight, with a long right-hander feeding onto it.
The Turn 1 and Turn 2 complex is a more than 180 degree tightening right-hander, feeding into a left-hander that opens up.
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Through the middle of the lap, Turns 7-9 on paper also play against the McLaren.
“Definitely it’s going to be a challenging event, from several points of view,” McLaren boss Andrea Stella confessed when asked by Speedcafe.
“What tarmac situation will we find? But at the same time, let’s not forget that China was one of the most severe tracks for graining, so how will the tyres be able to cope with this?
“There won’t be much practice to actually realise where we are from a graining point of view.
“It’s also a tricky track in terms of balance between some very high-speed corners, like entering Corner 1, and then many low-speed sections.
“Seeing it in isolation, it gives me a headache.”
This weekend, China will host the first Sprint weekend of the year.
A revised weekend flow has been introduced for 2024 to address the issue of cars going into parc ferme as early as they did last year.
That means the Sprint Shootout will happen on Friday afternoon, the cars entering parc ferme for the Sprint on Saturday.
Cars are then released from parc ferme for qualifying proper before going back under parc ferme conditions, a tweak that allows teams to make changes in readiness for Sunday’s race.
With limited practice time on a circuit the sport has not visited in five years, the degree of difficulty and chance of mistakes ramps up.
“Once you see it from a competitiveness point of you, I think you need to think ‘if I do not a perfect job, but a little bit better job than others, then this could be a big opportunity’,” Stella reasoned.
“At the same time, I have to say that of this first part of the season, China is the track that worries me most from a competitiveness point of view because you will have so much low-speed, hairpins, even Corner 2, Corner 3, you spend so long in corners.
“So far, we haven’t been able to improve the car enough in these low-speed, medium-speed long corners.
“So, from a competitiveness point of view, I would expect a more difficult situation.”
The only practice session in China begins at 13:30 AEST on Friday, ahead of sprint qualifying at 17:30.
The Sprint itself begins at 13:00 on Saturday ahead of qualifying at 17:00, with Sunday’s race to begin at 17:00 AEST.
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