Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Casto
A test mule may or may not have helped. These days, I think, that on track testing is more about correlation and validation of your prior test regime and less about being the primary way to expose issues.
Richard
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I wish that was the case, sometimes you get lucky but the final absolute result as Honda found out and I have seen is the installed PU in the car and out on the track. So many things can go wrong with the installation and it is always the preferred method of validation. I mentioned this very early in the peace when they were having issues and Honda later confirmed that the behaviour of the PU was different once it was installed. Honda would have known straight away they had problems but for some reason they never went down that path. I speculate that McLaren were on a year end deadline with Mercedes and needed the Honda to fill the hole in the back of the car at any cost or risk as they had terminally ended the relationship with Mercedes. I also speculate that Honda vastly underestimated the task of producing a competitive PU for the new regs but so did everyone bar MB. Ross Brawn talks of the difficulties of his relationship with them in the Motorsport video he was part of.