Oh, we got ourselves a good one today boys and girls. iRacing has graciously allowed us early access to the brand new McLaren-Honda MP4-30 F1 car and Nürburgring GP circuit. Before we say anything else, want to note that this is a WIP build and not necessarily indicative of what the public will receive next week. Now that I know no black helicopters will show up at my doorstep, let’s chat about the drive.
The only thing we can really say with limited time in the car is it’s a handful. In fact, we say that over and over again in the video. Between the torque, speed and systems you have to manage, it’s not easy. There’s a reason why Fernando and Jenson earn the big bucks. Just remembering to hit the DRS button every time you come off the last corner was tough, much less thinking about the ERS. This car is going to make your brain hurt after a race. Oh, and you’re driving a super fast car that’s already difficult to race with super fast closing speeds. Good luck!
[youtube]https://youtu.be/wAPGPi5X-pY[/youtube]
Did you hear those MP4-30 grumbles? Man it sounds angry and fantastic. The car doesn’t have much sound in-car but the replay sounds are fantastic. Will sound great with a full field of them in the World Championship races, were I bet those guys will put on a great show managing the ERS, DRS and eventually differing tire compounds.
Did you see that smoke roll off the tire in the last chicane? You see a couple of those new sparks? They look great. And let’s be honest, so does the car. It may not have been the fastest car this year but it sure is pretty. Don’t think we’ve ever seen a tire model this rounded before – in terms of polys, not shape. Can’t wait to see what it’ll look like in a more cheerful livery.
And the track? Also very pretty. The Nürburgring GP circuit is one of my favorite tracks and iRacing did an excellent job capturing it. Love the new rumble strip sounds when you run wide at the Schumacher-S.
That’s all we’re going to give away for now. Hope you enjoyed our early access test drive and thanks again to iRacing for allowing us to do so. And remember, for the love of everything holy, straight line that backstretch kink when the DRS flap is open. Only bad things happen when you don’t.