Stoffel Vandoorne reckons Formula 1 teams will concentrate their efforts more on achieving a strong setup through slow-speed corners, rather than quick turns, due to the overhaul of the regulations.
Formula 1 cars are set to be significantly quicker this year, owing to increased downforce levels and wider tyres, meaning corners which previously required a brief lift in throttle are set to be flat out.
McLaren driver Vandoorne, having cited Turn 3 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as an example, believes this will force teams into seeking gains elsewhere at events this year.
“When a corner is flat, you don’t really think about it too much,” he said in an interview with McLaren’s website.
“You know you can’t do anything else except put your foot to the floor, and then be as smooth as possible with the steering wheel so as not to scrub too much speed off.
“So then your focus shifts towards other parts of the circuit: if some corners become easy flat, then you shift setup focus elsewhere; towards the slower parts of the track.
“We’ll be working harder to extract the most performance from those areas of the track.
“I think everything will take a step up – high-speed corners will probably become flat, or close to flat; the mid-speed corners will probably become high-speed corners.
“And I think the low-speed stuff will still be very similar, it will just be a general step up everywhere.”
McLaren will unveil its MP4-32 at the Technology Centre in Woking on February 24, three days before pre-season testing begins at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Vandoorne has graduated to a full-time race seat at McLaren this year, in place of Jenson Button, after spending 2016 as the team's official test and reserve driver.
