McLaren denies Renault-only ‘party mode’

Sainz Jr. must realize that the inferior McLaren chassis has to run more downforce hence is slower on the straights. This same flaw falsely led Alonso to think the Honda engine was junk

(GMM) McLaren boss Andreas Seidl has denied that Renault's works team has a "party mode" setting that is not available to its customer.

After Silverstone, McLaren's Carlos Sainz Jr. said he was surprised by the top speed achieved by Daniel Ricciardo in the works car, even though they theoretically use exactly the same engine.

But Seidl denied this is evidence of unequal treatment.

"If you see the data, it has to do with the settings used by Renault," he told AS newspaper.

"We have total confidence in the transparency between us, and the rules are very clear that manufacturers and customers must always receive the same in terms of equipment and engine maps and things of that nature."

When asked specifically if Renault has a 'party mode' that McLaren does not, Seidl answered: "Not at all."