Matthew Jeffreys

McLaren design engineer (1980-2005). Now an engineering consultant.

Passion for

[F1PIX @F1PIX10]

Ayrton Senna Qualifying GP Monaco 1988

Mclaren - Honda #F1

[Victoria Derbyshire @vicderbyshire]

This is unbelievably upsetting - Sir Alex Younger was a friend of Newsnight & our viewers.

In a volatile world, he would regularly sit on the NN sofa and share his wisdom, expertise and perspective; often he managed to make us feel a little better about everything.

Off air, he & I discussed his cancer. He told me that just when he was looking at new horizons, cancer had put a spanner in the works.

We were very lucky to know him, even just a little

https://t.co/m6M5NpwbGd

[Sall Grover @salltweets]

A lot of people have struggled to believe me when I say that the Australian Human Rights Commission is giving pregnancy protections in law to men who claim to be woman, because it’s so stupid it’s hard to believe anyone would say it.

Enjoy:

[Autosport @autosport]

Alain Prost having a seat fit in the MP4/4 🍷

[Matthew Jeffreys @mddjeffreys]

Please follow https://t.co/xJxqutY5DK and reserve a new limited edition print of Ayrton in the 1986 JPS Lotus 98T.

[Matthew Jeffreys @mddjeffreys]

@ThatAndrewJames @FreemanLowell01 @CamposWealth @Ecapener I had always 'assumed'.. Other people may know better than me.

[Matthew Jeffreys @mddjeffreys]

@ThatAndrewJames @CamposWealth @Ecapener ;)

[Matthew Jeffreys @mddjeffreys]

@Elson7James @Motor_Sport All the best James. Thank you for all the great and accurate articles over the years.

[Matthew Jeffreys @mddjeffreys]

@MPB_5 @adrianfclarke This monocoque was carried over from '84 to '85 so the chassis plate didn't change from /2. The designation of the car in '85 was indeed /2B as other aspects of the design changed e.g. rear suspension and rear wing, but the monocoque was not a new build.

[Sir Geoff Hurst @TheGeoffHurst]

Anybody who wants to retweet ( or is it re X now). Please feel free @WayneRooney @prodnose @HKane @DannyDyerBase @_JarrodBowen @BobbyMooreFund Every little helps! #1966 #WestHamUnited #Englandfootball #WorldCup

[Craig Scarborough @ScarbsTech]

Ahead of the Ferrari and Alpine launches today, take a read of my #F1 2026 rules analysis...
Intro
https://t.co/m7WRLaU9lU
Aero pt1
https://t.co/NB6MMhRckF
Aero pt2
https://t.co/F7tdGQA1TX

#F1tech @tech_motorsport

[Global Insight Journal @GlobalIJournal]

One of Einstein’s students asked him: “What does logic mean?”

Einstein said: “I will answer you with a question.”

“Suppose two workers enter a chimney to clean it. One comes out with a dirty face and the other with a clean face. Who will go wash their face?”

The student immediately and without hesitation replied, “Of course, the one with the dirty face.”

Einstein said: “Your answer is incorrect. The one who will wash their face is the one with the clean face, because he looked at his colleague’s face and assumed that his own face was as dirty as his colleague’s. The one with the dirty face will not wash his face, thinking it is clean like his colleague’s.”

The student said: “That is correct and logical.”

Einstein replied: “No, it is not correct, because the question itself is illogical. It is not logical for two men to enter the same chimney at the same time and for one to come out clean and the other dirty.”

In a few words, logic itself can collapse, so sometimes the problem is not in the answer but in the flawed question itself.

[Archaeo - Histories @archeohistories]

In 1995 McArthur Wheeler robbed two banks with lemon juice on his face believing it would make him invisible to security cameras like invisible ink. He even smiled at the cameras and was caught within hours. His case inspired the research that led to the discovery of the Dunning Kruger effect.

In the spring of 1995, McArthur Wheeler walked into two banks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to carry out robberies. What made the case unusual wasn’t the crime itself but his belief in a bizarre “getaway tactic.” Wheeler had smeared lemon juice on his face, convinced it would render him invisible to security cameras. His reasoning came from the fact that lemon juice can be used as invisible ink, only becoming visible when exposed to heat. He mistakenly assumed the same principle applied to surveillance footage.

When police reviewed the tapes, Wheeler was easily identifiable, he even looked directly at the cameras and smiled, confident in his “invisibility.” Within hours, police arrested him. Shocked at being caught, Wheeler reportedly exclaimed: “But I wore the juice!”

The case caught the attention of psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger. They were fascinated not just by Wheeler’s flawed logic but by his absolute confidence in it. This became the foundation for their groundbreaking research into cognitive bias. In 1999, they published their study on what is now called the Dunning-Kruger effect: a psychological phenomenon where people with limited knowledge or skill greatly overestimate their competence.

Wheeler’s lemon-juice blunder has since become a textbook example of this effect. It demonstrates how ignorance isn’t simply the absence of knowledge, it can foster misplaced certainty. His case, though humorous in hindsight, underscores a universal human flaw: the less we know, the more likely we are to overestimate our abilities.

© History Pictures

#archaeohistories

[James Freeman @james_freeman__]

"Rishi Sunak lied in the election debate last night, Labour will not be raising taxes on working people"

Labour lied to get elected and have lied about everything since. Even the line about a black hole aa a reason for tax rises has now been exposed by the OBR!

Labour out!

[D.Radka, #NAFO 🇨🇿🤝🇺🇦 @DakdaR22]

"If russia stops, the war ends.
If Ukraine stops, Ukraine ends. That's why we must help Ukraine win."

-Kaja Kallas (Prime Minister of Estonia)

I agree with her..

Don't stop supporting Ukraine 🇺🇦🇺🇦

[Matthew Jeffreys @mddjeffreys]

@andyps1275 Thanks Andy, it may be easier for you to drop me a line first at [email protected]

[Matthew Jeffreys @mddjeffreys]

Introducing RACECUBE™: New laser precision wheel alignment technology offering a competitive advantage in motorsport and the general automotive industry.
https://t.co/d3VGSPON07

[Matthew Jeffreys @mddjeffreys]

@AiGuy101 No, my apologies. Please email me at [email protected]

[Matthew Jeffreys @mddjeffreys]

@andyps1275 I can email details. RRP is £6k

[Matthew Jeffreys @mddjeffreys]

Introducing RACECUBE™: New laser precision wheel alignment technology offering a competitive advantage in motorsport and the general automotive industry.
https://t.co/d3VGSPON07

[Matthew Jeffreys @mddjeffreys]

@efmania No. This is just what we did for every driver when we did a seat fitting with them initially at the factory. This is the mechanics' reference document.