Current McLaren

Arguably one of the big teams in Formula One but lately they don't seem to be able to get the basics right.
Some of their strategy and decisions in the last few years has left more than a few observers scratching their heads.

Just a few for starters:

• Leaving Kimi out on a badly flat-spotted tyre, resulting in it exploding on the last lap.
• Leaving Hamilton out on tyres so badly worn they were down to the canvas; Bridgestone themselves demanded that McLaren bring him in and McLaren refused, keeping him out for a few more laps. That decision arguably cost Hamilton the first rookie WDC and is one which will haunt him and McLaren for the rest of their days.
• Not sending Button and Hamilton out to get banker laps in during Q1.
• Sending Hamilton out on used tyres in Q3, with rain forecast, meaning it would be impossible to set a fast lap time on his second attempt on new tyres.

Their major updates seem to send them further down the grid, instead of challenging for pole positions and wins. As the season progresses they tend to get worse before getting better, by which time it is generally too late.

It's often said of them "write them off at your peril", but is this necessarily true?

The last time they won the WCC was in 1998 and their last WDC was 2008, before that 1999.
Their days of regularly winning championships seem to be well and truly behind them.

It's all well and good coming up with reasons why they haven't won championships.
The fact remains though, they have won just one WDC in the last 12 years.

So where to now for McLaren?

(I wrote this in rather a hurry so I will flesh it out when I have more time.)

 

[Il_leone]

Hulkenberg is not an option given he spoke out why he was dropped and Perez shunned Renault a few years back citing they did not have leadership.

Renault signed Alonso because they wanted to show they are serious about F1 ..dont know if sponsors played a part because it was him or Vettel when Ricciardo decided Mclaren was too good to turn down. Its seems to be a thing with manufacturers they need big star drivers.

The fact that Honda forked out his wages at Mclaren turned out to be Investment not well spent but thst was one of their demands to be back with Mclaren they needed that top.driver.

 

[The Artist.....]

Il_leone - The Mclaren/Honda/Alonso farrago always annoys me, because they already had a top driver. Yet Button was largely ignored because "Alonso brought 6 tenths to the team..."

 

[Andyoak]

They'd have been happier with a nine bar

 

[Il_leone]

Il_leone - The Mclaren/Honda/Alonso farrago always annoys me, because they already had a top driver. Yet Button was largely ignored because "Alonso brought 6 tenths to the team..."

Well they needed someone who was amongst the top 3 and it was Alonso but no one knew how under prepared Honda were and Ron thought exclusiveness worked like it did in the 80's when Mclaren would be testing wvery week

 

[FB]

Rather than find sponsors McLaren is being sold off bit by bit - McLaren sells big stake in F1 team to consortium in £560m deal

 

[F1Brits_90]

interesting but we know they had there financial issues way back to july

This'll take some smoke & mirrors:

McLaren take legal action to try to secure 'urgent' refinancing

McLaren takes legal action to allow it to secure "urgent" refinancing to address what it says is "severe and unexpected financial difficulty".

www.bbc.co.uk

but it doesnt say but im assuming it more from what wouldve been ron Dennis share

 

[The Artist.....]

Rather than find sponsors McLaren is being sold off bit by bit - McLaren sells big stake in F1 team to consortium in £560m deal

I’m less concerned about this, as McLaren has for a long time been owned by multiple investors; for a long time the Bahrainis have owned parts of McLaren, Ron Dennis’ project 4 was a part owner of McLaren for a long time, but unlike Williams, it wasn’t an entity owned by a single individual...

 

[The Artist.....]

interesting but we know they had there financial issues way back to july



but it doesnt say but im assuming it more from what wouldve been ron Dennis share

Ron Dennis sold his share in 2017. I’d guess this is essentially a new issue, with a dilution of shares, rather than a sale - to attract new capital.

Latifi might be a bit hacked off though, after spending 200 million on a 10% share...

 

[Bill Boddy]

McLaren had to bring some money in because they are not having income from the sale of cars. Don't forget F1 is not their only racing series.

 

[FB]

Flogging off the family silver is in full effect - McLaren agrees £170m sale and leaseback of F1 factory

 

[cider_and_toast]

The type of speculation based on success that can very rapidly turn into liquidation if things don't go as planned.

 

[gethinceri]

The type of speculation based on success that can very rapidly turn into liquidation if things don't go as planned.

Like one of my curries.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Mclaren is a closed shop for a few years now, & good for them as i doubt they will find 2 better drivers

Norris signs multi-year F1 contract extension with McLaren

 

[gethinceri]

Yep, solid.

 

[Il_leone]

Probably has an option clause each year or the traditional approach has been 2 years with an option for 3rd year if they want him to stay

This will only be the right choice if Mclaren keep moving forward to the front and don't get stuck. The signing is probably to ward off interest from Red Bull as a Verstappen replacement

Similarly it would stop Toto trying to influence a "Mercedes" seat for one of his drivers which includes Ocon and Russell

 

[F1Brits_90]

andres siedl what a job he has done. since took over stayed in the background rarely courts controversy or publicity. but since he joined the upward trend has been huge. & no wonder people are calling them dark horses for 2022 or 2023 title

 

[Il_leone]

Did anyone call Ron Dennis?

 

[F1Brits_90]

Did anyone call Ron Dennis?

zak brown video called him on podium. apparently this was the last thing the phone saw before it hit the wall

 

[Il_leone]

I think Mclaren could be on the way back to the front

 

[The Artist.....]

Il_leone - the fact that they’ve moved so far forward, despite the fact their wind tunnel won’t be online for another 12 months speaks volumes for how the whole company has been turned around!

Ron Dennis (and his organisation) was great in the 80s, but started falling away in the 90s. They really needed to make fundamental changes in the 2000s - particularly after Newey left. That being said, I still think that McLaren’s struggles for the last decade were still a hangover from the $100,000,000 fine in 2007, and the subsequent loss of key sponsors and supporters.