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.)

 

[Mephistopheles]

Still a record is a record even if it is a Spice Girls one....

 

[F1ang-o]

http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1...e-turned-a-corner-for-the-upcoming-Spanish-GP
Hope he is right.

 

[Brogan]

McLaren broke the curfew last night: http://184.106.145.74/f1-championsh... Spanish Grand Prix 2013 DocumentNumber-6.pdf

Both drivers only did 6 laps each in FP1 too.

It's not looking particularly good at the moment.

 

[cider_and_toast]

With both cars not doing well in second practice being behind both TRs and the Force Indias and also a second or more slower than the Merc team, it looks like. The SS McLaren is starting to sink. I think there is a certain British driver sat in the only lifeboat, laughing himself silly and flicking V signs at the rest of the crew!

 

[teabagyokel]

cider_and_toast - With Paddy Lowe swimming quickly towards said lifeboat.

 

[Fenderman]

Whilst I've never subscribed to the Whitmarsh witch-hunt I do wonder if now is the time that Admiral Ron might be considering the future of Captain Martin. The trouble with a tight ship is that whilst they rarely leak when they do the failure can be catastrophic. A highly polished foredeck can be somewhat slippery. Man overboard!!!

 

[The Pits]

Unless it is Ron wot is the problem....

 

[sushifiesta]

They say they've got correlation back between the wind tunnel and the track which is progress. They were never going to jump right back to the front.

 

[Titch]

How CAN a team go from on top to somewhere below middle in such a short space of time. Like Williams will they ever return to full glory?

 

[Fenderman]

The problem is that the wind tunnel can only tell them what the aerodynamic devices are doing. The issues with the tyres and different track conditions may to some extent be replicated in the simulator but that is not a perfect science. It's my guess that their problems have a lot to do with a lack of mechanical grip. The McLaren appears to be set up quite stiff again this year. A little bit of "roll" can use G-force to apply a bit more grip in a corner to the "outside" tyres" but may sacrifice grip and life on those on the inside. No roll at all and not enough downforce may affect all four tyres so too stiff a set-up is not a good thing.

Unfortunately for McLaren, their traditional over-reliance on their technology to tell them what to do seems to interfere with their ability to use the brains of their engineers and the bums of their drivers to tell them what's wrong with the car. Methinks that if the wind tunnel has told them everything they ought to expect from the aerodynamics then more focus on weight distribution, differential and suspension set up might get them closer to an answer. Having said that I'm sure they're working hard on all of those areas as well anyway. They sure don't need me to tell 'em!

Edit: this was responding to sushifiesta's post

 

[mjo]

Tobias Grüner F1 tgruener
#F1 McLaren missed the deadline to sign the option for new Mercedes engine deal for 2015. So Honda it is.

 

[gethinceri]

Wow, either idiocy or genius.
Honda turbo? I wonder.........

 

[Fenderman]

Just might be an ace in the hole. After all Honda have experience with the concept. Their V6 Turbo powered Sato to his Longbeach victory last month.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I see this as good news, Honda certainly do know their turbos.....

 

[Mephistopheles]

How CAN a team go from on top to somewhere below middle in such a short space of time. Like Williams will they ever return to full glory?

Yes

 

[Brogan]

Like Williams will they ever return to full glory?

Not with the current drivers, no.

 

[FB]

Oh crap

 

[Mephistopheles]

Not with the current drivers, no.

That's a bit harsh, don't you think?

 

[Brogan]

Perhaps.
But it is my opinion

 

[Fenderman]

... yup, and mine