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.)

 

[KekeTheKing]

I think McLaren should give Paffett a go

 

[RasputinLives]

At designing the car? Don't think that would be wise.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Here I've sorted it...

 

[cider_and_toast]

give that man the job

Well done Mephistopheles

 

[Mephistopheles]

You can do wonders with the screen capture & annotate extension on google chrome...

 

[Lewywo4]

give that man the job

Well done Mephistopheles

What the hell is Martin waiting for?....

 

[sushifiesta]

I'll be very surprised if McLaren don't keep Button and Perez for 2014 so I'm not quite sure what Martin Whitmarsh is playing at by speculating that Raikkonen is determined to leave Lotus.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/109522

 

[Hamberg]

Maybe he's winding up Jenson

 

[Mephistopheles]

Ya gotta love the silly season....

 

[Hamberg]

So McLaren have confirmed that Button is the number one driver and they will alter strategy to ensure he finishes ahead. Perez better qualifying, Perez better race position, Button 3 seconds behind gets to pit first (late change) and Perez has a 4.5 second pit stop, 2 seconds slower.

Can't compare their two drivers now.

 

[racecub]

Yeah well what's new there. We knew all about that the last couple of years.

 

[Jen]

Please get a bloody grip girls.

 

[Hamberg]

You'd better not be talking to me there Jen

 

[Jen]

I'm talking to anyone who doesn't understand/accept team orders - not an ideal situation but par for the course - and no amount of ranting will change anything.

 

[Hamberg]

I'm fine with team orders.

McLaren claim equal status, it's clearly not true.

 

[FB]

Pit stop problems for Perez otherwise he would have been in front, wouldn't he?

 

[Hamberg]

As soon as they switched the stops I said watch Perez's stop be a couple of seconds slower - perfectly delayed, too perfect.

 

[Jen]

I'm fine with team orders.

McLaren claim equal status, it's clearly not true.

As do a lot of teams and, obviously most are telling porkies - we all realise that, so why does anyone want to pass comment on a given.

 

[Hamberg]

Such as??? Red Bull are the only ones and we know they're red bullshit. McLaren try to make a huge point about it so they'll likely face more scrutiny when things aren't in order

so why does anyone want to pass comment on a given.

Why do you feel the need to comment on other people all the time?

 

[gethinceri]