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]

I would just like to point out that Button was not 3 seconds behind Perez at the time he was less than two seconds behind and catching him quickly and that the front right was a genuine problem in the pits for Perez...

Just because you don't like Button there is no need to start making up ludicrous conspiracy theory's, If McLaren wanted to run a one two team they would just come out and say so, it's not against the rules nor nothin...

 

[Jen]

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

Isn't that we all do in one form or another?

 

[RasputinLives]

Are we really trying to argue that Martin Whitmarsh went down to the guy putting the rear tyre on and said "ok mate can you just pur that tyre on slightly slower so we can get Jenson in front"

Do we know how ridiculous that is? Lets entertain just for a while that Mclaren would give that order, Do you think it is actually Humanly possible for the team.of Mechanics to actually deliberatly slow down at the speeds you are talking about? "hey guys lets do this one at 3 and a half second speed instead of 2 and a half!" How would they even go about it? That sort of time adjustment would only be possible with machines. So unless you are suggesting that Mclaren have Bladerunner style replicants as the pit crew then your theory holds no weight. (actually Ron would get androids if he could I bet).

As for the strategy change. Perez got the choice and chose to stay out another lap. His choice. Sometimes drivers do that....that fellow in the red car did something similar today.

Basically sometimes the cookie crumbles for you sometimes it doesn't.

Oh and Button has been kicking Perez ass all season without team help anyway.

 

[Hamberg]

Jenson said he didn't know why he came in first as the lead driver gets to pit first (or the choice to). Perez said he came in a lap late (didn't state whether it was or wasn't his call).

Jenson was told to push was he not as Perez was coming in first? I can't remember but was Perez close to anyone?

This has got fuck all to do with Button, it's the McLaren leadership team/PR and its not a conspiracy theory.

Funny how its okay to call Horner a bullshitter but not not Whitmarsh. Why not just say it if it is team orders? Legal or not I still don't think it looks great for sponsorship.

 

[Josh]

IT'S A CONSPIRACY GET THE TINFOIL HATS GUYS

PÈREZ = HAMILTON 2.0

 

[RasputinLives]

So you're sticking with the amazing robotic Mclaren put crew android theory then?

*puts on tin foil hat*

Its only a matter of time befors they become selfaware.

 

[Il_leone]

Forget Perez - if it were not for his sponsors I am sure Mclaren will realise they picked the wrong driver

Hulkenberg should have been their man

 

[RasputinLives]

For once I couldn't agree more with you Il_leone

in an idel world Hulkenberg would be in the Mclaren seat and Perez would be duking it out with Bianchi for the Massa role at Ferrari.

 

[Hamberg]

Didnt see your post Ras but i think you'll see i didn't mention the actual stop in my later post.

Don't accuse me of tin foiling. People accuse Ferrari and Red Bull of this all the time and that is apparently perfectly allowed is it?

All I know is their stops were switched, I said to my Button supporting Dad, watch Perez have a 4 second stop (must just be that I'm psychic) and I posted straight after as you couldn't have written it.

Now apparently you say Perez made the call to come in later, didn't hear that so if that's true, fine I concede.

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives I wonder how many people will tell Whitmarsh " Told You So "

 

[Hamberg]

Forget Perez and get Kimi!

 

[RasputinLives]

But your theory falls down Hamberg because without the pit stop error Perez would have got out in front of Jenson. They'd have been in team formation and in front of the guys putting in quick times behind them which they wouldn't have been if Perez had come in first and Jenson had done another lap.

They pulled the strategy change to keep both cars infront which is a team call not a driver preference call. Also hats off to them it worked but unfourtunatly for Sergio due to the error on the pitstop it was the other way round than expected.

We call tin foil hats when people jump up and down seeing driver favourtisim.in everything. Take a step back from that and look logically. Whats Mclarens complete priority right now? Constructors championship. Their aim was to give both cars track position thus giving them chance for most amount of points.

 

[Slyboogy]

But your theory falls down Hamberg because without the pit stop error Perez would have got out in front of Jenson. They'd have been in team formation and in front of the guys putting in quick times behind them which they wouldn't have been if Perez had come in first and Jenson had done another lap.

That itself would have been a risk.

It was an odd decision, especially how Perez couldn't get past Ricciardo, undercutting would have made sense, instead, they pitted Button first who wasn't fighting anyone at the time.

Not saying that there's a conspiracy, but in my opinion it cost them points.

 

[Hamberg]

It's not favouritism, I happen to think McLaren will do a lot better based on previous years if they did get behind a driver especially at this stage in the season. Like I suspect they did in 2008.

You're right, it falls down if the pit stop error was genuine. I'm not completely convinced as it all seemed a little too perfect - both McLaren's kept track position just in a different order. Perhaps they thought Button would get a better run at Ricciardo, I don't know.

We've seen teams plan and deceive all the time, I've already seen jokes about Ricciardo's Kers and clutch problems next year.

The best you'll get me to say at the moment is, unlikely yes, completely inconceivable, no.

I do make spontaneous heat of the moment posts but I'm not tin foil hat.

Mephistopheles I can't believe you photoshopped me!

 

[RasputinLives]

I think you need to look at the times of those catching Button to see why they called it. Getting Riccardo was a chance but might not happen. Leaving Button out another lap and he'd have def fell down the running. Its tomato/tomarto and hindsight is a great thing.

As an off point can I just say how immensly funny I find it that an offhand sarcy comment I made years ago to a poster in 606 about wearing a tinfoil hat to block the alien conspiracy rays out has become such a point of reference on this and other forums.

 

[Quintessentially]

Pitting Button before Perez was an odd decision. It looked like Perez was getting the nod from the radio message and then there was a late decision to bring Button in first. Perez has certainly looked the faster driver all weekend and I think with a better strategy he would've finished much higher up than 12th.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Nothing can overlook the fact that McLaren are in the middle of the poorest set of results in the teams long history. If we don't count the 7th to 10th place finishes then it gives a true picture as to where the teams sits in relation to previous years.

There are similarities to the 1980 season with a car that was never as good as it's rivals in terms of design, being totally out paced and obsolete in it's second year. Hopefully the major change of regulations and all the design challenges that this will bring should see an upturn in fortunes as was the case with the MP4 in 1981 which featured the first (raced) carbon fibre chassis.

McLaren will want to forget this season as quickly as possible.

 

[FB]

This thread has been very quiet for a while. Any news on who will be the new title sponsor at McLaren next season?

 

[Road of Bones]

Cillit Bang and Aldi

 

[FB]

Barry Scott for McLaren then. On a really pedantic point, the bloody silly advert they use for Cillit Bank has him sitting in a dragster and he goes on about Cillt being "turbo charged" when, of course, all serious dragsters are super charged. I really should get out more...