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.)

 

[Road of Bones]

Indeed, but they'll not see the benefit for at least 2 years...

 

[Blog Zbod]

Mansour Ojjeh, one of the Macca team owners, just underwent a double lung transplant. Provided he gets along with the new parts, that should buy him another 5-10 years.

 

[Mephistopheles]

That was mentioned by Martin Brundle during the race, best wishes are in order I believe, not that it affects me but I've been told off for not showing empathy in the past..

 

[Il_leone]

Did Paddy Lowe design this year's Mclaren ?

- I am sure having to send him on garden leave did not help if he was involved

 

[Olivier]

So Magnussen in, Pérez out? Seems to be official now

 

[RasputinLives]

Has it been confirmed?

 

[Blog Zbod]

Auto Motor und Sport documents the wholesale changes McLaren have used to try to "fix" their aero package.

If you consider each individual change as a process leaning on the scientific method -- hypothesise/design, test, analyse, adjust, repeat -- you realise what an enormous expenditure of resources each individual change represents. Not to mention, for each change implemented, how many were proposed but proved ineffectual and hence rejected?

Which goes to demonstrate how aerodynamics play far too critical a role in today's F1, and how aero R&D sucks up far too much of an F1 team's budget.

Another reason this is a bad thing for the sport is it doesn't require that a fan have an A Level in thermodynamics to understand how an engine works. Suck-Squeeze-Bang-Blow. It's as simple as more displacement and/or more compression and/or more fuel equals more go. Even the casual fan can "get" how horsepower influences the outcome of a race.

But aerodynamics epitomizes what Arthur C. Clarke described a science that is virtually indistinguishable from magic. Especially when you get off into esoterica such as ground effects and Coandă, most of us stand little chance of comprehending it.

It makes cars all the faster, and it costs one hell of a lot of money, and you cannot win unless you excel at it, but it does nothing to improve the show. In no small part, because fans don't "get" it. Nor should they be expected to, considering that aerodynamics is one of -- if not the most -- secretive technologies on the grid. The teams are actively engaged in preventing you understanding as much as possible about their cars' aerodynamics, because if you can "get" it, so can the competition. So they hide. And they disguise (remember Red Bull's faux exhaust decals?). And they lie.

So to me it makes little sense that they allow aerodynamics to hold such sway.

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24903504 it seems like making a lot of noises he's getting a contract drawn up

I think once Lotus confirm who their second driver is then every other drive will fall into place

 

[Plutus]

Kevin Magnussen has been confirmed.

http://www.mclaren.com/formula1/201...ed-as-McLaren-Formula-1-race-driver-for-2014/

 

[sushifiesta]

I must admit I'm pretty perplexed by this decision but I wish him the best.

 

[RasputinLives]

I think it comes down to the fact that Magnusen shows signs of being something special and Perez just showed signs of being something above average so getting Magnusen in now in a building year means they can bed him in with a little less presure.

Having seen him drive in the 3.5 series this year I'm quite excited to see what he can do. He has a rep as an awesome qualifier and an awesome starter as well as being a bit "win or bust" sometimes. He's dialed that last bit in this year and looked absolutely mighty.

Still its one thing showing signs of being great and another actually getting there Good luck to him.

Strange as it may sound Mclarens 2015 line up may end up being Magnussen and Vandorne. Thats how highly they rate them both.

So no pressure Kevin but if you don't get it sorted quick there is a certain Mr Vandorne right behind you!

 

[Hamberg]

I just hope given he's a rookie that he is offered more than one season if the first one isn't of standard.

I think the way they've treated Perez is atrocious given he's now left with few options. I may have felt differently if he was given a half decent car and consistent (public) messages from Whitmarsh but hey, that's business.

 

[RasputinLives]

I think that F1 is a business and if Mclaren had concluded that Perez was never going to be up to scratch then why keep going with him?

Lets remember Mr Perez was hardly having amazing results the second half of last year was he? in fact he was pretty awful after Monza. A season and a half of not impressing probably will end up this way.

I hope Checo gets another chance but as the majority of people concluded Mclaren made the wrong choice in opting for him last year I'm not really stunned he's gone.

Mclaren were smarting at Lewis leaving and wanted to announce a "ner ner ner ner we have a new star anyway" at the same time as he left. It was pretty obvious before 2012 was finished they'd backed the wrong horse.

 

[Hamberg]

I think they both backed the wrong horse. Going into a leading team so early in your career can be fatal and it's way more ruthless if you're not a special one.

We (general) weren't too thrilled about Grosjean but the boy seems to be getting his mojo.

I genuinely hope Kev is a much needed breath of fresh air. Fortunately the McLaren sim is one of the best and he's already part of the team.

Have to admit I was secretly hoping for a shock Kobayashi comeback!

 

[FB]

Maybe he can become the first driver to win the WDC in his rookie year? I know, it's very unlikely given the quality of cars McLaren produce these days but they might get lucky.

 

[teabagyokel]

FB - The last year they didn't win a race was 2006...

 

[Mephistopheles]

I hate when FB makes predictions they have a habit of coming true, McLaren won't win a race HA!

 

[downforce]

It all sounds a bit Hamilton mk 2 but without as good a car and no testing

 

[Mephistopheles]

FB - The last year they didn't win a race was 2006...

They didn't win the championship the next year either in fact 2007 was probably the worst year that McLaren has ever suffered as they scored zero points...

 

[RasputinLives]

The 2006 Mclaren was not exactly a world beater though.