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.)

 

[sobriety]

Why should that be?

RD sees the data for the 2014 car, and it's the straw that breaks the camel's back with regards to MW staying on as TP, I hope to be proven wrong though.

 

[Il_leone]

wow did not see that happening but look at the timing ... Bernie today has had to relinquish some of his power standing down from F1 board whilst facing accusations of bribery

so Ron has timed it right to play the power game and no doubt go face up against his old nemesis Jean Todt

Ron no doubt has managed to convince the shareholders they needed a strong team principal and Whitmarsh' blunders includes lending Merc engines to Brawn that became Mercedes full factory , the botched signing and desposing of Perez, the disastrous 2013 campaign with the car direction.. I could add hiring Sam Michael

The only decent thing Whitmarsh I guess is hire Jenson Button when he had car No 1 and he has not disappointed


No doubt with Honda coming back Ron would have wanted Mclaren to have the best in everything that means ROss Brawn

I am sure if it was Ron managing Mclaren he would have signed Hulkenberg by now not ruled him out through height issues

 

[Quintessentially]

It's been long coming and Ron was never going to stand by and watch the team he fought so hard to build get turned into some mediocre outfit. Clearly some politicking has gone on behind the scenes and there is no way Whitmarsh will remain TP after the disaster that was 2013.

 

[downforce]

-Removing Martin Whitmarsh
-The return of Ron Dennis
-the addition of Ross Brawn

As a McLaren fan this would make me very happy

 

[Mephistopheles]

I wonder if Ron had already talked to Ross and gave the board assurances that he could get Ross on board hence giving him the support he needed from the board to reinstate him as CEO I also wonder if this has been a long term plan and part of it involved persuading Ross to leave Mercedes and in fact the six months sabbatical thing was just a ploy and Ross will be in charge of the team come the 1st race of the season..

 

[Road of Bones]

Like your thinking there Mephistopheles

 

[Incubus]

Maybe he'll surprise us all and think outside the box.
Maybe he won't pick a replacement that 's neither with the compony presently, and he'd maybe if won't bring in an established eam boss.
For all we know he might even have strarted sounding one of his ex-drivers...

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

For some reason I assumed Ross wouldn't be able to take up a similar role at another team for a certain period of time, but googling it just shows he chose to take a six-month break. I'm quite surprised if Mercedes didn't stipulate any conditions.
So it looks like he could technically take over as McLaren TP (and even the other roles Martin had) in time for the new season.

 

[Bill Boddy]

In the last couple of the Dennis regime there were too many good designers leaving McLaren, Newey being the major one. At the time there was much criticism because Dennis was seen as being too attached to long serving team members at the cost of the better engineers.

There will undoubtedly be changes but will there be an improvement.

 

[Jen]

The 'improvements' needed to have started at least a year ago to make any difference in 2014!

Exactly what influence does a TP have over 'his engineering staff? Given that the engine was excellent, how could MW have got the rest up to speed?

I like MW and wonder how he would have fared without the RD constant interference!

 

[The Pits]

I have said a number of times that I felt the spectre of Ron weighed heavy on the McLaren team, but without Ron to lead, it was all a bit of a difficult set up.

I liked Martin too, however, I also stated on a number of occasions that the board would remove him when they saw fit, as they are the ones who see what goes on behind closed doors. Now, it would seem is nearing that time.

 

[The Artist.....]

rufus_mcdufus

My understanding was that either RB was on a fixed term contract, which had expired, or that he had worked out his entire notice period.

When designers are forced to take gardening leave, it's because they've been recruited by another team prior to the end if their contract (cf Newey). However, that doesn't seem to be the case with Ross Brawn. Employment law would also be slightly worrisome about preventing a former member of staff working for a competitor if they're not still being paid!

 

[Il_leone]

downforce
You forgot to mention the return of Honda - now we just need to see the red and white of Marlboro back on the cars with a guy in a yellow helmet !

---------------------------------

As much as I wanted to give Whitmarsh a break for some of the unfair flak he copped . I think the signing of Perez and subsequent dropping after 1 season really was a nail in the coffin especially the way he hurriedly tried to ring up other teams to say Sergio is available with $10m to help you out


I don't think Ron would have done that as he is the kind that says sorry if you're not good enough you need to look for another team
-------------------

 

[Il_leone]

If you think about Mclaren they've lost two good engineers Pat Fry and Paddy Lowe to both Ferrari and Mercedes so why is that happening you want if it is not just purely financial

----------------------

We might see the return of the perfectionist approach by Ron Dennis of zero tolerance which made him unpopular but it delivered the results and only the truly best drivers were thriving under him
--------------------------------------

For Mclaren its no good accepting 2nd place or worse mentality

You felt under Whitmarsh it was not quite as tense but there were too many pit stop and operational errors creeping into the team
----------------------------


if Alonso does not want to be at Mclaren because of Ron then surely they have to look at who else might be available worth snapping up
then for 2015

Vettel - it would seriously have to be megabucks to get him - unlikely
Hamilton - fell out with Ron to the point not talking to him anymore and is enjoying his freedom at Mercedes - unlikely

Rosberg - a proven race winner but is he world class status
Hulkenberg - surely if Nico blows Sergio away he's got to be in with a shout
Grosjean - like Hulkenberg if he blows Pastor away he 's got to be considered given Lotus' situation

Vandoorn - surely a huge risk to put him

Depending who the sponsors are - would they expect Mclaren like in glory years to have at least 1 world champion in the team

 

[Mephistopheles]

Depending who the sponsors are - would they expect Mclaren like in glory years to have at least 1 world champion in the team

They've got one...

 

[Plutus]

Reports are suggesting that the McLaren MP4-28, designed by Matt Morris has failed several mandatory FIA crash tests.

The result could mean that McLaren could miss the opening test in Jerez, along with Lotus who have already confirmed they will not be attending the first 2014 Formula one pre-season test.

A delay with the car would also eman that a concept of the car would be revealed at the online launch on 24th January.

http://www.f1.co.uk/read-news/2014/9373/f1-2014-–-mclaren-2014-challenger-fails-crash-test

 

[Hamberg]

I do hope they don't fuck up a very good chance for Magnusson

 

[The Artist.....]

Plutus

Having done a little bit of snooping around, there are a few fishy things about this.
1. This is all based on "reports from Italy"... - which are notoriously unreliable
2. The report states the "MP4-28" has failed the crash test - but of course, this year's car designation is the MP4-29,

I suspect that someone has done a search for McLaren fails crash test, seen this: http://www.autosport.com/news/atlasf1-report.php/id/10877/ and put 2 and 2 together and made 47!

However, I stand to be corrected!

 

[Mephistopheles]

It does sound a bit suspicious surely a team would not announce a launch date without having already doing the basic tests even Caterham passed theirs before Christmas.

 

[ZakspeedYakspeed]

Martin Whitmarsh last seen after exiting his old CEO office smoldering a deeper shade of Mephistopheles speaking in fluent Italian huddled in the corner if the Woking factory caf.