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.)

 

[F1Yorkshire]

Interesting front view. Is the launch still images only? I'm trying to look on an iPad and if there's anything flash related it won't play.

 

[The Artist.....]

Good god, that's ugly!

 

[Plutus]

Yes, still better than the Williams though.

 

[Road of Bones]

At least they got the Pirellis straight this year...

Actually, I think it looks ok - the front wing looks interesting!

 

[The Artist.....]

So, what have we learnt so far... Well, McLaren have returned to a push rod front suspension set up.... And the anteater nose looks like it's going to become de rigeur....

 

[Fenderman]

Overall it's quite a nice looking car. Even though the front wing is only slightly narrower it looks in better proportion. A sterling effort to minimise the ugliness of the snout but even Macca haven't made it look pretty - that doesn't bode well for the looks of the rest of the grid!

 

[Plutus]

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/the-role-of-team-principal-at-mclaren/

It could be his daughter.

 

[Jen]

Only if she is as 'controlling' as he!

 

[Lewywo4]

I really would have liked to have seen the rear view of the car, especially the exhaust.

 

[Mephistopheles]

The front end looks like an enormous pair of nostrils.

 

[Il_leone]

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jan/24/eric-boullier-mclaren-team-principal-lotus-resignation

Boullier resigns from his position at Lotus and appears to be heading to Mclaren

A shrewd move by Ron Dennis because Boullier has had to deal with all sorts of internal issues at Lotus and has helped make the team competitive and he has seen them through a troubled period left from the mess by Flavio (and Alonso) and the dithering of Genii Capital

So when will Grosjean join him seeing he is also his manager unless Ron orders him to reduce involvement

 

[Il_leone]

thank goodness it won't be Sam Michael

 

[sushifiesta]

Lewywo4 There is a 360 degree animated view of the McLaren here: http://www.mclaren.com/formula1/car/

It's pretty low detail and you can't see much but here you go:

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

A cardboard cut out of Ross Brawn would be more effective than Sam Michael.

Even a cardboard cut-out of Sam Michael would be more effective than Sam Michael.

 

[The Artist.....]

Prior to Sam Michael joining McLaren, the team were beset with many pitstop failures and so on. He was brought in to deal with operational issues, and seems to have got McLaren together (they were regularly putting in 2-2.5 second pit stops during the last season). I'd say he's been reasonably effective.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Who's driver number 29? That's what I want to know....

 

[Plutus]

Prior to Sam Michael joining McLaren, the team were beset with many pitstop failures and so on. He was brought in to deal with operational issues, and seems to have got McLaren together (they were regularly putting in 2-2.5 second pit stops during the last season). I'd say he's been reasonably effective.

The pit stop issues arose during the season in which he joined McLaren, 2012. Every top team was pitting in and around the 2 - 2.5 sec area 2012 and last season. I don't regard it to be anything special within the paddock, it is expected to deal with a pit stop within that timespan.

I was delighted as I heard it will be joining McLaren. I had read that he had to many jobs to do at Williams and couldn't put enough effort as required at this level of motorsport into them - no idea if it is true or not. Therefore I thought he might be quite handy to McLaren if he just has to manage one job. It turns out, that he might just be incapable to operate at this level, and he may just be a curse for F1 teams. I know it sounds harsh.

 

[Quintessentially]

Boullier would be a good choice but I think in terms of driver recruitment Ron will take charge of that. Almost certainly they'll have a total new driver line-up in 2015. I'm actually excited by McLaren again and you can expect an aggressive push to the top.

 

[RasputinLives]

Almost certainly they'll have a brand new driver line up for 2015? So they've already written off Magnuersen before he's even started in F1 after spending years investing in him through the junior ranks?

Clever stuff.

 

[Quintessentially]

We'll, racecub, I can imagine Dennis presiding over a period of decline. 2000-06 and 1992-97 frankly spring to mind. .

That period of decline was nothing compared to what happened last year not to mention the sport was much more politically charged back then. You cannot ignore the fact that Whitmarsh presided over their worst season since 1980 (it would've been 1966 had there not been a few tangles between the cars ahead in Interlagos last year).

Asked to quantify McLaren's season. this is what MW said;

"As of today, McLaren became the first team in Formula 1 history to have both its cars classified in every Grand Prix during the season,”

In all fairness, this was part of a longer quote which attempts to mask their poor season but nonetheless it was ridiculous statement and gives an insight into fundamental problem with Whitmarsh because i cannot imagine Ron trotting out this balls. It's also funny how 2011 is continually held up as the year Hamilton lost yet it is conveniently ignored that performance wise he still delivered wins and podiums. It is no coincidence that his departure coincided with one of McLaren's worst season in the modern era. How could we ascertain the relative competitiveness of last year's car with sufficient confidence in view of the driver line-up they had which was far from complementary and in my opinion has many weaknesses. In fact without Hamilton, you would've though the 2012 McLaren was a back marker at certain periods of the season.