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.)

 

[GeoffP]

It's amazing what they can do these days.

Mind you, nothing against eunuchs, lovely singing voices, and large numbers of them aren't welsh!

 

[Bill Boddy]

Load of balls if you ask me. Oh, hold on....

 

[Jen]

Are you implying by that question that he might not be a eunuch any more?

That would be nice!

 

[The Pits]

http://search.dilbert.com/comic/Unix Programmer

 

[Lewywo4]

Was not Lewis Hamilton not winning 2007 driver's title - Ron Dennis' fault or was I imagining things that a bald chap sitting in the Mclaren pit acting as team principal wanted to stick to everyone Mclaren winning namely Lewis despite seeing him sliding around for a few laps with a worn tyre

ll_leone....I always wondered what role did that brain trust of race strategists at mission control back at Woking, played in that disastrous decision made by the pitwall, to disregard the advice of Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tire Development to bring Lewis in 5 laps earlier, before he beached himself in the kitty litter?

 

[Plutus]

I still do wonder how Hamilton managed to beach the car though. He had been on that tyre for more than a single lap and surely based on that experience and with the knowledge of a lower level of grip at the pit entry, he raced into as anyone else would do on fully functional tyres.

I just don't understand...................they had just raced over half distance...................nothing was lost...................and yet he lost it all...................

 

[Mephistopheles]

This is not the Hamilton thread but he could have taken the decision for himself to pit earlier as other drivers have done the pit crew were hardly likely just to leave him sitting there in the pits tyreless were they.

 

[Lewywo4]

I just don't understand...................they had just raced over half distance...................nothing was lost...................and yet he lost it all...................

Plutus........I wouldn't say he, but they lost it all....

 

[Plutus]

Plutus........I wouldn't say he, but they lost it all....

I agree partly. However Hamilton was the one, who should have been in control of the car, so he lost it. And as Mephistopheles, he could have pitted earlier. It is all down to the driver, he knows (Hamilton did) or should know when things have to be changed.

 

[Quintessentially]

Don't do this to yourselves again

 

[RasputinLives]

Do what? Have an opinion?

 

[Road of Bones]

It's not as if this is the Lewis Hamilton thread, after all (not anymore, at least!)...

 

[Greenlantern101]

Boulier confirmed at McLaren.

Edit:
Sam Michael disaster averted.

http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/1...ed-eric-boullier-as-their-new-racing-director

 

[sushifiesta]

Not as team principal though.

 

[Greenlantern101]

From Sky News

Boullier has not been installed as Team Principal. Instead, he will work alongside Managing Director Jonathan Neale, who has been appointed Chief Operating Officer, and other senior management staff in the day-to-day running of the team.
According to McLaren, they in turn will 'ultimately report to the Chief Executive Officer of McLaren Racing, an all-new position, whose yet-to-be-appointed occupant will in turn report directly to Ron Dennis (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Group)'.

So thats straight forward then.

 

[GeoffP]

Do you think the height of their organisation is trying to compensate for something?

 

[Greenlantern101]

Its all looking rather top heavy a bit like Mercedes. I wonder if that 'all-new position' has been invented for Brawn.

 

[sushifiesta]

Maybe, but Brawn left Mercedes because of the complicated management structure so I'm not sure why he would move in to the same situation.

 

[Greenlantern101]

Yup exactly what I was thinking, but he is not going to be sharing the role with Toto, which is what really forced him out.

 

[sushifiesta]

He'd have to bend to the will of Ron Dennis though...