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.)

 

[siffert_fan]

Greenlantern101

The quote from Sky makes clear that, whoever is appointed CEO of McLaren Racing (aka Team Principal?) will report to RD and therefore, IMHO, will be nothing more than window dressing. RD will be calling all of the shots. What a surprise!

 

[Plutus]

Greenlantern101

The quote from Sky makes clear that, whoever is appointed CEO of McLaren Racing (aka Team Principal?) will report to RD and therefore, IMHO, will be nothing more than window dressing. RD will be calling all of the shots. What a surprise!

That's a brilliant way for him to disguise is future sucess/failure.

Hail the mighty Ron of McLaren.......................

 

[Greenlantern101]

Is Brawn reporting to Dennis is a bit like he had at Mercedes with Lauda?
Or do we think Lauda is more of a shit stirrer and Dennis an all controlling God like overlord.

 

[Titch]

It's stupidly complicated. If anything goes wrong they can all blame each other. Very F1.

 

[RasputinLives]

I wonder if the new complicated management structure is one of the reason Whitmarsh went.

Anyways looking forward to the all new Inside The McLaren..... Road of Bones - a complicated management structure and a Frenchmen trying to understand Ronglish should make for lots of material.

 

[Road of Bones]

Trust me RasputinLives - as soon as I can garner a new source in the MTC, I'll let you all know what's going on in there...

(I really hope Martin Whitmarsh doesn't get a job outside the McLaren Group...)

 

[Il_leone]

Lewywo4 Mephistopheles Road of Bones

I am making the point that some people think Ron Dennis is like the return of the Messiah at Mclaren when he himself has made some shocking management decisions which have cost Mclaren wins and titles in the past

As some people are claiming it is all Whitmarsh's fault that Mclaren are in decline

 

[Il_leone]

sushifiesta

Ross BRawn left Mercedes because they did not trust him to run the team the way he wanted and knows how to and kept interfering

It was more like Norbert Haug was spying on him for the board and then when Lauda was on the Board - he recruited Toto Wolff who happened to be speaking to Paddy Lowe about the team principal job at Williams which suddenly turned into a possible Mercedes team principal job.

basically they forced Ross out

Now Ross will not stand for it if Ron interferes at Mclaren, Ross is more concerned that the way Honda manage things like a corporate function will hamper things

As for the Mclaren structure I am sure Ross would have said I would like things runhis way if you want me on board

 

[Il_leone]

Bouiller's title is racing director ?/

 

[F1Yorkshire]

Is Brawn going to McLaren? Lots of rumours but no actual facts. If he is going won't the team be even more management heavy than Mercedes was.

 

[Lewywo4]

Mclaren fans should be encouraged by today's testing results. I wonder how many teams will try and copy Mclaren's rear suspension blockers, if they prove to be succcessful

 

[Mephistopheles]

Il_leone I do not know where you get the idea that I blame Whitmarsh for McLarens woes of late as I do not believe he his to blame Ron has done far more damage to McLaren than Whitmarsh ever has...

PS

You have one of the hardest names to tag on this site..

 

[soccerman17]

Now I'm remembering why I usually stay off this thread. Is anyone on here not a McLaren fan?

 

[Mephistopheles]

To be honest I wouldn't give McLaren a second thought if it weren't for the fact that Jenson is driving for them at the moment, and it is kinda is the McLaren thread so it will attract McLaren fans I guess...

 

[soccerman17]

Well yes but that seems to be all of you! McLaren has 2,773 replies. Mercedes is next best with 956. Somehow Marussia has beaten out Toro Rosso, Force India, and Sauber.

 

[Road of Bones]

I suspect that'll be the "Hamilton Effect", closely followed by the "Chilton Incredulity"...

 

[Josh]

I'm not a McLaren fan

 

[Jen]

I'm indifferent! I follow drivers not teams.

 

[Il_leone]

Mephistopheles

I was not singling you about Whitmarsh but as you know other people will have blinkered views or somehow still think Mclaren 's decline is all his fault and if Ron Dennis was still team principal Hamilton would still be at Mclaren and won more titles which is highly subjective

 

[Mephistopheles]

Mephistophelesif Ron Dennis was still team principal Hamilton would still be at Mclaren and won more titles which is highly subjective

Yes it is and mostly bullshit as well considering it was Ron who refused to meet Hamilton's outrageous contract demands of higher pay and less PR work and told him if he didn't like it he could go elsewhere....