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.)

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Sounds like another McLaren masterpiece

Lose staff to Red Bull
Gain staff from Williams

 

[Brogan]

more to do with making sure the team operates efficiently during a race weekend.

Williams were fined 5000 Euros for a breach of the tyre regulations during Friday practice at the Italian GP.
Rubens Barrichello was found to have used a set of option tyres that had not been allocated for use on Friday during second free practice.

I can't help thinking this is a terrible mistake by McLaren.

Still, they seem to be making quite a few mistakes lately, so what's another one?

 

[Porceliamone]

C'mon guys do you really think McLaren would hire the guy without good reason? Lets just wait and see eh?

 

[RasputinLives]

C'mon guys do you really think McLaren would hire the guy without good reason?

They hired Phillipe Alliot

 

[sportsman]

http://www.mclaren.com/page/vodafone-mclaren-mercedes-hires-sam-michael-as-sporting-director As Vodafone McLaren Mercedes’ Sporting Director, Sam will join the senior management team in addition to taking specific responsibility for the development and management of the team’s trackside operations. His vast experience and profound understanding of race operations will enhance the team’s on-track capability, adding significantly to its already impressive technical management strength-in-depth.

 

[The Artist.....]

They hired Phillipe Alliot

Not exactly... Peugeot hired Phillipe Alliot and told the team that they needed to make sure he got a drive throughout the season....He showed up once, was a bit pants, and was never seen again! Now, if you were to talk about their hiring of Jan Magnussen.....

 

[Quintessentially]

Sam Michael is a very experienced and competent Engineer. He almost certainly was interviewed with other candidates and came out on top. Give him a chance. He may just bring the fresh thinking Mclaren need in certain aspects. I'm more worried about the R&D Department than anything.

 

[FB]

They hired Phillipe Alliot Nigel Mansell/Michael Andretti/Mark Blundell/Alex Wurz/Pedro de la Rosa/David Coulthard

Better?

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Ninje - I'm pretty sure you're describing the "Press Officer", a role currently filled by former editor of F1 Racing, Matt Bishop.

As I understand it, the role of Sporting Director is to organise trackside operations - such as the running of the pit crew and garage. It's the role from which Dave Ryan was sacked after "lie-gate", and so requires an extensive knowledge of the sporting/technical regulations. As far as I can make out, it has little to do with designing or engineering the cars, and more to do with making sure the team operates efficiently during a race weekend.

Gotcha. That makes sense. He'll be the guy that brings up or defends cases to race control and ensures everyone knows where they are supposed to be and know what they are supposed to be doing in the pitlane and paddock and that they are there and doing it.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Thats a bit unfair to add PDR to that bunch of mistakes

He helped the team understand lots of technical documents

 

[RasputinLives]

Dare I say that I think Keke Rosberg should be in that list as well? Yes I know he was great elsewhere but his Mclaren career was a bit of a disastor!

 

[Cookinflatsix]

You would then have to add Alonso if you add Rosberg

 

[RasputinLives]

nah -

Rosberg 22 points and 6th place in the championship - no wins whilst his team mate scored 72 points, 4 wins and the title

Alonso 109 points, 3rd in championship with 4 wins whilst his team-mate scored 109 points, 4 wins and second in the title

bit of a difference.

 

[Road of Bones]

Williams were fined 5000 Euros for a breach of the tyre regulations during Friday practice at the Italian GP.
Rubens Barrichello was found to have used a set of option tyres that had not been allocated for use on Friday during second free practice.

Well yes - but Sam Michael wasn't acting as Williams' Sporting Director was he? (or perhaps he was, and this little detail was lost amongst the other bits such as figuring out race strategy, hospitality lunch menus and where he parked his hire car...)

 

[Galahad]

Dickie Stanford used to be Williams' 'detail man', but maybe he's not there any more.

 

[teabagyokel]

Well yes - but Sam Michael wasn't acting as Williams' Sporting Director was he?

Well, you wouldn't want him to be doing the same job he was doing at Williams, would you? Did he do this job for Jordan, by any chance?

No, Eddie, we are not making that the team uniform!

 

[Il_leone]

C'mon guys do you really think McLaren would hire the guy without good reason? Lets just wait and see eh?

Lets hope you're right then

 

[Il_leone]

Better?

To be honest

Alliott was because of his nationality and success with the Sportscar team that Peugeot wanted him as part of the deal at Mclaren

Nigel Mansell - not wanted by Ron because he never rated Mansell or liked his attitude..the only reason why he signed Mansell was because Mercedes and Marlboro wanted to a top name driver in the team whereas Ron preferred Brundle..needless to say it was a disaster on top of the mid wing car which Mansell was too fat for

Andretti based on his success in Indy with a famous name of a legend and Marlboro using their influence as well with a US driver
Two problems occurred
i ) He signed in a team where Senna decided late that he would conmpete so that is just about the toughest teammate to go against

ii) Whilst everyone was testing during the winter , he decided he;d rather be spending Christmas back home and even when the seasons started he insisted on travelling from America to the circuits rahter than move into Europe and travel with the team

Blundell - Mclaren actually rate him having been test driver but it was Mercedes pressure to push Magnussen and other young drivers namely was a factor plus having already had option on Coulthard they aint gonna say no once he had brilliant mid season form with 4 poles in a row

Wurz - he thought he followed the Panis route and was actually a handy tester but lost race craft on his return to Williams in 2007. He did get a podium in his one off race after BAR were dqed. I think he was too smart in that he would rather wait for a half decent opportunity with a front team and therefore refuse drives for lower teams like Sauber, Jordan and Jaguar

De La Rosa - Pedro was a competent tester and was actually half decent. His stand in race for Mclaren in 2005 for Montoya was remembered for some of the best overtaking he did in Bahrain.
2006 season was rather wasted by Mclaren because of al the movement with Newey leaving and Alonso going to join, JPM running back to the US and Kimi non committal

Coulthard
People seem to forget he actually beat Mika fair and square in 1997 and was overshadowed between 1998-2000 although he did have some fine races and much more memorable than Montoya at Mclaren or Rubens at Ferrari

 

[FB]

I was only joking

 

[FB]

Oh, McLaren up to 29 in their top 50 list.

http://www.mclaren.com/page/mclarens-50-greatest-drivers-8