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.)

 

[Road of Bones]

I took his Ronship's pre-race comments about McLaren needing an "intelligent, mature and fast driver" to achieve the best results out of the new regs as an upwardly-positive assessment of Biomaton no.22...

 

[Hamberg]

Really? I thought he meant KMag as a replacement for Perez. He may be young but he's certainly mature.

I had the same thoughts as FB and the same response as TBY. If Ron wants to play favourites I have no doubt in my mind he will and that Boullier will do as he's told. Ron doesn't play fair, he plays to win. That said Alonso wanted preferential treatment which he didn't get hence the hissy fits.

I'm guessing given Ron's lack of discretion at Aus that the favourite would be KMag as they don't just employee rookies.Whilst Jenson will undoubtedly be way more mature than Alonso was, he surely would find it difficult would he not should the situation arise (that's should!!!!) that KMag is suddenly the chosen one? This is the guy that repeatedly told the team to get Perez off his back and on occasion reactioned quite aggressively to him so he's not always Mr nice guy.

Button hasn't had favouritism in a team but he's most certainly enjoyed his golden boy status in recent years. He has a fiery side and he certainly won't accept not having full and/or equal backing from the team. He's no Massa or Barrichello and there would be public outcry if anything like that happened.

I've just talked myself out of this situation ever occurring.

As you were...

 

[gethinceri]

It is a great pairing to keep an eye on. If you were investing in the future of your business you'd have a smile on your face too. Solid business I reckon, Jenson's craft, feedback, strategic nous and a couple of years' additional driving left plus Kmag's ambitious, unpolished, getinanddrive rawness.
I reckon the bases are covered for now.

 

[Hamberg]

That's what they thought about Hamilton and Alonso gethinceri

 

[gethinceri]

Nope, different scenario Hamberg. And it's wrong to say Ron's wrong.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Well His Ronness does seem to have a bit of a fetish for Scandinavian young men..

 

[Hamberg]

And it's wrong to say Ron's wrong.

Couldn't say that if I wanted to after the amount of wine I've just had!

 

[sushifiesta]

McLaren's nose has got uglier:

 

[The Artist.....]

Do mclaren have any sponsors yet (other than Asos?)

 

[Greenlantern101]

At least its not painted black in a 'were ashamed of this' way like many other teams on the grid.

 

[Road of Bones]

"If you've got it, flaunt it baby, flaunt it!"

 

[Fenderman]

Interesting gesture in that shot

 

[FB]

Esso on the side pods for Malaysia but it's part of the same group as Mobil 1.

 

[sushifiesta]

Gulf Air this weekend:

 

[RasputinLives]

Bloody felt up with Gulf Air this week if I'm honest. Its brought all this dust over here and it ain't good for my lungs.

 

[teabagyokel]

RasputinLives - Yeah, that's the Sahara desert and not the Arabian peninsula...

 

[RasputinLives]

Is it sandy? Same difference.

 

[RasputinLives]

So as time goes on it seems quite apparent that this whole mess with Ron and Martin Whitmarsh was probably about getting a title sponsor for the team.

Whitmarsh announced the team would get a title sponsor by december and it didn't happen. I'm guessing that one of 2 things happened:

A) the deal fell through

Or

B) Ron and the Mclaren board did not approve of the sponsor.

Since this time Ron has talked up getting a new title sponsor while being suitably vague about it.

He stated that they were being Manchester United in Australia by not running a sponsor (errrm Man U have a sponsor Ron) but that sponorship would be back on the car in Malaysia. Estoril appeared on the car in Malaysia but they aren't a new sponsor and now in Bahrain Gulf Air has shown up but that belongs to the same people who own part of Mclaren so also not new. Lots of smoke and mirrors.

I wonder if there was a Quantum type situation where money was promised and never delievered and they are trying to save face.

More and more I'm starting to think this is why Whitmarsh was removed.

 

[The Artist.....]

RasputinLives - I've been thinking the same ever since Whitmarsh was removed! I'm actually convinced that Whitmarsh believed that martini were going to come and sponsor them: after all, they did say that they had been considering other teams! There may have been some arrogance at play: oh we're mclaren, they 'll sponsor us, particularly if they were a long way down the road of gaining sponsorship. In fact, it may have been informally agreed, but the woeful form last year made them get cold feet, and going with the relatively cheaper williams.

On the Manchester United front; this was a case of saying- ok ManUre have not been very successful, but mclaren are like them as sponsors know that they will rise again, and so will flock to them!

 

[teabagyokel]

The sponsors will leave if you don't perform; there is a reason that Liverpool's kit is now made by an obscure American brand, its because adidas did not perceive they were getting value for money!