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.)

 

[FB]

Here's 10 minutes of your life you won't get back, a pointless non-interview with the man who has done more to ruin F1 racing than Bernie Ecclestone - Captain Coporate himself, Mr Ron Dennis. Don't expect to learn a bloody thing, apart form the fact that it was his decision to give Magnusson the drive, which would probably not be the case had Kevin not looked to be half decent.

http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2014/4/15713.html

 

[RasputinLives]

I think I'll skip that FB. Completely agree with you on the KMag front by the way. II'm considering a campaign to bring Mosley back just to make Ron go away again!

Might save this link for if I ever have trouble sleeping though.

 

[The Artist.....]

So, we're 4 races in... mcLaren have 2 podiums, and Jenson Button is showing good form, whilst Magnussen is having a few collisions with Raikkonen.

In terms of overall pace, in practice sessions, the young hotshot has been about 4-5 tenths of a second behind JB, which doesn't seem any better than the pace that Perez was showing last season! This can't even just be put down to not knowing the circuits; having tested extensively and repeatedly at the Bahrain circuit, it is almost certain than Magnussen knows the track as well as anyone!

 

[RasputinLives]

Perez had 2 years of F1 under him. KMag has 3 Grand Prixs. Don't think its too bad a start.

 

[Viscount]

He's out-qualified JB 2-1 so far and is only 3 points behind him in the championship, will be interesting to see how he develops over the season.

 

[The Artist.....]

The gap would have been significantly larger had it not been for the retirements in Bahrain!

 

[RasputinLives]

My aunt would have been my uncle if she had testicles.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Well your aunt could be a lady boy! But you have to agree that KMag was nowhere in Bahrain, Jenson took the naughty boys cane out of the dusty old cupboard and gave KMag a damn good thrashing with it...

 

[downforce]

Says it all about the great team lately...

 

[downforce]

Actually its ok, the MTC has gained downforce,



http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/113601
McLaren has revealed that its factory has already produced the downforce improvements it needs to move up the Formula 1 grid.
In the windtunnel already we have picked up a lot of performance.

"Back in the factory it is fine. It is just a question of preparing everything and shipping it to the track."
Sources suggest that the rate of downforce improvement unlocked in Woking in recent weeks has been greater than it has achieved at any point over the winter.


So the downforce is in the factory and in 4 races it will be on the car.

 

[Road of Bones]

Is that a new "Inside the MTC..." I can scent upon the air...?

 

[Mephistopheles]

So does the MTC go faster now that it has got more downforce?

 

[teabagyokel]

Mephistopheles - It is now speeding across the Atlantic Ocean on the way to Barcelona. Button is piloting the MTC in order that the journey is smooth, while Oliver Turvey is sitting in the simulator in Woking telling Button how it feels.

 

[Mephistopheles]

 

[Road of Bones]

Is that a new "Inside the MTC..." I can scent upon the air...?

...or was it just the smell of sprouts...?

 

[Quintessentially]

So the downforce is in the factory and in 4 races it will be on the car.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Which of the two drivers will downforce replace?

 

[Mephistopheles]

To be honest I reckon DOWNFORCE HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!!

 

[Road of Bones]

Breaking News (possibly):

http://sniffpetrol.com/2014/04/23/mclaren-hires-moyes/

You do have to love SniffPetrol...

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Interesting that Force India have struck a a sponsorship deal with Diageo, the company owns numerous alcohol brands around the world (Moet, Guiness, Smirnoff etc.). The interesting part is that Diageo also own Johnnie Walker, a long-time sponsor of McLaren's. You could argue that they didn't want a beverage clash on the car except the JW logo doesn't appear on the car, McLaren losing their grip on another sponsor?