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]

Maybe Ron should get the Jim Henson Company to sponsor McLaren given the number of muppets involved in the organisation at the moment.

 

[teabagyokel]

FB - Gutierrez as driver, part of the deal?

 

[siffert_fan]

Road of Bones

Their Ayrton Senna "tribute" is a read as well

 

[Titch]

I reckon that Honda are going to be the primary source of sponsorship for McLaren.

 

[RasputinLives]

I've heard its Bodyform

 

[The Pits]

McLaren have said that they may "Go radical" after Silverstone.

Maybe this means that they will start putting some bits on the car which will make it go faster.

Just a thought...

 

[Splash]

Or maybe they meant this: http://www.radicalsportscars.com/

 

[no-FIAt-please]

I love how they have already 'discovered' extra downforce back at the factory and are preparing this updates for a few races time, we heard this back in China so god knows what they're doing that they can't get parts on the car by Monaco, with 5 weeks in between.

You know who needs to be most worried by McLaren's performance this season? Honda. McLaren have the best engine and still haven't scored a single point in 3 races. Quite a stark contrast to the 2010-2012 years indeed.

 

[teabagyokel]

McLaren have massive downforce.

Look at their results.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Oh come on lets face it they are dog turd piss poor aren't they...

 

[sushifiesta]

Two times more downforce and twenty times more drag, perhaps.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Oh yeah they promise everything and deliver nothing, much like politicians do...

 

[soccerman17]

Looking through an MSN Autos slideshow on the 700 horsepower club and they describe McLaren as "British upstarts" when talking about the P1. Oh my.

 

[Mephistopheles]

They are just dreadful aren't they...

 

[Mephistopheles]

That's me convinced......

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/5/15894.html

Not...

 

[Hamberg]

That's a depressing paragraph:

"Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen both broke into the top ten in last weekend's Monaco Grand Prix - the first time both men have scored in the same race since Malaysia - helping to raise McLaren above Williams and into fifth in the constructors' championship."

 

[teabagyokel]

Boullier reckons their car suited Monaco for a double points. In that it was still running at the end, I have to agree.

Magnussen picked up a point despite being involved in the world's slowest collision at the Hotel. That tells you that actually finishing as an established runner almost guaranteed to get you a point.

There was something encouraging about Magnussen's qualifying, but they were still a lap down in a race with a Safety Car in...

 

[Mephistopheles]

McLaren all talk and no trousers...

 

[teabagyokel]

Zéro pantalons pour M. Boullier.

 

[Mephistopheles]