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.)

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Cool advert:

My friend just emailed me this. She was part of the crew on set.

 

[The Pits]

http://www.racecar-engineering.com/articles/f1/hondas-secret-f1-car-revealed/4/

Interesting article

 

[Tacitus]

 

[Jen]

Dear old Ron, ever the arse!

 

[The Artist.....]

Good god. JB has been beaten by his teammate twice this season.

Kevin Magnussen was being touted as the next Hamilton, so it would be expected that he'd push Button. I think the surprise is how far behind he has been at most races!

I'm reminded why I used to dislike McLaren so much when Ron was last in charge!

 

[Hamberg]

Has anyone got Ron's email address? I need to send him this, he's clearly not aware...

 

[The Pits]

I am unable to see the video, is there a transcript anywhere?

 

[FB]

I'll paraphrase it for you The Pits

Interviewer: Why are McLaren so shit?
Ron: Because of Jenson Button.

 

[The Pits]

To be honest FB I am fairly sure he is not alone in his opinion.

I dont wholly agree, although I don't see the inside of the MTC and the goings on.

Bit of a change of heart from Ron's sentiments at the start of the season.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/mclaren-boss-ron-dennis-jenson-3215373

 

[Jen]

Nothing is ever Ron's fault, is it? Provide a crap car and then assume if it doesn't work it is the fault of the drivers - sorted, own reputation teflon-coated.

Except those that have seen him in action aren't or shouldn't be taken in - steals a march on Arthur Daley!

 

[RasputinLives]

Is it me or is Ron currently sounding like that unknown bass player from rock band that was big in the 80's and split up?

"We're getting the band back together!" He's screaming at others whilst the lead singer (Hamilton) and the lead guitarist (Alonso) have happily moved on too succesful solo careers and have no intention of going back.

Its over and gone Ron! Stop living in the past and move on. Make the best of what you have rather than rubbishing it and chasing dreams.

 

[The Artist.....]

Ron is clearly smarting as earlier in the season he took responsibility for signing Magnussen- just after his second place at Melbourne. Since then, the signing doesn't seem to have been so shrewd, so he needs to make out that he did make the right decision! He really is an odious little man!

 

[RasputinLives]

The Artist..... I think you're being a little harsh on KMag. He didn't label himself the next Hamilton, the media labeled him the next Hamilton and unlike Hamilton he's hasn't got a car that is the class of the field.

Yes he has been off the pace of his world champion team mate in the first few races but then he is a rookie so he would be. He has made the odd error and has under performed but he's also landed himself a podium and he certainly qualified the Mclaren massivly higher up the field than it should have been in Austria.

As rookies go I think its been a decent start and show potential for development into something special. I certainly think he shows more potential than Perez so to call it 'not a shrewd move' this early is a bit on the harsh side. He's closer on points to JB than Perez was at this stage last year.

I agree with you on the Ron point though.

 

[Titch]

Ron Dennis has never liked JB. I remember Ron saying after JB's rookie year that he didn't want to train someone else's protege, when asked if he would hire JB.
Or something very similar.

 

[Jen]

I don't think anyone comes up to Ron's expectations, but if he actually looked at himself he wouldn't either - therein lies the rub!

 

[teabagyokel]

Button is beating Massa, Perez and Raikkonen in a palpably inferior car, if you look at the Championship. Dennis wants Button out... be careful what you wish for, Ron, because there's no better option stupid enough to sign for a McLaren team with an unknown engine quality.

 

[The Artist.....]

teabagyokel

Thankfully, Eric Boullier wants Button in (and has stated that he expects him to stay in 2015)

 

[teabagyokel]

The Artist..... - Looks like someone has a bit of sense, then.

 

[siffert_fan]

Much as I detest RD and his never-ending search for scapegoats for under-performing McLaren cars, there is one reality which nobody can ignore: aging slows people down. Button, Kimi and Alonso have all been in F1 seemingly forever (this is Button's 14th or 15th season. As I recall, the great JY Stewart only competed in 8 seasons) and are undoubtedly getting marginally slower with each passing year.

Given the less-than-competitive state of the McLaren team at the moment, it might be the right time to bring in younger drivers that the team is developing. Of course, that would necessitate admitting that this year is hopeless, and I'm not sure that RD has the capacity to make such an admission. But given Button's age, it would be foolish to plan the team's future around him.

 

[RasputinLives]

I have hatched a cunning plan on behalf of Mclaren.

Ron wants one of his big name old drivers back and likes to have drivers who he see's as his protégés.

JB and Ferrari have often expressed mutal interest and Alonso has said Button would be an ideal team mate on a couple of occasion.

So I propose they play swapsies!

Ron would have Kimi and could brag about his big signing, Kimi would have a nice fat signing on fee, and JB would have the chance to give yet another world champion team mate a bloody nose (I think thats when he's at his best anyways).

Everyones a winner.