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.)

 

[RasputinLives]

Mclaren Honda is a complete unknown quantity and I can't see Alonso going there until its shown some sign of being a success rather than the damp squid it could be.

I don't see the Ferrari situation getting any better but at least Alonso has control of the team there. He currently has not real better options.

 

[FB]

An old story from Autosport (my apologies if it has already been posted) but we may see the Honda engine at the end of season test in Abu Dhabi.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/113881

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives That is what I mean I think Ron/ Mclaren need Alonso more than Alonso need Ron/ Mclaren

Yes at Ferrari he is still excused for the mess they are in and not on the chopping block yet until they run out of people to fire

 

[Greenlantern101]

Ooooooo nice. Liking the orange.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

I've only just noticed the headlights look like the McLaren logo...

 

[Titch]

Like that.....

 

[siffert_fan]

Now I see that McLaren has lost Johnnie Walker as a sponsor. They are becoming a sponsor of the series instead. McLaren may be hurting for money big time next year.

 

[FB]

And they dropped below Force India in the WCC - they not only need those Honda engines but Honda engineering input.

 

[Hamberg]

And the Honda earth livery.

Too far?

 

[siffert_fan]

FB

That is certainly true. I'm just afraid that their pitiful performance this season will make it awfully difficult to attract new sponsors for next year. I also wonder what the lack of funding means for the driver line up.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Well they won't want Button he's to expensive and if they go down the pay driver route then they are doomed to mediocrity, what makes them believe they can attract a top driver given their pitiful performance over the last couple of years is beyond me..

 

[Hamberg]

Mephistopheles do you honestly believe they wouldn't want Button because he's too expensive?

 

[Mephistopheles]

Not just that Hamberg I saw the look on Ron's face when Button failed to get into Q3 yesterday.

 

[Hamberg]

That's what I thought

 

[cider_and_toast]

There's no getting away from the fact that McLaren are in deep poop. If Honda get things right then they could save McLaren's skin but another tough year and they could face a Williams-esque long long period at the back end of the grid if they are not careful.

As for Button, he's made his money. If he was truly serious about driving next year I would be throwing a pounds per points offer on the table otherwise he's out the door.

Let's not forget of course that Honda do like to have a Japanese driver behind the wheel if possible. I think it's fortunate for Button that Kmag isn't really team number one material otherwise you could see Kmag and a rising Japanese driver behind the wheel next year. Good for Asian investment and sponsorship.

Either way, in terms of marketing, McLaren need to re-launch their identity and refresh their brand. Running around in Silver just reminds everyone that they used to be Mercedes pet project but not anymore. Get back to their roots, bright orange if needs be. Stand out from the crowd and start again. It's been 7 years since spygate and you get the impression they are still haven't got over it.

 

[FB]

Honda usually place a Japanese driver into their second team though.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Good point, well raised. I was just counting back trying to work that one out.

Sato was in a BAR when they were the only Honda in town.

I've not seen it but who else is looking to run Honda engines next year? Is it just McLaren so far?

 

[FB]

Just McLaren by all accounts. I suspect another team or two will be lined up for 2015 so expect a Japanese driver in a Caterham Honda. Either that or McLaren are the new Spirit team and will be dropped after the first season so that Honda can bolt their engines into the back of a car which might have a better chance of winning.

 

[sushifiesta]

My understanding is that McLaren's deal with Honda is exclusive for 2015 but Honda may choose to supply other teams from 2016 onwards.

I think McLaren are a long way off being in financial difficulty. Their current sponsorship situation isn't ideal but I'm sure it will be sorted for 2015, in fact before this season started I was wondering whether Honda might be pumping some money in to the team but without putting branding on the car due to it currently being Mercedes powered.

As for drivers, if my memory serves me correctly neither Ayrton Senna or Alain Prost were Japanese. There's sod all chance of Ron Dennis sticking a driver in just to appease Honda in my opinion.

McLaren's biggest problem is the performance of their chassis in the last two years, whether aerodynamics or mechanical (probably both) it needs a complete overhaul and suggests something is not working in the design team (having said that I can't help but wonder whether they'd be in a different position if Hamilton had stayed). They've already made a few high profile recruitments so things are moving there.

I just don't see McLaren sliding further down the grid and getting in to a mess, they'll work there way back up to challenging for race wins again eventually.

 

[cider_and_toast]

As for drivers, if my memory serves me correctly neither Ayrton Senna or Alain Prost were Japanese.

How very well remembered. You may also care to remember that Satoru Nakajima was very much Japanese and was Ayrton Senna's team mate at Lotus Honda. As FB correctly pointed out, Lotus was Honda's second team but Honda have placed Japanese drivers in cars.