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.)

 

[Mephistopheles]

JB is also the nearest thing there is to a Japanese superstar driver at the moment; Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton are all not available; I'd say th

I hate it when people don't finish their se

 

[Mephistopheles]

The problem there is that the Red & White came from the Marlboro sponsorship. Cigarette advertising is no more and even though you can't copyright colours I can't see them allowing such a livery again without everyone associating them with Marlboro once again.

That didn't stop Lotus bringing back the JPS livery...

 

[F1Yorkshire]

Good point Mephistopheles. It would be great to see those colours again.

 

[The Artist.....]

I hate it when people don't finish their se

Yep... And what's worse is that I can't remember what I intended the end of that sentence to be.... Anyone want to run a competition?? I'll start:

JB is also the nearest thing there is to a Japanese superstar driver at the moment; Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton are all not available; I'd say that Ron Dennis will turn into a flying pixie when he gets the driver line-up he wants...

 

[Titch]

The Artist..... .....that Kamui Kobayashi would love to be the driver to replace JB at McLaren, and Honda would love that as well.

 

[Road of Bones]

This has a slight whiff of truthosity about it...

http://sniffpetrol.com/2014/09/25/mclaren-technology-centre-to-be-demolished/

 

[FB]

That place really is, to quote HRH the Prince of Wales, a hideous carbuncle.

 

[Road of Bones]

Oh dear...
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns29014.html

I suppose it means JB gets to keep his seat, but I don't enjoy the prospect of watching him tug another useless car about for a season - time to join Ant & Mark at Le Mans?

 

[cider_and_toast]

As I've repeateldly stated, the biggest risk in joining McLaren-Honda next year is the Honda engine. There is a widely held belief that Honda will be quick out of the box because they have a history of doing well in F1 during the last turbo era.

 

[Incubus]

I'm not sure I would give too much credence to rumours of Honda being behind 3 months behind schedule. How would anybody outside the Honda camp know? /And Honda are harly likely to come out about it publicly are they?

You only have to look at what they were sayig about Ferrari at the same time last year, the rumours were that they were also way behind schedule with their engine programme and... oh, hold on....

 

[ExtremeNinja]

I see Hugo Boss are sponsoring Merc. Announcement made today. Does this mean they have left McLaren and followed Lewis or does their partnership with McLaren continue in parallel?

On a side-note, and off-topic for this thread, if it is Lewis that they have followed, does that mean we will get an announcement for a contract extension for Lewis soon?

 

[FB]

Ron is going to have to find someone else to make the team outfits then isn't he. Not surprising Boss have left McLaren given they now have no connection with Germany and no surprise they have gone to Mercedes. If I remember correctly Boss used to be a personal sponsor of Keke Rosberg so it could be as much to do with Nico as Lewis.

 

[Incubus]

Good point.

Keke had so many personal sponsors in his Williams days his race-suit resembled a christmas tree.

 

[siffert_fan]

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/report-berger-to-replace-dennis-at-mclaren

That's what F1 needs. Another Lauda!

 

[Road of Bones]

Already rubbished by McLaren:
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns29053.html

Sounds like people are trying to figure out a more appealing way Alonso could move to McLaren, by suggesting that Honda are willing to move mountains to clear his path there.

 

[Jen]

Nando to McLaren as lead driver and TP ?

 

[FB]

F1 has had player/managers before...

 

[Mephistopheles]

Why on Gollums precious would Alonso want to got to McLaren?

 

[sushifiesta]

Because he enjoyed it so much the first time.

 

[cider_and_toast]

If he wants to go to McLaren I'm sure he'd be looking at 2016. Would you jump now, into a car that is not doing well with an engine that is a total unknown quantity? If he's going to move at the end of the season the safest choice would be Red Bull but I can't see either RBR driver moving.

My best guess would be a move in 2016.