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.)

 

[The Pits]

Maybe he is including the Brixworth team too, even though they will not report directly in to the budget?

 

[FB]

Are we wandering off topic here? New thread anyone?

 

[Il_leone]

Apparently Alonso expects McLaren not to be a lapped down for much longer
http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/1...pecting-to-be-lapped-in-races-for-much-longer

 

[LifeW12]

They are slow and unreliable, progress isn't gonna happen until mid season at least.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

Interesting little article on the Honda power units.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/118626

 

[Kewee]

Hey FB, read the Autosport article on the Honda engine then tease me some more.

 

[FB]

Do we need a thread on radical F1 concepts which came to nothing?

 

[Mephistopheles]

It would be a big thread and anyway these engines will be nothing more than scrap metal come 2017

 

[FB]

Should I add the 2015 McLaren to this thread?

http://cliptheapex.com/threads/tried-but-failed.7060/

 

[Mephistopheles]

I reckon it could be FB only time will tell but it sure ain't looking good for them..

 

[cider_and_toast]

On the one hand you want to praise Honda for pushing the technical envelope on their return and on the other you want to slap them in the chops for trying to be far to clever by half.

This engine reminds me of the BRM H16. A great idea, simple on paper but massively complex in production and ultimately a failure.

 

[Incubus]

By the sound of it it looks like they were merely complying with a pretty strict guideline imposed on them by McLaren's design requirements for their "size zero" philosophy..

A bit like when John Barnard effectively dictated to Porsche what engine dimensions he required back in '83.
But nowhere near as successfully...

 

[Mephistopheles]

Like the wankel engine a brilliant concept and very powerful for its capacity but it wears out quickly and ultimately becomes completely unreliable..

Bloody swear filter that is a w-ankel engine by the way, pronounced vankel

 

[Mephistopheles]

By the sound of it it looks like they were merely complying with a pretty strict guideline imposed on them by McLaren's design requirements for their "zero size" requirements.

I don't believe that for one moment, I reckon Honda said they could do it and McLaren accepted their word for it.

 

[Incubus]

i'm not sure that contradicts my own post Mephistopheles , I didn't exactly suggest McLaren pointed a gun at Honda's head!

 

[Mephistopheles]

I wasn't trying to contradict you Incubus just the article it came from I reckon they both got together and came up with a plan if they didn't that would be pure lunacy, why they just didn't analyse the Merc engine and improve on it is beyond me after all that is what the Japanese are renowned for..

 

[soccerman17]

That was a very interesting read. I'm 100% behind what Honda did and are doing. Why settle for a mediocre/average engine when you can make something that could be great? Sure, there's going to be growing pains, but McLaren would rather have the struggles now and possible championships later than consistent 3rd-5th place finish in the Constructor's Championship.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

McLaren livery for Spain. Looks quite nice actually.

 

[Titch]

Thats a big change. Why? What was wrong with the silver?

 

[Kewee]

Looks great. Mercedes are silver McLaren needed to change. I'll love it even more when it starts to go fast,