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.)

 

[sushifiesta]

More angles:

 

[FB]

Earth Dreams...

 

[sobriety]

I wonder if they're hiding anything with the new livery (other than a really slow, badly developed, unreliable car?)

 

[Tuscan1969]

Call me an old fuddy duddy but I still hanker after the "National" colours; if they can't go for British Racing Green (too many Jag links?) then at least try something distinctive McLaren Rocket Red (or orange) would stand out.

Still changing the colour will not make it faster so we'd best hope there are some tweaks under the bodywork too....

 

[Jen]

Why would you spend an arm and a leg on paintwork when the bloody thing is next to useless? Bizarre!

 

[FB]

Ron Dennis moves in mysterious ways...

 

[The Artist.....]

My guess is that it's something to do with sponsors... i.e. Sponsor argued that the silver was a sticking point, they've painted it black, and now the sponsor has said "actually, i don't think I'll bother now!"

 

[FB]

Do you think Ron is using Paul Stoddart's theory that having the cars lapped multiple times gets you TV exposure to attract sponsors?

 

[cider_and_toast]

Given that the last team to have CNN as a sponsor was Caterham, it's quite possible.

 

[FB]

Looking at the sponsors McLaren have they are sorted for free coffee, whisky, hotel rooms, TV coverage, oil and petrol. I wonder how they pay for the rest F1 team.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I wrote about this on random pondering s Titch I suggested it was the reason Jenson bought a grey P1 McLaren say it is because the chrome is to reflective under night lights and the sun odd they've been running chrome for god know how long and they never said that before.

My personal theory is that it looked to much like the Force India livery and as they couldn't make them change they did so themselves..

 

[Titch]

Well it looks a bit like Lotus now !

 

[Olivier]

I'm not disappointed in the new livery

 

[Brogan]

The chrome livery was causing issues under the lights in the 'night' races.

Looks quite dull/drab.
So a good fit then.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I like it I was getting bored with chrome/silver there is far to much of it on the grid...

 

[Brogan]

From the top it looks like someone has bolted an extra nose on.

 

[Mephistopheles]

It's got a nose like Karl Malden's

 

[FB]

For those under 50, this is Karl Malden

 

[Titch]

He does have an interesting nose. I'm not sure it would power an F1 car though.

 

[mjo]

Well, I suppose it's better than the current travesty, which only Stevie Wonder would find attractive. Although the new nose arrangement looks a bit botched.