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.)

 

[Il_leone]

so much for Ron leading MClaren back to the glory years!

 

[Jen]

Ron is now believing his own sell by date. He should have left things well alone and allowed Whitmarsh to do the job - Boullier is and was always intended to be the fall guy

 

[Il_leone]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/119263

Ron again making noises that Denmark should back Kevin Magnussen


Well Ron you had to spoon feed Alonso's ego and that's why you could not pick K-Mag

As for Denmark backing him well do you want to be backed by

i) Danish Bacon - you want your team to be backed by a company that slaughters pigs
ii) Danish Pastry - really ?

iii) Lego - the most famous brand and if you look at their "Speed Champions" range
http://shop.lego.com/en-GB/Speed-Champions-ByTheme?bcBack=yes

Have a guess which F1 team they have tried to make the most revenue out of because it just happens to share the scheme livery as the company logo

whereas Mclaren are reduced to a pit stop set

 

[FB]

He could always ask Sandi Toksvig for a few quid.

 

[Bill Boddy]

....i) Danish Bacon - you want your team to be backed by a company that slaughters pigs....

Totally irrelevant as I am a meat eater. You might as well ask if I want there to be a team which is funded by a soft drink which is barred in some countries because of its contents.

 

[FB]

"Putting it into perspective, we are spending £200million a year going Formula 1 motor racing.

Isn't that about Demark's GDP?

 

[Bill Boddy]

2013 GDP Denmark 335.9 billion USD.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gdp+denmark&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=P4htVcrTKqzW7QbjjYK4Bg

I think I might introduce you to my Danish friend, she would put you straight.

Edit to add link.

 

[Kewee]

FB..... More than New Zealand's which is why we haven't got a driver in F1.

 

[Il_leone]

Bill Boddy I don't mean any offence to Danes or Danish bacon. Point taken about Red Bull being barred in some countries ... when they don't actually own the product . They just market it as Red Bull

I was trying to point Ron's almost desperateness to get K Mag into F1 but he had to protect Alonso's ego

 

[FB]

I think I might introduce you to my Danish friend, she would put you straight.

Is the collective noun for Danish people a rasher?

I'll get me coat...

 

[Bill Boddy]

Why would Dennis need to protect Alonso, he is quite erudite and able to look after himself Il_leone

 

[RasputinLives]

Why put push for KMag when you have Vandoorne killing it?

 

[Kewee]

Il_leone .... McLaren decided they wanted Alonso and also decided how much they were prepared to pay. They could have employed Magnussen for far less than they paid Button, they chose Button, end of story. Your comment regarding "spoon feeding Alonso's ego just appears to be another invented reason to have a go at Alonso, something you do quite often. As I said he could have chosen Magnussen over Button but didn't.

 

[Road of Bones]

Ron Danish?

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives Kewee

Ron Dennis has given himself a real problem ... he could have picked K Mag when he had the chance for 2015 season but chose not to

Now he has Vandoorne who is romping away with GP2 expected to make the grade into F1 but at the same time he stalled K Mag's F1 career

He wants to able to put both drivers into F1 next season but cannot because there is only 1 seat available at Mclaren seeing Alonso's is a fixed 3 year contract. He realises K Mag could lose out unless there is some serious backing from Denmark to help bring additional sponsorship to the team or his seconded team

He's also promised to help deliver Alonso the world drivers title with a 3 year plan. Alonso will get nervous that Vandoorne is showing Hamilton esque qualities in GP2 and does not want a repeat of 2007 season if he was selected to be his teammate in 2016

 

[Kewee]

Il_leone ...... You failed to mention Button. He is also on a contract which extends beyond one year. Ron Dennis only has one problem at present, getting their Honda powered McLaren up to speed and he has two of the most experienced drivers in the sport to help do exactly that.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Button is and always has been the obvious choice at this stage of the Honda McLaren development program because given the opportunity he will and always has got the maximum points available putting a rookie in that car will set them back, they need two experienced drivers at the moment and that is exactly what they have got, if Ron changes that for next year then he would be a fucking idiot, but I already reckon he is a fucking idiot anyway.

Jenson is the longest serving member on the grid at the moment and he hasn't won that accolade by being shit.

 

[Il_leone]

Kewee I did mention there is only 1 seat available at Mclaren given Dennis has stated Alonso is committed to a 3 yr deal . It should be Magnussen who should get the seat but it looks like Vandoorne as RasputinLives pointed out is having the opportunity to showcase his abilities and cue jump K Mag

Basically Ron wants both his young charges in F1 but he can't get any teams to take both unless they come with a substantial sponsorship

 

[FB]

I thought Button was on a one year contract and McLaren have an option for a second? Unless I'm just making that up.

Anyway, if RD believes McLaren are really as mega as he tells everyone why doesn't he go and form, or buy, a junior team like Red Bull have? I bet he could have picked Caterham up for less than the cost of a McLaren F1 these days.

 

[Il_leone]

FB An option for the second year but RD does not really want Button to extend his stay