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]

as DC says ALonso has a habit of making hasty decisions . At the moment he still believes in the long term plan but anything can happen in F1

 

[Il_leone]

I don't see Alonso suddenly retiring because he's going at the back of the grid this season or for most of it ... that would seriously hurt his credibility

so either he has to stick it out or supposedly get another top running team to sign him with Mercedes out of the question now I still say there is a slim chance Williams would be the option

It is not going to happen via Honda supplying engines to Williams because i) Mclaren would not have another top team using the same engine ii) Mercedes have a 7 year engine deal with them and Williams won't break it because they are no real alternatives

now Alonso is saying what is coming in the pipeline of development to be very promising... no one seems convinced yet seeing how pathetic the Mclaren performance was on Sunday

 

[Titch]

The Artist..... I did not ask for that. That is forbidden under the Geneva convention.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

I suspect given the choice Alonso would jump at the chance of being in a Williams as opposed to a McLaren right now. Could he have brought wins for Williams last year? An unanswerable question of course but then he's probably the most likely driver on the grid to be able to deliver the win from a second-tier car.
We'll know more by the end of the season but if McLaren are still pootling around near the back then it's not looking great for next year either. One thing they have always excelled at though is improving through the season, but of course they're reliant on Honda this time to deliver the improvements.

Mind you he's also getting paid squilllions and has very little pressure, and is probably having a bit of fun playing overtaking against the Manors. Sounds like an ideal job to me.

 

[Il_leone]

rufus_mcdufus Alonso is facing little internal pressure because the Mclaren Honda is simply awful, However he faces external pressure by the relative success at Ferrari is going to keep hammering home if Vettel manages to consistently race with Mercedes. It begs the question if Alonso was in the Ferrari now would he be 2nd in the championship then at least?

I hope it aint as stressful at the Mclaren factory as it was in 2007 when Ron and Alonso had a fall out

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

Well at least the drivers aren't getting the blame for the current woes so the stress probably isn't on Jenson and Fernando, and they're both old enough to have been in plenty of disappointing teams! Though maybe, with the exception of the Earth Car, not quite on the same scale of disappointment.

 

[RasputinLives]

Could he have brought wins for Williams last year?

No because Williams aren't allowed to finish in front/interfere with the factory team.

Back on to McLaren though. I was scanning through the Metro newspaper today (its free don't judge me) and there was a brief review of Sport that had been on the TV this weekend. It made a mention of the Canadian Grand Prix not being very exciting and the highlight being Bottas vs a stray Groundhog. The bit on the Grand Prix finished with - and I quote - "Bottas went on to finish 3rd whilst the Groundhog was a DNF. Don't be too hard on him though as he still outperformed the Mclarens" Ouch! Burnt by the free newspaper TV reviewer! McLaren really are falling down.

 

[Incubus]

I thought it was a beaver?

 

[RasputinLives]

ooohh Matron!

 

[Olivier]

I don't think it was a beaver, probably a groundhog as they're everywhere or a gopher. Beavers are hard to spot, tend to live in isolated areas and keep it to themselves ...

 

[Dash Racing]

Definitely a groundhog. I have those in my back yard, and spend a lot of time watching them pootle about.

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives well its true and Ron Dennis has been allowing other people to take the flak under his stewardship

 

[Il_leone]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/119522?source=mostpopular

Alonso has a point but I doubt Ron Dennis wants the embarrassment of being last in every race till the end of the season

 

[Bill Boddy]

But are there any changes in the rules for next year? As far as I know there has been no agreement on any change in the regulations so McLaren are already running next years car.

 

[Il_leone]

Bill Boddy IF that is the case then what is the risk the gap widen again?

 

[Il_leone]

This weekend it was The Sun’s Jonny Fordham who took the prize. ‘Lionel Messi has taken fewer penalties this season than the British-based bodgers, whose drivers Button and Fernando Alonso lasted just ten laps between them,’ he wrote, before pointing out ‘Button’s garbage gas-guzzler’ (while he had the chance) and then summing up Honda’s engines as ‘awful’. It’s difficult not to argue.

 

[Titch]

McLaren just go from bad to even worse.

 

[Brogan]

McLaren have issued a press release listing the two drivers who will take part in the upcoming testing at the Red Bull Ring.

Tuesday 23 June: Irre Levant

Wednesday 24 June: Fu Tile

 

[Il_leone]

well its a full blown crisis I am surprised there is no one calling for Ron Dennis to stand down

 

[Road of Bones]

Bring back Martin Whitmarsh!

http://sniffpetrol.com/2015/06/08/concern-grows-for-whitmarsh/#.VYhVR3B4WrU