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]

Note it was Alonso who said it and not Mclaren announcing his confirmation

 

[Incubus]

But McLaren wouldn't have anything to announce anyway since they a three-year contract with him. So there is no "confirmation" that needs announcing by either party. The only announcement would be if either decided to terminate it prematurely.

 

[Il_leone]

If there is no official announcement then that still does not stop speculation despite the contract. In 2007 Ron kept saying Alonso had a watertight contract with Mclaren but that did not stop all the other big teams in the paddock putting in bids for Alonso's services when he made noises he might leave and put their own driver line ups on hold. In the end Ron relented and let Alonso walk away from his contract which was worth $50m at least .

Alonso walked away from the Ferrari contract despite saying it was his last and he would finish his career there when things don't go well so he has history . I have to say it is reminiscent of Alain Prost a little bit when things don't go well it usually ends badly for him

 

[RasputinLives]

Announcing you're going to honour your contract is just a way of telling people you were considering breaking it and a way of saying to the person you're contracted with they better improve.

Alonso was the star pupil at the Flavio school of public relations. I wish he'd let his driving do the talking its more than good enough to tell us everything we need to know.

 

[Incubus]

But in this case Alonso didn't "announce" anything. I saw both the Sky and beeb piece, complete with the video. THEY asked him "Will you honour your contract?" and he just answered yes.

It's just one of those where whatever curret topic going around the paddock is ridiculously over-hyped to death and given an over-magnified exposure to be made to look more dramatic than it actually is. Which is the way everything in F1 seems to be portrayed by the "general interest" media. It's like the action on the track is taking a backseat and they keep coming up wit more and more ways to keep our interest going.

 

[RasputinLives]

Ok. Fair enough. I'll take that last bit back then.

He's still a nusience with the Flavio PR though

 

[Incubus]

Call me cynical but over the past few years there seems to have been a multitude of stories in the press about drivers "confirming" their existing contracts.

Well it crtainly is a very cheap way for a media outlet to come up with a "story". Just do an article on where driver could move to if they wanted to leave, wait for the other media to quote your piece and next thing you know you've got a rumour circulating. Then stick a microphone to a driver's face and bingo. There's your "exclusive": "DRIVER X STAYING PUT", complete with the usual ads at the front, middle, bottom and side of the page...

 

[Il_leone]

I will admit the media can't generate interest without selling stories but there is usually someone from within the party be it an agent, manager or even a McLaren employee who leak out the story or the rumour

You do wonder if Alonso is staying put then why did not McLaren announce he was staying last week? I mean they just secured a new sponsor in Chandon and it would have been perfect statement to say "We are moving forward as a unified team "

 

[Incubus]

Ron Dennis himself supplied the answer to your question a fortnight ago when the subject of Button's contract came up, when he said his only mistake was to not have made it clearer to Jenson earlier that McLaren had no interest in taking up their option to terminate their contract with him. Button has a two-year contract with McLaren and as such there is nothing to announce. The option to terminate it was on McLaren's side and they had no intention of taking it. Button has already publicly acknowdged that explanation.

 

[Il_leone]

I will compare Alonso's situation with the Red Bull drivers both of whom have contracts but there is still ongoing speculation Kyvat will be replaced because they have not officially announced it

Nothing is ever concrete in F1 until the team officially announce it.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Do we believe Alonso when he says that is certain "McLaren will be one of the top cars next year because JB said in Melbourne dont judge us here judge us in abu dhabi. When mclaren had expected them to be challenging for podiums & points

Fernando Alonso certain McLaren will be frontrunners in 2016

 

[Il_leone]

Well I presume that they've all sat down and focused on 2016 after Suzuka debacle. Talk is cheap but it seems Mclaren did improve a bit in today's race

 

[FB]

Great improvement by McLaren separated from the top finishing Manor by a broken Williams. Stunning results

 

[Incubus]

 

[no-FIAt-please]

McLaren have lost TAG Heuer as a sponsor, TAG will now partner Red Bull (looks like Casio will get the boot). This is the end of a 30 year partnership and comes just one season after Hugo Boss split with McLaren, a partnership that lasted 33 years.

Worrying times for McLaren. On their longest streak ever without a win you have to question will they ever compete for a title again?

Personally I think they will, but with 2017 being their earliest opportunity.

 

[Il_leone]

I think someone should ask Ron Dennis what he has bought Mclaren other than sending them to the back of the grid and causing a massive exodus of sponsorship and a $150m plus whole in their budget which has been partly covered by Honda

It will be interesting to see of any other watch brand like Seiko, Omega, etc would come in and be a sponsor

 

[cider_and_toast]

I think Ron is just trying to return the team to the way he found it when he first joined.

 

[RasputinLives]

Somewhere Martin Whitmarsh is laughing.

 

[Bill Boddy]

I thought it might be an idea to have a look at the timing information for Brazil just to see how bad McLaren were.

It seems that Rosberg started off in the 1:16s, going into the 1:15s after the second pit stops. Button on the other hand started out in the 1:18s until the second stop, after that he was in the 1:17s until the third stop after which he was doing a mix of 1:16s and 1:17s (I think that he was on the option tyre). Alonso was similar to Button except that he dropped off near the end of the race.

This would indicate roughly 2 seconds a lap, or put another way about 2.5%. So 2.5 seconds per lap would have put the McLaren drivers in a good position.

 

[siffert_fan]

Interesting that T-H would rather sign on with a team that nobody is sure will even be on the grid than remain with Ron Dennis.

Makes me wonder if Honda are having second thoughts.