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.)

 

[Titch]

Which driver does he think will deliver this miracle for him, sorry I mean for the team.

 

[Wombcat]

He's not saying this year. He's saying

I honestly believe that the next world champions after Mercedes will be McLaren. We'll get to that goal before other people.

It's quite safe to assume that Mercedes will get the title this year. I reckon Mercedes will be strongest next year also. In 2018 other engines will have caught up (or at least have been able to). So if McLaren can be title contenders in 2018, they will have the opportunity to be the ones to be the next world champion after Mercedes.

 

[vintly]

Whether Ron believes it or not, McLaren is a business, so he has to talk it up and he has to be believable. Helps of course if he can convince himself, and he may eventually be proved right, but anyone who's got the guts to stick his neck on the line and lay themselves open to ridicule is good for the overall drama of F1 – providing it doesn't become a relentless wave of over-zealous rants. And anything to wind up the opposition innit.

 

[RasputinLives]

Time to stand and deliver.

Well they did't and Don't smoke. What do they do?

 

[RasputinLives]

Looks like Vandoorne's good performance in Bahrain is really going to force Mclaren's hand where their driver line up us concerned next year.

McLaren issues hands-off Vandoorne warning to F1 rivals

I would suggest this means they can't leave the decision on whether to retain Button hanging on a thread until December like they've done previously. They'll need to secure Vandoorne quick smart or he might just decided to chance it elsewhere.

He's already turned down an offer from Red Bull a few years ago so would not be surprised if they were trying to poach him away to replace Kvyat at Torro Rosso. Renault's team principle use to manage the ART team he drove for in GP2 so I'd say they were prob shopping for him too.

Anyone else? Well we're lead to believe Ferrari were after Verstappen. Having missed out on him might they try and get Vandoorne?

Anyways I think Ron needs to decide between potential super talent and proven talent with sponsors and quick.

 

[The Pits]

Did I miss the part of practice where McLaren showed they had a great chassis? The times would seem to indicate that they are further behind than normal.

 

[Olivier]

Anyone else? Well we're lead to believe Ferrari were after Verstappen. Having missed out on him might they try and get Vandoorne?

I don't think Vandoorne is in their plans, at least not yet. I imagine he wants Ricciardo and if that doesn't work out then one of the Mercedes boys

 

[Il_leone]

Vandoorne to Ferrari seems far fetched but it does highlight Ferrarii's own driver academy/ young driver programme is certainly not as good as Red Bull's , Mclaren's or Mercedes

A few years back you had Perez and then Bianchi making it into F1 due to Ferrari but it seems like this has suffered under the new regime

Even if Vandoorne does not get in F1 with Mclaren I think Renault would take him which would pit him against Magnussen which would be fascinating.

Apparently Button was able to stay in the Mclaren team because the other bosses who are at odds with Ron preferred Button to be in the team over Vandoorne

Not sure were Button to improve whether that is enough to keep his seat

 

[Kewee]

Did I miss the part of practice where McLaren showed they had a great chassis? The times would seem to indicate that they are further behind than normal.

I don't think the times tell us much at all The Pits. They were clearly testing upgrades and set up with Alonso which would explain his inconsistent times. If you take Ricciardo out of the equation they were much closer to Mercedes, only 8 tenths separated Rosberg and Button. Qualifying will tell us much more.

 

[Il_leone]

well it seems like Ron Dennis has created the Vandoorne PR machine to get him to be with Mclaren for 2016

I think Jenson needs to start looking outside Mclaren

 

[The Artist.....]

Not sure were Button to improve whether that is enough to keep his seat

Personally, I don't see why it should be Button that needs to improve.

Last season, he easily matched Alonso all season, and beat him in the standings.
This season, he is easily matching Alonso on pace - and races.

Button regularly shows himself to match or better highly rated team mates.

This is all down to his Ronness and his prejudices.

Having said all this, I do hope that Button quits McLaren, and moves to another team, who go on to beat McLaren in 2017 and 2018. Williams might fit that bill.

 

[Il_leone]

Button to Williams I would not mind I was surprise that the BBC still thinks he could be wanted by either Ferrari - an outside chance or Mercedes - not a chance seeing they did not want to keep him in 2010 when he had no 1 on the car and it does not fit their philosophy of developing young drivers as well as having the best drivers available

 

[The Artist.....]

Il_leone

I suspect some at Mercedes have realised they made a mistake in 2010 in letting Button leave! After all, they spent massive amounts of money on Michael Schumacher, who was beaten by Rosberg... And Button went on to match Hamilton at McLaren!

 

[RasputinLives]

It'd love to have seen Button vs Rosberg back in 2010. I'm pretty sure JB would have got that one but it would have been good to watch.

 

[Il_leone]

that is why it really infuriates me that Kimi Raikkonen has still got a drive in a top team when his performances don't warrant it compared to the machinery he has

 

[The Artist.....]

Kimi Raikonnen's reputation was made by his pace at McLaren (against slow coach Coulthard, and then against fatboy Montoya). He then won a championship, with Felipe Massa as a teammate, before being beaten by Felipe; Felipe who has shone against no-one.

He then rebuilt his reputation against Grosjean, who had previously been comprehensively outpaced by Alonso, and then moved to Ferrari, where he was outpaced by Alonso, and then by Vettel (who himself had been massively outpaced by Riccardio).

It is hard to find an example of a driver who has been given more chances, with less evidence to support that chance!

 

[Il_leone]

The Artist..... I should add Nick Heidfeld beat Kimi in their season together and Massa had to let Kimi through to win the race and the championship


Looking at the practice times it does not appear Mclaren are that much closer than expected with their supposed chassis

 

[Spinodontosaurus]

Heidfeld beat Raikkonen in 2001, but only just and on a points per race metric they were actually dead even. Raikkonen was also a hugely inexperienced rookie having spent just 2 years in the junior categories (only 23 races). Heidfeld spent 6 years in the junior ranks, including 2 years as an F1 test driver before he got a race drive in 2000. Heidfeld's junior career was ridiculously impressive too I might add, with a combined 4 championships, a pair of 2nd places and a 3rd in the various categories he participated in.
From that perspective Raikkonen's rookie year was very, very impressive, so it's no surprise McLaren signed him up.

You may be dismissive of his achievements at McLaren but his reputation was largely deserved. Coulthard serves as a yardstick for us to rate Raikkonen relative to a driver many consider an all time great - Hakkinen. Raikkonen beat Coulthard by a greater margin than Hakkinen did, despite Hakkinen benefiting from team orders in his favour on several occasions and Raikkonen still being very inexperienced in his early years with Coulthard.

People are also conveniently ignoring the fact that Raikkonen is actually ahead of Vettel in the standings this year, but I'm drifting away from the topic.

 

[Il_leone]

Kimi's best days were at Mclaren but they and Mercedes let him down with reliability time and time again

 

[Bill Boddy]

that is why it really infuriates me that Kimi Raikkonen has still got a drive in a top team when his performances don't warrant it compared to the machinery he has

Kimi's best days were at Mclaren but they and Mercedes let him down with reliability time and time again

....
People are also conveniently ignoring the fact that Raikkonen is actually ahead of Vettel in the standings this year, but I'm drifting away from the topic.