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]

well that clears things up because it seems like the rift was long before Ojjeh was off sick

thank you KekeTheKing

 

[Il_leone]

Zak Brown receives offers from McLaren and Liberty Media

This is gathering pace

 

[Incubus]

Surely I can't be the only one to find the prospect of Zak Brown and Liberty Media a tad concerning? Brown is already the chairman of a number of influential motorsport publications - Autosport among them - so there issomething decidedly uncomfortable about the idea of the same person effectively being in charge of F1's commercial side - which basically means being in charge of F1 full stop - and of the main publications covering it.

Once he gets the job, well you won't hear too much criticism of the way the sport is run and all of a sudden every decision about everything on and off the track will be absolutely!-definitely! bang-on the right and correct ones and F1 keeps getting better! and it's never been so exciting aand we've never had it so good! etc...

I dunno, there's something very murdoch-ish about it...

 

[Il_leone]

There are suggestions that Jost Capito will be replaced as well as part of the cull even though he only took up his new position a few months ago

 

[vintly]

Surely I can't be the only one to find the prospect of Zak Brown and Liberty Media a tad concerning?

If that does come to pass then his effectiveness will be judged on the commercial success of F1, not what is portrayed in the potentially biased press. If 'inventive' use of publicity channels translates to increased shareholder dividends, then he's doing his job. Numbers don't lie.

 

[Il_leone]

The reason I think Zak Brown is considered is because he can change Mclaren commercially ... Ron Dennis has not managed to find a title sponsor for the team --- you would think a lot of sponsors would want to be associated with Mclaren

Its the first I have heard but Eric Bouillier was considering leaving the team because he could not get on with Ron's autocratic style


Past Mclaren successes have been down to the ability of their drivers to lead the team - Senna, and Prost or the genius of Adrian Newey to the point it appears to dampen Ron's autocratic style to the background

The problem also seems to be Ron despite gaining control of the team had a target marked on his back with borrowed time to deliver to hold off the other shareholders

 

[Il_leone]

I was just thinking that now Ron is gone , should and would Honda want to supply a 2nd team to help gain more data on the engine say like Sauber which won't happen until 2018?

Ron has always insisted on exclusive engine deals through his time which probably worked because he had drivers like Prost and Senna to really push the development and testing was unlimited but both Tag and Honda were eventually caught and passed in the 80s and early 90's

The same thing happened with Mercedes it was the most powerful engine but both BMW and Ferrari did eventually catch up

It makes no sense for Honda just to supply one team when all the other engine suppliers have got more than 1 team

 

[Incubus]

Ron has always insisted on exclusive engine deals through his time which probably worked because he had drivers like Prost and Senna to really push the development and testing was unlimited but both Tag and Honda were eventually caught and passed in the 80s and early 90's

----------------------------

I don't think that was down to the engine though, nor do I think the Honda was ever bettered at the time. The V10 Honda was still clearly the best engine in 1990 and 1991, it was more to do with the Ferrari chassis '90 and the Williams the following year gaining the upper hand in the areo stakes. I remember quite a few races within that period where Senna was holding a lead ahead of Prost in the the Ferrari or Mansell in the Williams who were driving better balanced cars but struggled to overtake him because as soon as they'd reach a straight Senna would put himself out of reach thanks to the Honda' s superior acceleration.

We all remember that wheel-to-wheel battle along the pit straight in Barcelona between Seena and Mansell. The reason why it looked so exciting was mostly because despite having got plenty of toe from Senna he still wasn't going any faster than him along the straight, and had to wait until the braking area to do the overtake. Clearly the Honda in terms of power was second to none back then.

Plus, Honda did also supply Tyrrell in 1991, albeit on a customer basis.

 

[Il_leone]

Incubus Tyrell had Honda V10 whilst Mclaren had Honda V12 but Senna kept pushing Honda to deliver more power until Williams realised that they had to be more technically advanced than Mclaren to beat them

It was said the genius of Senna was the reason he was 1991 World champion not because MClaren and Honda were better than Williams and Renault or Ferrari

I

 

[Incubus]

Surprised there doesn't seem to have been any comments on the arrival of Zak Brown?... Will he now be using Autosport or his other publications as a promotional vehicle for McLaren? I suppose having him as head of marketing as well does have its advantages when it comes to attracting investors seeing as though he can effectively display the names of sponsors pretty much wherever he chooses on the publications of which he is the chairman.

Hopefully that won't affect the impartiality of the journalists working under him... ()

 

[Il_leone]

Strange you would think Autosport would be clambering all over about it but maybe they were kept in the dark about it as well

What about the other news today - Button is now going to retire after all this weekend

 

[gethinceri]

That's nonsense!

 

[F1Brits_90]

watching FP1, they mentioned that McLaren have a executive committee until they replace Ron Dennis, but i dont get why McLaren need to replace Ron Dennis & hire another management figure, because they have former lotus boss Eric Bouiller & VW WRC boss Jost capito, & now theyve brought in Zak brown who had the choice to run the sport

 

[Road of Bones]

When you have more Chiefs than Indians, then you know your company is boned...

 

[teabagyokel]

What about Force India? They have one Indian chief.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

To be fair there's more to McLaren Technology Group than just McLaren F1. Interestingly MTG claims it's the 3rd largest conglomerate in the UK by revenue.

 

[F1Brits_90]

What about Force India. They have one Indian chief.

True but often you have to find him

 

[Il_leone]

The problem appears to be under Ron's stewardship it feels like everyone was constrained and Mclaren did not progress as much as they should

 

[The Pits]

Technological diversification precludes totalitarian structure.

 

[RasputinLives]

If Mclaren are smart they'll snaffle up this kid for their young driver programme as quickly as possible.

Norris wins McLaren Formula 1 test run

Having watched him over the last year Lando Norris really is that good (like Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen good) and with a bit of guidance he'll be a force to be reckoned with in F1 at somepoint.