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.)

 

[RayInTorontoCanada]

Time will tell, my friend.

Exciting times. Now and ahead!

 

[Senna's_right_foot]

Exciting times. Now and ahead!

As a McLaren fan, I bloody well hope so

 

[Jos the Boss]

I think the case has been the same as always, McLaren have a good car, but just at the wrong time

 

[Senna's_right_foot]

http://scarbsf1.wordpress.com/category/mclaren-mp4-26/

A plethora of technical info on the MP4-26. I'm sure many have read this blog but for those who haven't.

 

[Senna's_right_foot]

Sam Michael to join McLaren early.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95845

 

[racecub]

Cool that he gets to join them for two races this year! I really hope he can iron out some of the problems and silly mistakes McLaren have made this year. We'll see.

 

[Road of Bones]

Exclusive details of Sam Michael's tasking here: http://cliptheapex.com/threads/inside-the-mclaren-technology-centre.3572/#post-90670

Disclaimer - bypasses veracity confirmation protocols and may contain mendacity and/or nuts

 

[RasputinLives]

Cool that he gets to join them for two races this year! I really hope he can iron out some of the problems and silly mistakes McLaren have made this year. We'll see.

are we talking about the same Sam Michaels?

 

[racecub]

No? Oh thats a shame. They need someone with their finger on the whole pulse at race weekends. Cos I think they're lacking in that organisational part and not realising the full potential they could.

 

[The Pits]

I think to be fair to Sam, there was far too much to do at Williams, and he probably was not technical director material, I am not sure that his skills lay in that direction.

His role at McLaren will I believe be more in line with his area of expertise, and it is also an area that mclaren have been lacking since early 09, so it should be mutually beneficial.

Reserved judgement will of course be exercised.

 

[racecub]

Well that sounds more optimistic. I dont know if its since Ron's departure but they dont seem to have the same attention to detail, all bases covered etc. I know Ron was a stickler and not to everyone's taste but something seems lacking at the moment. lets hope it works out.

 

[RasputinLives]

I think the myth of 'Mclaren efficency' under Ron needs to be broken. Its fair to say Mclaren have made a few errors this season both in pit stops and strategy but no more than in any other season.

I certainly remember qualifying and strategy errors under Mr Dennis - not to mention pit stop mistakes.

Yes Ron is someone to look up to but lets not create a myth of ultimate efficency and brilliance around the man. I remember Mclaren not having their new car ready until the 7th race of the season once and just trundling around in last years car. Also 3 titles in 15 years is good but not the stuff of legend.

 

[racecub]

Well he certainly did pay attention to detail. I have an engineer friend who did some contract work for him(made something that either went on the car or was used for testing) and was around when the Mclaren technology centre was being built. Ron had the whole new drive taken up because the finish wasnt flat enough and all the windows(theres lots) taken out and redone because the light reflected wrongly off them. I also remember errors under Ron, so maybe this perfectionist trait isnt all for the good. But I do think the little errors have got worse.

 

[RasputinLives]

firstly I Racecub I think you'll love this thread http://cliptheapex.com/threads/inside-the-mclaren-technology-centre.3572/

and secondly, again without mocking the man for his acheivements I would be more impressed about the attention to detail you talked about if it hadn't happened in 2002 when Kimi had 9 retirements out of 17 and Mclaren finished a distant 3rd in the constructors.

Maybe if Ron had paid more attention to how the car was doing that year rather than how flat his driveway was they'd have done better?

Attention to detail isn't always a good thing. I had a friend who's a DJ and he was given a hour set on the radio. He spent a whole week planning exactly what he was going to play and pruning the whole hour, it sounded amazing - however on the day of the show he spent so long trying to fine tune it that he missed his bus and got to the Radio Station half hour late meaning no one got to hear how good it was!

 

[Bill Boddy]

The man at the top should have a reasonable knowledge of everything going on without being involved in the detail. He should delegate to his management team. It's like the old saying of not being able to see the wood for the trees.

 

[racecub]

As I said maybe his perfectionist traits may not all be for the good. But I think with his current McLaren enerprises and being one of the most successful F1 team principals ever.......and baring in mind where Dennis started, they havent done him too bad. On delegation, I believe he set up incredible levels of management structure to prevent dependence on one individual.
Im not saying everything was perfect, of course there were errors, but I think its got worse.
On car retirements, that was an era when cars were more unreliable anyway.You often had retirements, rarely do you see one these days.
I think during the changeover to the McLaren Technology Centre it probably did affect the F1 efforts.

 

[The Artist.....]

I suppose there is always a question of who was truly responsible for McLaren's success in the 1980s.

Had it not been for the foresight of John Barnard, then McLaren would never have stolen a march on the rest of the field for the 1980s. Furthermore, McLaren took advantage of Honda power in 1988, and were the one big budget team to gain the best engine. Had that engine been put in the Williams chassis, then it could, quite easily, have been a different story.

McLaren's history is littered with examples of the right person being head-hunted (usually from Williams) at the right time!

In 1984, TAG were tempted from Williams to fund a turbo engine for McLaren.

In 1988, Honda ditched Williams for McLaren.

In 1997, Adrian Newey deserted Williams and joined McLaren.

Ron Dennis was the mind that led these changes, but he is not totally responsible for their success! - However, throughout the 1980s, there were other hands that were also steering the ship - most notably within the Phillip Morris organisation!

 

[cider_and_toast]

In 1997, Adrian Newey deserted Williams and joined McLaren.

That was a pickle of Williams' on making. Newey left in protest of Frank Williams treatment of Damon Hill. Fortunatly for Williams the bulk of the design work for the 97 car was complete before Newey left otherwise that season would have been quite a diffferent story.

It reminds me of part of the Senna movie where Frank Williams gave him a test in the Williams (in which Senna set some clearly impressive times) and then goes on to state that Williams policy was not to sign young drivers.

Anyway, slightly off topic. Sorry.

 

[The Artist.....]

That was a pickle of Williams' on making. Newey left in protest to Frank Williams treatment of Damon Hill. Fortunatly for Williams the bulk of the design work for the 97 car was complete before Newey left otherwise that season would have been quite a diffferent story.

There was also the fact that Williams wouldn't make him technical director (And ended up making Sam Michael that eventually!).....

 

[landogeorgelewis1]

So if Mclaren are providing technology for both Virgin, does that mean they'll still be be providing it for Force India aswell?