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.)

 

[RasputinLives]

The 'I'm driving the best' appeal always looms large for a consumer though. The I'm driving a Merc because they won the championship and therefore Merc are the best line of thinking.

 

[Il_leone]

well it seems Mclaren will split with Honda for 2018 but would they seriously go back to them if Honda suddenly improved with a season at Sauber?

The Mercedes rumour that they will get rid of their F1 team and become an engine supplier only makes only sense to save costs and to compete in other series but they have one of the best drivers in the car and have got youngsters which they are grooming to step up and take over

 

[RasputinLives]

Il_leone that's not a real rumour. We just made it up on here.

 

[teabagyokel]

It is definitely brilliant marketing to have the word 'Mercedes' or 'Ferrari' read out on the advertising-free BBC News, and on a two-hour broadcast every couple of weeks, and to see that triple-star or prancing horse or charging-bulls-with-sun appear on the newspapers.

Think back to those news reports of describing the McLaren of Ayrton Senna/Alain Prost/Mika Hakkinen/Kimi Raikkonen/Lewis Hamilton/Jenson Button/Phillipe Alliot. Not good for marketing is it? That's why McLaren-Mercedes can't be allowed to beat Mercedes on a prolonged basis.

There's really very few ways to screw up being your own team from a marketing perspective...

 

[FB]

Nice prefix

 

[siffert_fan]

I have to say that I haven't known a single person that has made a car-buying decision based upon a marque's performance in racing, at least since the 70s.

And back then, it was Le Mans, NOT F1, that influenced the decision.

After all, how impressive is an engine that has to be replaced in 1000km or less?

 

[teabagyokel]

I don't think anyone consciously buys a Renault Clio because Alonso won the title in 2006, but it's all to do with brand recognition.

If people remember the name, they might just buy the car.

 

[Andyoak]

Worked for me... I bought a Skoda Rapid (the proper one with the engine in the back) based on RAC Rally success; well, that and not having much money at the time.

 

[Andyoak]

I'd love a Clio Williams

Although, family might mean settling on that F1 engined Espace.

 

[Il_leone]

teabagyokel I seem to remember Renault sales going up in the early 90's and they attributed part of the success down to Nigel Mansell romping away with the title in 1992

 

[Il_leone]

Incidentally there are rumours that a new team with Chinese investment wants to come in F1 next season and is based in England having already tried to poach a few Red Bull engineers. There has been no official application for the 2018 but I wonder if this team have asked about possible use of Mercedes engines so Mclaren better get in there

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

If Alonso does leave Mclaren and Mercedes disband the F1 team , would Lewis Hamilton go to Mclaren if they get the Merc engine because i) Ron Dennis is not there for a start ii) One presumes that Mclaren might use leverage saying they ought to be the factory team over Williams given their past sucesses ?

 

[Andyoak]

Isn't that exactly what they said to Honda?
That went well...

 

[vintly]

Lewis to McLaren? Been there done that.

 

[Andyoak]

Alonso?

 

[Il_leone]

The wild rumours circulating now was Williams will consider ditching Mercedes engines and become the works Honda team and that releases Mclaren to go with Mercedes engines

 

[FB]

That would make sense for Williams. I'm sure Frank wants the team to continue long after he is dead and gone and a partnership with Honda would secure the teams future. I suspect McLaren would be in significant financial trouble without Honda money.

 

[Il_leone]

FB They are owned by Bahrainians so money is not an issue . It is more that they have to foot the money themselves without getting the sponsors to do it

In fact Zak Brown has said the money from Honda is no longer offsetting the lost money in constructors and lost sponsors money

 

[RasputinLives]

Lots of rumours about Porsche considering supplying F1 engines and also lots of rumours of Eric Boullier having been seen talking to them.

I would have thought due to the Newey connection it might have been more about Red Bull but apparently not.

 

[cider_and_toast]

What do Porsche know about building race winning hybrid engine technology?

 

[Galahad]

I'll eat my if a VAG brand enters F1 now.