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.)

 

[Galahad]

It's even worse than I thought; I read today Honda's contribution is £100m, not £60m.

Vandoorne has been flattered by a few mechanical problems (surprise surprise) for Alonso. He was walking wounded at Monza.

Hopefully Stoffel can show genuine pace at some point. Thus far I've been disappointed, and understand McLaren being keen to keep Alonso on board.

 

[The Pits]

Mclaren seem to be in a catch 22. Relying on Honda for funding due to thd absence of title sponsors and a seriously expensive driver, move away from Honda, results may improve, but you gamble that a title sponsor will come, and that the additional prize money would offset the loss of 100m somewhat.

Personally, i think the gamble would be thevway to go, but then its not my money!!!

 

[Il_leone]

siffert_fan He is berating HONDA not MCLAREN. To be honest MCLAREN and HONDA don't really seem to act like a partnership as one team.

Mclaren would get more money from sponsors if they can say " We have one of the world's best driver on the grid driving for us " - it use to be a something that Marlboro wanted from Mclaren ever since 1981
Yes they are not doing great .. if only Alonso' optimism was lifted maybe more sponsors would come on board and that is why they need to switch to Renault.

 

[Il_leone]

Galahad Mclaren are probably losing more than £100m in sponsorship money and constructors position due to the poor performance in the Honda engine

 

[siffert_fan]

IMO, that is hair-splitting of the first magnitude.

I suspect that all a would-be sponsor would see is Alonso, wearing a driving suit emblazened "McLaren" and saying that the bloody car couldn't pass a turtle! It seems to me that such statements taint every aspect of the team, including raising questions of the competency of the team management for entering into agreements that haven't worked out as planned. How is that likely to entice sponsors?

 

[siffert_fan]

If I was McLaren, I would be trying to coax Button out of retirement so I could part ways with the ultra-high-maintenance Alonso. I have seen no evidence that FA is of any use whatsoever in developing a car during a season. Driver input is critical in that as computer modeling is frequently not an accurate of real world performance. I also question FA is anywhere near his prime as far as driving ability goes.

 

[Andyoak]

If having Alonso is going to attract a title sponsor, shouldn't it have happened by now?

Why are McLaren and Honda not working as a team? It's unlikely to be lack of talent on either side; so it must be structure and information shortfalls.

 

[F1Brits_90]

for me ive seen enough to know mclaren chassis is good, i know Brundle in his many Fp2 sessions i noted how great it looks in the corners, also in wet sessions, circuits like Spain Hungary & Singapore. McLaren has been quite competitive because the 20/25kph gap isnt damaging

 

[Rutherford]

siffert_fan Why Button, who has retired from the sport. They should be aiming at a young driver, Rowland, Sainz Jr., I mean anything but another old driver.

 

[Bill Boddy]

There have been many "pay drivers" in the sport and shown up their lack of skill but Honda is a rare beast in that it is a "pay engine supplier".

 

[Rutherford]

 

[gethinceri]

siffert_fan Why Button,

 

[RasputinLives]

Just a practical question at this point (are we doing Stonehenge tomorrow night) - if Alonso decides to go off to Indy Car, Button is retired, they've said they won't run Norris and Sainz is tied to Torro Rosso or Renault, who are Mclaren left with?

 

[The Artist.....]

RasputinLives
JB has said that he intends returning to full time racing next season; he hasn't announced what series, but he does seem to have fallen in love with racing again!

 

[Rutherford]

Just a practical question at this point (are we doing Stonehenge tomorrow night) - if Alonso decides to go off to Indy Car, Button is retired, they've said they won't run Norris and Sainz is tied to Torro Rosso or Renault, who are Mclaren left with?

Oliver Rowland! Did you watch the GP2 race in Monza, did you watch it? He'd be awesome in F1! #GivetheKidaChance

 

[RasputinLives]

Yes but they won't. If they wanted to bring a rookie in they'd go for Norris.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Oliver Rowland! Did you watch the GP2 race in Monza, did you watch it? He'd be awesome in F1! #GivetheKidaChance

I'm a huge fan of Rowland from 4 years & helps he from Sheffield. I hope he gets the 2nd seat at Renault. but getting destroyed by Leclerc every week doesn't help

 

[Rutherford]

GP2 cars aren't fully equal though and thus, to a degree, the results depend on which team a driver is with in F2. It's the same in other series such as GP3 and F3.
Furthermore, it does seem that Leclerc, at least in junior series, is an outstanding talent similar to Max Verstappen, they don't come around too often.

Anyway, I don't know why we're discussing this. McLaren is on Alonsos leash and the focus is on Honda and publicly scolding them.

 

[F1Brits_90]

im not 1 for conspiracy theories but this is just another strange twist in Alonso / McLaren / Honda / Renault saga. because for some reason he has deleted any refence to Mclaren or Honda & just says hes a F1 driver. with a picture of his karting school

& also something i found thought was hilarious

 

[siffert_fan]

Rutherford asked : Why Button?

1. He's a driver of no mean ability (WDC (which McLaren prefer), beat his teammate Hamilton in 2011)
2. Is charismatic and non-controversial, which should help attract sponsors.
3. Lacks the super-huge ego of FA
4. Should be able to get the team headed in the right direction as his record seems to indicate the ability and willingness to concentrate on the job at hand, rather than moaning about it.

That seems a reasonable list of attributes to me. And they would not be committing to a long-term contract. They could start with a single-year agreement.

IMO, having two young and relatively inexperienced drivers in a troubled team is NOT likely to make that team progress.