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.)

 

[Angel]

Wait until JV arrives to save them in a "player/manager" role, they'll be topping the Champs in no time.

So long as he doesn't bring Craig Pollock with him, I could live with that.

 

[Grizzly]

JV has held the no.1 spot in the acclaimed Total fuckwit's that used to be involved in F1 and have an uncanny ability to stick there nose in and make dumb junior-fuckwit journalists print their fuckwittiness, or TFTUTBIIF1AHAUATSTNIAMDJFJPTF for ease of reference and the benefit of our North American Cousins (NAC) rankings for more than 10 years. I don't see him opening up to competition from that pollock.

I should probably confirm that this is NOT a totally unbiased personal view, as JV is someone I've always had something of a soft spot for.

 

[Angel]

I used to be in the JV fan club, that is how much of a fan I was of his. Often now when I see he's commented on something in F1 I just think 'please shut up and stop doing this!'

McLaren need to do something, they blamed the Honda engine for two years and it seemed logical that they could be right. This year they have the Renault engine and they're still nowhere, whilst Toro Rosso are doing okay with that engine thanks, so now who do you blame? It has to be internal issues that need addressing.

 

[Galahad]

Gil de Ferran is a lovely man, and will do lots of interviews to patiently explain how everything is going to be all right. He won't help a bit with making the car faster, though.

And rumours of a full season Indycar programme won't go away. Possibly Zak Brown is worrying about the wrong things?

 

[Bill Boddy]

It seems that McLaren are at least facing up to the fact that they have severe problems which will take a lot of hard work to cure.

Formula 1: Years before McLaren competitive again - Zak Brown

 

[Angel]

Going from the front of the grid to the back can happen alarmingly quickly, getting back to the front again takes a lot of years, a lot of effort and a lot money. So good luck to them, they're going to need it.

 

[FB]

I think McLaren would be better appointing Bobby McFerrin rather than Gil de Ferran. At least Bobby wouldn't worry and would be happy...



I'll get me coat!

 

[Bill Boddy]

If Honda have another disaster next season Adrian Newey might fancy the challenge. Remember, you heard it here first.

 

[F1Brits_90]

If Honda have another disaster next season Adrian Newey might fancy the challenge. Remember, you heard it here first.

It would be an odd move considering how freedom he is given at red bull & his last spell at mclaren didnt go well. He was trying to leave from 2001 - 2005

 

[Il_leone]

Adrian Newey burned his bridges with Mclaren when he tried to move to Jaguar back in 2001 and it got leaked which then had to be abandoned.

Mclaren apparently then had someone to keep an eye on Newey from then. At the same time Mercedes took over the engine building from Ilmor incorporated as part of Mercedes. This lead to the engine being underpowered and not able to last race distances which was most evident between 2003-2005.

Newey for his part , did deliver the potential championship winning Mclaren Mp4-20 which was let down by the Mercedes engine

Prior to that he designed the MP4-18 which was meant to be for 2003 but never raced because it failed crash tests despite its rumoured pace

From the Mp4-18 they rushed straight into MP4-19 which was woeful as vibrational issues meant constant engine and gearbox failures and the car was redesigned into MP4-19B which was far more competitive.

Newey and his team in 2006 left for Red Bull once the Mp4-21 was designed and it left Mclaren in slight disarray given the uncertainty surrounding the future of their drivers as well knowing that Alonso was already confirmed for 2007. The team should have won races but did not win any at all and Montoya was sacked half way into the season.

 

[Il_leone]

Gil De Ferran - role as Honda sporting director did not work out because he felt uncomfortable within the team

BBC SPORT | Motorsport | Formula One | De Ferran quits role with Honda

What is the role of "Sporting director??" , it sounds just as confusing as "Director of Football"

I don't blame Gil for quitting the Honda role because the team was in a mess in terms of directional leadership, too many decisions being made at the top and taking too long from people who don't understand motor racing and trying to run the team corporately.

Nick Fry who ran BAR Honda ended up taking them team to the back end of the grid from the front very quickly
--------------------------

As for Gil's team management experience - he ran his own ALMS team for one season which finished 2nd in 2009

He tried to run his own Indycar team which folded after 1 season

 

[Bill Boddy]

Ron Dennis has left McLaren F1Brits_90.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Ron Dennis has left McLaren F1Brits_90.

True & be might be the one he had the problem with. But as in F1 their in many teams that employees staying for decades. & they wont have forgotten him

 

[cider_and_toast]

Eddie Jordan's bit on the problems at Williams and McLaren, just shown on Ch4, stuck the knife in and twisted.

According to Jordan, the talk of Indy is too distracting and Alonso has far too much power in the team.

The arrival of De Ferran will do nothing to change this as it's 'jobs for the boys'. De Ferran is apparently best mates with Zak Brown and his daughter is going out with Vandoorne.

They immediately cut to Zak Brown to discuss Eddie's bit afterwards. Awkward is the word that sprung to mind.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Eddie Jordan's bit on the problems at Williams and McLaren, just shown on Ch4, stuck the knife in and twisted.

According to Jordan, the talk of Indy is too distracting and Alonso has far too much power in the team.

The arrival of De Ferran will do nothing to change this as it's 'jobs for the boys'. De Ferran is apparently best mates with Zak Brown and his daughter is going out with Vandoorne.

They immediately cut to Zak Brown to discuss Eddie's bit afterwards. Awkward is the word that sprung to mind.

Ill to have find that clip

 

[Il_leone]

F1Brits_90 cider_and_toast I saw that bit prior to start of qualifying and Eddie did not hold back with Mclaren. A bit raw if your kids was watching to hear those things

I'll keep the Williams bit separate but with Mclaren

Off course Alonso trying to do thee triple crown is distracting because Brown admitted they want to keep him in the Mclaren " family"

Eddie said that heads would need to roll at Mclaren a few months back and Bouillier resigned but probably was about to be fired anyway

He does not have faith in De Ferran who is mates with Brown . Now to think it makes sense if De Ferran wanted an Indy Car team but had to close his team down and Mclaren are still unsure if they want to do Indy. Then getting De Ferran meant getting contacts to do Indycar with Alonso as possible one of the drivers and let Gil run the team

The final bit they need a technical director with leadership direction which is what everyone can clearly see with the mess Mclaren are in. So getting Ross Brawn should have been a primary objective

It seems like Peter Prodomou is not the right person to lead Mclaren design team

 

[Titch]

Norris to Mclaren then. That’s the end of his career then.

 

[Greenlantern101]

Or he makes the highly regarded Carlos Sainz look pedestrian and signs for Mercedes in a few years time.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Yes,

A Bristolian Formula One Driver.

Get in there me babber !!!

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

Bristolian? I though he was Irish - like Tim O'Glock.