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.)

 

[Greenlantern101]

He is from Bespin. Do you people know nothing.

Lando Norris

 

[RasputinLives]

He's not from Bespin! He won a mining operation there in a card game and lived there for a while. He's from Socorro.

 

[Il_leone]

In other news Pat Fry has rejoined Mclaren

 

[Il_leone]

I think that might help Mclaren that Pat has returned to the team and knows the operations well enough and be a calming influence

 

[Titch]

I think that’s good news for McLaren.

 

[Il_leone]

I had not realised Pat had a fall out with Martin Whitmarsh which was the reason why he joined Ferrari

 

[F1Brits_90]

its a tough job for pat fry arguably toughest in F1. because McLaren is big ship that needs a miracle to be blunt since 2015 its just got worse & worse. without Alonso to bail them out they could be fighting Williams to avoid finishing last

 

[The Artist.....]

F1Brits_90 - alternatively, without the ego (and the massive pay-cheque) of Alonso, McLaren might actually be able to make progress...

I always thought that the biggest mistake they made was employing Alonso in the first place! If they had partnered Button with Vandoorne, they could have made some significant progress (and they would now be reaping the rewards of the improved Honda engine)...

 

[F1Brits_90]

The Artist..... you cant really say about the pay cheque because McLaren supposedly have 4th biggest budget in F1. for all Alonso off track problems. as we all know now Honda were responable for reliability but then low top speed was down to dreadful drag chassis from prodroumou & that if they had allowed a 2nd team to take a honda engine then they would've have the best of both worlds. but you cant deny that he has pulled numerous amazing results that shouldn't have been possible with that car. then judging this year McLaren have got 52pts Alonso contributed 44 of them

 

[RasputinLives]

What amazing results? Also he's retired from 7 of the last 8 races so reliability was probably some McLaren too.

 

[F1Brits_90]

What amazing results? Also he's retired from 7 of the last 8 races so reliability was probably some McLaren too.

Over his spell since 2015. 5th in hungary, Monaco USA & Austraila 6th in hungary & russia. qualified 7th in spain. Out of 42 races he seen the chequered flag he's scored points in 24. Included every race this season

 

[F1Brits_90]

I hate to design part of MTC currently.

 

[RasputinLives]

Interestingly Alonso has 6 retirements this season (not 7 like I said earlier) and he only had 4 in the entire 2016 season. Considering Honda were all over the place in 2016 it shows something is fundamentally wrong with that car

 

[gethinceri]

Yes, possibly the drivers?

 

[siffert_fan]

https://sniffpetrol.com/2018/09/04/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-lando-norris/

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives I am prepared to say that the issue is Mclaren or Zac Brown/ Eric Bouillier whoever it was up the hierarchy got rid of the wrong Mclaren engineer. They sacked Tim Goss who has been with the team for a while but I am still trying to work out what does Peter Prodromou do or add to the car.

If he is the aero dynamics specialist who came with this big reputation having been working with Adrian Newey then I am definitely not seeing the car improving in that department

Ever since Tim has been sacked Mclaren have tended to have difficulties getting out of Q1 . Now is that pure coincidence or are we saying Mclaren are in such a mess not that it is not solvable?

 

[F1Brits_90]

Coca-Cola agrees F1 sponsorship deal with McLaren

well lets hope this puts the fizz back in McLaren as they been flat now for 5+ years

 

[RasputinLives]

Is it Coca Cola Zero? Not sure it's good for McLaren to have Zero written on their car right now.

 

[The Artist.....]

Well, one possibility is that McLaren will revert to a red and white livery in 2019, when Coca Cola become their title sponsor... that'd be a great result... If McLaren looked anything like the 1970/80/90s McLaren, that would be a great thing!

 

[Il_leone]

I would find Mclaren in Coco Cola somewhat too close to Ferrari

Its a brilliant coup and its one I did not see coming. I thought Mclaren with Sainz now might have been better off with Telefonica Movistar who have been ditched by Yamaha in Moto GP and replaced by Monster

Maybe the trend is for drinks companies to be the main sponsor.