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.)

 

[EvilWhippet]

Damn, I was a minute too late and FB beat to pointing out his own prediction!!

 

[Cookinflatsix]

why the smilley? you asked 'seriously how ca n they screw up again' I provided a possible explanation

 

[Jen]

I think it's a fault on Hamilton's car - cross-threading suggests that there is a mechanical fault on the axle/wheel, not the nut. How often do teams check these bog standard things?

 

[Cookinflatsix]

It could have been the same with JBs last weekend, then they should have checked both, maybe they are not allowed to check.Have to wait for some news from team

 

[FB]

From Ted K on the post race show - the nut was cross threaded and the jack man had dropped the car so they had to lift it up again. The wheel man also had to change the wheel gun as the other gun had the new nut in it. Mclaren moving the "captive" wheel nut system Mercedes us for the next race. Let's see if things improve.

 

[The Artist.....]

Hmm... What happens if the nut cross-threads on a captive wheel nut system?

 

[Hamberg]

They have to replace the whole wheel and then the other three wheels as they are part of a set. The theory is the hit rate is better on the captive system

 

[Vortex]

they have to change the whole set again.

 

[The Artist.....]

It strikes me that there is a huge risk associated with a captive wheel nut system, since one crossed thread would mean all 4 tyres would need to be changed (as as far as I know, teams are no longer allowed to just change 1 tyre....)... That would take a heck of a lot of organisation, not least for mclaren's pit crew- who seem to have had far too many mistakes this season!

 

[FB]

Could it make them any worse then they have been?

 

[Vortex]

Might be why Schumacher had to retire last race. The wheel never came off did it but they knew it was damaged.

 

[Hamberg]

FB

That is my immediate fear. It doesn't seem to matter what McLaren do, they never cease to surprise in how much they can bugger things up when in a good position.

They do have to do something so...

 

[The Artist.....]

Could it make them any worse then they have been?

Give mclaren's handling of crisis situations, I could imagine a case where one or other driver comes in, gets a cross threaded nut, and then has to wait while the mechanics change the tyres to new wheels, as they've already used all their previous sets!

 

[FB]

MW - first pit stop they had a "pegging" problem. The wheel and the drive pegs didn't line up. 2nd one was the cross thread (bet it wasn't as cross as Lewis Hamilton)

 

[Hamberg]

Whitmarsh has pretty much said they need to perfect this system and said that's what took Schumacher out of the race. I have to say, phew.

 

[Brogan]

Off topic, but it should also be noted that Ferrari have a much coarser thread on their wheels, so less turns are required and there is less risk of cross threading.

Perhaps that's the way to go?

 

[Jen]

It's the little things that count then!

 

[landogeorgelewis1]

Brogan

Yes i think Mclaren should go the Ferrari way with their tyres or else we're just gonna get a repeat of this during the season.

 

[P1]

Watching this season, I can't help but get the impression that McLaren is continuing to fail as a team. They have thrown away so many points, where they should have a commanding championship lead by now (even recognising improvements by competitors).

Much of this is blocking and tackling like pit stops.

And whenever I see Whitmarsh on TV, he is always acting as if everything is great. I never see from Whitmarsh the anger I used to see from Ron Dennis or for that matter from people like Domenicali. I am beginning to wonder if he has full control of his team or whether the legendary McLaren performance culture has given way to his easy going style. The Team seems a mere shadow of the 2008 McLaren.

Should Whitmarsh go?

 

[Speshal]

Batman I've merged your post into this thread as it seems to fit in here - Cheers