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.)

 

[Cookinflatsix]

There is no doubt that it was very important for the drivers that use the sims most to calibrate and spend time actually on track. However by my calculations; there were 24 hours or so available of testing. A race lasts 2 hours, technical calibration and setup is an open ended iterative process. One of drivers actually requested time but was unable to be accommodated. All of this also seems to have been decided ahead of the season, oh and finally a new direction on how air flows over the whole car from the front has been decided at this test session.

In view of all this, we would normally have to conclude that by not even giving a fraction of the time to a driver the experts are correct and have achieved a benefit mere mortals can't see. Yet with the McLaren of the last few years lingers the feeling that they might have relied too much on technology and textbook operational processes. Surely it is not impossible that they have played too cautious or simply errered, as simple as erring in a pit stop or two

One things for sure, we will be non the wiser as to whether it was a mistake to not take the drivers for at least a part of the test, we won't know till at least FP1, maybe not even then, maybe by Q3, or the end of the race, or maybe the end of the season to be really sure. Having said that it could take a few years to really see the benefit, if not a whole generation

 

[FB]

One things for sure, we will be non the wiser as to whether it was a mistake to not take the drivers for at least a part of the test, we won't know till at least FP1...

The words nail, head and hitting spring to mind...

 

[Brogan]

A tweet just now from McLaren's official tweeter.

"Do the drivers know the others set up on the car?" Yes, all data is shared between the two. Total equality.

https://twitter.com/#!/TheFifthDriver/status/200918856288575488

 

[Galahad]

"From Lewis and my point of view, we wouldn't have learned anything driving around Mugello. It will not help us this year.
"We know how to drive a racing car and we feel that the new parts can be tested by the test drivers.
"I don't think we have lost out: in fact we have actually gained for later in the season because it is important that our test drivers who do most of the testing in the simulator do really understand where the car is. So I think everyone else is wrong!!"

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/99486

 

[racecub]

Why is Jenson speaking for Leiws here? Lewis did feel the test would be useful and wanted to attend it.

 

[Brogan]

I would have thought the people best placed to provide feedback as to how an upgrade performs on the track compared to existing parts would be the people who drive the actual car on the track every other weekend.

I don't work for an F1 team though, so what do I know?

 

[Cookinflatsix]

And the ones best placed to tell if it performs right in the simulator are the test drivers, luckily races are now won in the simulator, apparently

 

[The Artist.....]

Races may not be won in the simulator, but the more work that is done to ensure that the simulator is properly calibrated is work that will have far- reaching benefits, not just confined to one or two weekends.

When most of the development work in the simulator is run by test drivers, and most of the testing of new parts is done in the simulator, then a good calibration is absolutely essential! Having not had the race drivers at the mugello test doesn't seem to have harmed the McLaren test so far this weekend.... However, if mclaren have paffett and turvey running simulation work later in the season, they need to know that their work is going to calibrate to the track!

 

[The Artist.....]

Ps... Can I just point out this article from the telegraph-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/mo...on-Button-to-Mugello-baffles-Mark-Webber.html

The most relevant paragraph states that the team would not stand in Lewis hamilton's way if he was desperate to attend the test.... But in the end Hamilton chose not to travel to Italy....

 

[Jen]

If test drivers don't test, what would be their point?

 

[F1ang-o]

The Artist.....
Reading that report from the Telegraph, sounds like Lewis would have been as welcome as a.........................
" The Woking team said they would not stand in Hamilton's way if he was desperate to attend the test"
"But stressed that they saw it as a golden opportunity, to give Paffet & Turvey track time. in the MP4-27, during an era of no in-season testing.
The feeling at McLaren is that ................Paffet & Turvey will derive more benefit from experience in the current car....
"In the end Hamilton decided not to travel to Italy"................
No wonder.
Jen
That question needs to be asked of all the other teams, that took their drivers....all of whom thought it was the right thing to do.

 

[Brogan]

Once again, my opening post in this thread is very apt.

McLaren really are their own worst enemy sometimes, making the most basic of mistakes which really shouldn't be happening for a team which has contested so many seasons in F1.

They threw away a championship in 2007 with rubbish decisions, mainly tyres in China.
Almost did again in 2008 with a dreadful qualifying strategy in Brazil.
And now they seem to be throwing points away at almost every race with late pit stops, fumbled tyre changes and pit stop errors.

 

[Cookinflatsix]

Nothing seems to be changing, It seems at best to be constantly this bad or it could be getting worse. And the team appear to be above any criticism or scrutiny in the media. They are so media friendly that everyone just assumes everything will be ok and its just a blip or just a one off mistake etc etc

This thread alone is full of references to the 'problem' relating to how things happen at Mclaren, but the team is secure from the need to change anything major, so, for us amatuers to question or assume the team are not just recipients of bad luck is boring and pointless really

 

[Hamberg]

I fear this may be the final straw and McLaren will have to start looking for a new driver for next season. Unforgivable I'm afraid.

 

[The Artist.....]

Cookinflatsix

I don't think anyone claims that mclaren are just the victims of bad luck. The only time I've heard luck discussed is when asymmetries between hamilton and button have been discussed! Underfilling the car with fuel is an unforgivable crime- but it's obviously very easy to do- especially when weight of the car is so important- although in this case it was completely unnecessary, such was hamilton's dominance!

However, I would also say that it would be criminal to try and put the blame at the door of Whitmarsh. This has been something that has plagued mclaren for many years- and may even resume the result of the need to have everything under a level of control-freakery that is almost unheard of elsewhere!

 

[Porceliamone]

I really wouldn't be surprised if McLaren have to find another driver for next year. How much longer can the absolute ineptitude continue?

 

[Josh]

To all our fans: so sorry about this error. We are more gutted than anybody. An amazing performance by Lewis throughout Q, ruined.

https://twitter.com/#!/paddylowe/status/201390427440545792

 

[Jen]

Cookinflatsix, only the future can be changed, I think.

 

[sushifiesta]

In my Inbox... they were a bit eager to send it I think...

 

[teabagyokel]

sushifiesta

And Williams are catching up again!