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.)

 

[Brogan]

I don't know, was it?

Certainly it was Button's but I'm not sure it was McLaren's.

 

[Porceliamone]

Hamilton's 1st pit stop was flawless. 2.8 or 2.9 seconds stationary time wasn't it? The fastest pitstop of all teams this year I believe. Pity about the jack failure on the second. I wonder who had the ultimate call on whether it was used or not. Bet they regret that one! A shame.

 

[Brogan]

As a team, it would be better to lose a few tenths each stop than risk losing 10 seconds or more.

 

[Porceliamone]

I would have gone with the jack that was proven myself. But that's me. Someone in McLaren thought otherwise. I suggest that was either Sam Michael or Whitmarsh himself. Who's gong to tell him off!? Ron Dennis is the only one who could!

 

[Dizzi]

This may be a bit naeive of me but if you are going to use a new jack for the races wouldn't you have the old trusted jack hovering nearby 'just in case'?
For some reason the image of Mr Bean Rowan Atkinson with a sack trolley on standby popped into my mind...

 

[Brogan]

McLaren has no doubts it is on the right path with its pitstop performances in 2012, even though a problem in the Valencia pits overshadowed the team's delivery of the fastest Formula 1 pitstop in history earlier in the day.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100738

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Well, I agree with McLaren on this one.

 

[downforce]

I wouldn't exactly say they are on the right track.

I'd rather they had two 3.5 second stops than the fastest stop of the year and a 14 second stop.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

"On the right track". Not: "Have achieved the right consistent results".

 

[downforce]

Well yes they were in Valencia I suppose

 

[KekeTheKing]

Where did the 2.6 second (2.3 green) times come from? Must have been kept by the team. Official timing had it at 2.9 seconds right?

Great job boys! Toot your own horn after yet another abject disaster in pit lane.

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and again....

 

[ExtremeNinja]

No different from Red Bull being encouraged by their pace despite suffering a mechanical/electronic retirement. sometimes you have to take the positives and work on the negatives.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Something struck me as I watched the end of Valencia, again...

On Lap 51 we hear Andy Latham tell Lewis that he just closed down Alonso by 6 tenths, which is clearly an indication that McLaren thought Lewis might be on for a Canada repeat.

Then after the race their tune was that Hamilton should have been extremely cautious and brought the car home no matter the position.

Mind-boggling.

 

[ZakspeedYakspeed]

I want to know what comms were going on after Lewis ploughed a new line with old rubber with that massive lock-up that signalled game over for rear grip... LH has never been backward in coming forward with comments, but on the absymal FOX coverage we went to an ad break (impeccable timing) as a transmission came on...

Shirley (after the huge congratulations he gave to his team for "keeping him informed" during the Canadian GP) they would have been in constant contact on who was coming, how fast and what they were seeing... some drivers don't like to give up places, but some understand a marathon better than a sprint (and none more than LH this year as well)...you didn't see Alonso fighting hammer and tong with everyone at Canada as he slipped down the order two weeks ago...

For mine, it was a 4th, certain 5th place lost...

 

[Bill Boddy]

If you are referring to the Autosport interview with Whitmarsh what he actually said was:

'When asked if he thought Hamilton should have defended so hard, Whitmarsh said: "Clearly not, but you are dragging me into the conversation.
"In my mind, you saw him defend with [Romain] Grosjean and with [Kimi] Raikkonen, and he didn't do anything different with Maldonado. It was a different outcome, but he didn't do anything different with those drivers.
"My own view is that it was Maldonado's fault, and it is deeply frustrating – but he is a racing driver and that is it. I am sure in hindsight you have to say that dealing with someone like that you have to take a different approach, but you cannot anticipate it."'

The emphasis was that this was with hindsight, he does not criticise Hamilton.

If it was elsewhere it would be interesting to have a link.

 

[ZakspeedYakspeed]

Agree with those above...saw the headline and couldn't believe it... read the story and saw it was a beat-up...

BB... it was picked up here as well...

http://www.yallaf1.com/2012/06/26/m...ton-should-have-backed-off-in-maldonado-duel/

 

[Josh]

Something struck me as I watched the end of Valencia, again...

On Lap 51 we hear Andy Latham tell Lewis that he just closed down Alonso by 6 tenths, which is clearly an indication that McLaren thought Lewis might be on for a Canada repeat.

Then after the race their tune was that Hamilton should have been extremely cautious and brought the car home no matter the position.

Mind-boggling.

It has already been clarified multiple times that autosport had a misleading headline and that they (Macca) didn't actually criticise Hamilton.

 

[KekeTheKing]

....and it's clear to me Josh that Whitmarsh's response is downright insulting. Stick up for your driver for christ's sake!

You've got Red Bull claiming shenanigans with the Safety Car (which there were), and you know that gives Vettel reassurance that someone has his back when things go wrong.

After Lewis thrashed Jense in Canada the entire Woking outfit was dissecting that data down the Nth degree to sort out why. Now they leave him hanging after being rudely punted out of the race, forcing him to keep mum in post-race interviews, and now you have Marty being quoted as saying that his driver had "clearly not" handled the situation correctly (in retrospect of course ) .

And do you not even recognize the vast discrepancy in messages being sent? 7 laps to go....."GO FOR THE WIN!" After the race, "he should have just brought it home......" Clarify that Josh

 

[Porceliamone]

...autosport had a misleading headline...

Piss poor journalism. That headline was as tabloid as it gets. Actually, it was just total and utter bollocks.

 

[Josh]

KekeTheKing Clarify that? Clarify where that was said please?