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.)

 

[ZakspeedYakspeed]

If I was McLaren this week and next I would be publishing a story every day about our new animation arm... LH and the olympic torch... Ron Dennis grand daughter being accepted into Oxford (ok...I made that up)... ANYTHING not related to getting the car prepared for Germany... let the media focus on the trivial...

 

[Lewywo4]

There are a litany of reasons that McLaren have fallen to 4th in the standings, I wouldn't point to "Tooned" as one of them.

The decision by Mclaren not to let Lewis test at Mugello, especially with the introduction of a new front wing, may have played a part in Woking's recent decline.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I don't believe that for one minute....

 

[The Artist.....]

Fundamentally, the problem McLaren have is that their current car is fundamentally flawed. They designed the car with a lower nose and chassis than everyone else, and this worked, up until Bahrain. At that point, their interpretation of the rules was shown to be incorrect (about bargeboards underneath the car or something...) - and this meant that the concept that they went with no longer worked properly - particularly in dirty air. As such, their car is not working as it should, and needs a total re-working in order to get back to pace. This is nothing to do with focussing on one driver, or having a cartoon section, or even not taking their race drivers to Mugello! It has everything to do with a concept which is not the best concept... Either McLaren need to do something to adapt their current concept, or alternatively build a B-spec chassis.

 

[Galahad]

Mickey Mouse outfit, etc.

 

[ZakspeedYakspeed]

Mickey Mouse outfit, etc.

McLaren now working on Disney animation ? I missed that link...

 

[sushifiesta]

I was just thinking, considering their recent form and not being able to test the new upgrade package when planned at Silverstone last weekend due to the rain, do you think McLaren will regret deciding to have their young driver test at Abu Dhabi and not at Silverstone this week?

 

[racecub]

I find McLaren's decisons re testing unbelievable. Mugello anyone??

Edit: sorry Lewymp4, I see you beat me to that comment

But I was so cross at the time when Lewis specifically asked for time to try to understand the tyres and was denied it. Now look at them!!!

 

[The Artist.....]

But I was so cross at the time when Lewis specifically asked for time to try to understand the tyres and was denied it.

I see you're still trying to peddle that line. Lewis was told that if he wanted to test at Mugello, he could. However, he chose not to. You have been shown evidence to this effect before, yet still, you insist that he was denied the chance.... I wonder why?

 

[racecub]

He wasnt supported in that decision to test at Mugello, you know that. The team didnt want him there and said he could pay to tag along if he wanted to. I don't think thats what lewis had in mind when he said he'd like to try to get a better understanding of the tyres. And the reason I persisit in it is becuase of the leading teams, Mclaren are the ones who least understand the tyres and are slipping down the grid at an alarming rate of knots.

What really amazes me is that people are suprised Mclaren are slipping back. The writings been on the wall for a long time

 

[Brogan]

McLaren adamant nothing 'fundamentally' wrong with its car despite slump

Looks like McLaren and its drivers are increasingly out of step.
Both Hamilton and Button have said the car is fundamentally flawed and needs a redesign; the "team" think otherwise.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/101164

 

[racecub]

How can he say there's nothing much wrong with the car in one breath, and in the next breath this.....

"If you were pessimistic you'd say we did well to get eighth and 10th, because we were fortunate with the loss of the Saubers and Maldonado, who I think would have finished ahead of us."

If its only set up thats the problem why did they mess with Lewis' when he was doing ok?
I really dont think they have a clue.

 

[The Pits]

If its only set up thats the problem why did they mess with Lewis' when he was doing ok?

I'm not sure that they did. They actually said that they would use the best bits of each, and while it is possible that this meant mucking up Lewis, I am fairly sure that he would have had some say in this, and would not have agreed to a significant change in direction if he was happy. The fact that he is openly saying the car is an issue, rather than set up would seem to point this way.

To be honest, I would not really expect Paddy Lowe to say the car was fundamentally flawed, his team designed it, and made the decision to go with the low nose. That said, I would add that what the headline states, and what the article actually contains are a little different, to the tune that if the car is fundamentally flawed, how come it won in Canada.

 

[Lewywo4]

He wasnt supported in that decision to test at Mugello, you know that. The team didnt want him there and said he could pay to tag along if he wanted to. I don't think thats what lewis had in mind when he said he'd like to try to get a better understanding of the tyres.

Lewis as you correctly said racecub, wasn't supported by Mclaren, to conduct any testing at Mugello.

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/179038/1/mclaren_confirms_no_hamilton_test.html

It's interesting how Jenson's pace dropped off after the introduction of a high nose concept, which first saw the light of day, during testing at Mugello.

Let's be clear.........I'm not saying that's the only reason for Jenson's current problems.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Was watching France 2003 yesterday and I was reminded that botched pit-stops weren't just a recent phenomenon for the Woking boys.

 

[The Artist.....]

... or 2009

or...
2006

McLaren have had a history of trashing pit stops - it's not a phenomenon that's unique to 2012!

 

[KekeTheKing]

But they've got it sorted now.....

 

[The Artist.....]

.... Well, they seem to have found some speed in their pitstops! - I remember the days when tyres would be changed in a minimum of 8-9 seconds... Yet now they're getting it down to 2.6 seconds! It just seems insane.... - but with speed in the pitstops being so important now, the teams have to get both speed and accuracy every time...

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Hmm I wonder how long Vodafone will stick with McLaren. They're a very marketable team with drivers who are well known, but on the other hand I believe that there has been some doubt to Vodafone's commitment recently and McLaren won't be cheap. Running Lucozade and Maximuscle logos on the rear wing can't be a good sign...

 

[KekeTheKing]

McLaren might want want to re-think the timing of their annual raft of updates. The climatic conditions continue to hamper them every step of the way.

Going back to 2010 they tried to introduce a big update but were scuppered at Silverstone by the Friday weather. Then they got more of the same at Hockenheim. By the time they had got their new bits sorted, they had lost 3 rounds and well over a month of understanding.

There was quite a bit of talk during FP1 about the Red Bull style of development. They're constantly bringing new parts and if they don't work, then they know exactly where to look. McLaren take a lot of risks by bringing these massive updates to meetings that annually see precipitation.