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.)

 

[The Pits]

I think that last week they were closer in the rain, this week they seemed closer in the dry. I think they have closed the gap a bit, but the race will show us a bit more. That said, still a way to go.

 

[Quintessentially]

Question is - is the car that bad. You wouldn't have thought so if this slump happened in the middle of last year. Perez certainly sounds frustrated by the amount of changes they keep making to the car;

"We are changing so many things on the car," he said. "Basically today I started with a completely new car so it was difficult for me to get the maximum, but we are doing a good job"

 

[The Pits]

Without a reference point it is hard to tell. I would suggest that the car is the main issue however, as they are having difficulty with unlocking the downforce levels, rather than getting the tyres working or specific set up woes. It may be down to set up issues, although I would not expect set up issues to hamper both drivers in the same way by the same amount, although with Perez being new that not be right.

Time will tell I suppose.

 

[Il_leone]

FB
The rain negates the poor performance in the car ... certainly helps Button

the gap between Mclaren and the front cars is a bit closer this weekend and they appear to be ahead of Force India - the cars they finished behind

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Button said he couldn't find a balance in the wet but was quite comfortable in the dry.

 

[The Pits]

Another pitstop issue today, maybe the team got confused when Lewis drove through the pit earlier, and thought a blunder was needed. Jenson looked nailed on for a 5th place finish, and was much closer to the pace than last week, but it wasnt to be.

Three weeks to look at what the issue is between now and China, but only 4 points as a team so far.

 

[Brogan]

Same old, same old.
They have thrown away numerous titles over the last few years through stupid errors and bad strategy.

Can't say I really care that much any more, despite them once being the team I followed,

 

[Fenderman]

Yup

 

[The Pits]

Well I still care.

 

[Fenderman]

Me too but much, much, less

 

[The Pits]

I still care, but I am finding myself in despair more and more as time goes on!

 

[Quintessentially]

I've said before that I don't think the car is that bad and we saw glimpses of this today. Operationally, things haven't looked right for a while now.

 

[FB]

Jenson, in the post race interview, reckoned a podium was possible. I'd like some of whatever he's been smoking please.

 

[The Pits]

Well, it may be stretching it a bit, but he did one less pit stop, and he was within 10 seconds for much of the race, it may have been possible with the Mercedes in fuel saving.

Unlikely, but possible.

Certainly more possible than it was following a 1m 45s pit stop.

 

[Fenderman]

Is this years McLaren a flying pig?

 

[Il_leone]

if i was Mclaren

I'd be a bit concerned about the pace of Perez because he was nowhere near Button in the race despite getting fastest lap at the end

at the moment he appears to be struggling

----------

I always thought hiring Sam Michael was a bad idea in the operations side

------------------------------

As a team Mclaren use to be loathed because Ron was such a perfectionist and he'd always come out with why Mclaren should have won the race

Under Whitmarsh they are no quite as perfect which is a concern because they are losing too many points through operational mistakes... I thought the pit stop issues should have been sorted out now

------------------------------

I think Mclaren are a lot closer to the front and JB drove a great race

I think in China they could still feature with the long straights

 

[teabagyokel]

FB - He was about 10 seconds in front of Massa for the majority; Massa finished 13s down on Rosberg. With Mercedes fuel saving, I dunno it was that impossible.

 

[RickD]

I would have said 4th was possible as he would have pushed Nico and Lewis. Nico had enough fuel to finish at a decent pace, but Lewis would have run out way before the end, so maybe a podium was not quite possible, but it would have been a very close thing.

 

[Fenderman]

Ahem, but Ross Brawn said that both his drivers were low on fuel, oh crap ... leave you chaps to your what if's, maybe's and might have's.

 

[RickD]

Fenderman - Nico didn't seem to think so and hadn't been asked to save fuel up to that point. Of course Ross Brawn would say that after the race, but at the time is what counts and at the time, Nico had not been asked to save fuel, Nico had to be told that Lewis was saving fuel and to get in line!

I'm sorry, this is the McLaren thread, so to add.. Jenson I think would have caught Lewis and it is always possible Nico wouldn't have been able to push enough, but not as likely.