Spare Parts (F1 odds and ends)

Would excuse his lack of activity on here.

 

No....I am Trump!

 

Smithers is Trump. I am not Trump and never will be…

 

The end is Nigh - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/37987396

 

Good.

Since he ousted Whitmarsh, he's achieved nothing. The team has gone nowhere (not just the engine either as we've seen), he's treated several drivers badly and failed to find sponsorship. The arrogance perhaps stops being deserved as you approach two decades since your last title.

 

His methods haven't changed since the 80's amd 90's, yet he won't accept they just don't work in the modern world.

McLaren in F1 can now move forwards again as he had become a weight around their ankles.

This does not detract from everything else he has done, but his time in F1 is at an end.

 

You both see this as a positive for McLaren then?

I'm on the fence. It might give more freedom in the company (and we pray the livery!), but equally it took someone like Ron to be brave enough to go down the works engine route with Honda because they would never win another championship with a Merc customer engine.

Clearly Honda were underprepared last year but 2017 is the first acid test for them, and I felt Ron deserved to see it through to 2017/18.

He is a knob, yes, but he knows what it takes to win a WDC (forget the constructors, no one watches F1 for that).

I just hope it does not hinder development on the car and engine.

 

Only just saw this... sorry.

Can I get back to you when I've actually started to cope? It may take a while for this to all sink in.

I imagine this was how Germany felt when the Nazis rose to power.

 

They have been on a slow decline for some time, even with Mercedes power and this year has been erratic to say the least.

They need a clean sheet to really move forwards. McLaren will still be an autocratic team for a while as things won't change overnight , but at least they looking to change.

 

McLaren IS Ron though... So much of their history is thanks to him and their factory is built in an exact replica of the inside of his brain. With Ron completely out of the picture now, you're not just looking for a new boss, you're looking for a completely new philosophy.

Now I'm not saying that Ron isn't past his best, but it's not just a case of brining in a new gaffer and it all being rosey in a season or two. They may need to tear the team down to the foundations and start again.

 

There were rumours swirling about Prodromou's future last night too.

That would really worry me. I have concerns about the role of Tim Goss- things haven't gone well since he headed up the technical team, so I wouldn't want him having more influence.

He headed up the design team when Newey designed the MP4-21, and coincidentally that was much less competitive than the MP4-20. He has led McLaren design since returning to a similar role in 2013.

 

Oh I agree, he has done a lot for F1 , but I think he should have gone a few years ago.

 

McLaren were winning titles before Ron came along.

Yes he eventually brought them back to life after a poor patch, but they have lost their way several times through his reign. Not everything he has done has worked. He would tend to hang on to the same project for too long, then it would take a long time to bring them back to the front.

McLaren is Bruce McLaren, not Ron Dennis.

 

It was once Bruce, Now it's Ron. It's a completely different team/company.

 

And now it's not Ron's!

It needed a change now, just like when he brought his Project 4 plan to them in 1980. Not sure what they will call this new era though.

 

I'm not agruing that point... I'm merely saying that it's unlikely that somebody will walk in and get them back to winning ways overnight. There will be have to be some stripping of Rons influence.

 

Some incredibly harsh assessment of Ron here. I'm not saying his time hasn't passed, but I'd hugely struggle to name anyone who has had a more succesful 25 years in F1, let alone the achievements outside of it.

 

Yup... he's achieved incredible things with Macca. Some are quite bonkers, but also quite incredible.

 

Better that starts now though, otherwise the rebuilding process will get put back again.

What Ron has achieved since he took over McLaren has been umatched by any other team, but they have completely lost their way. Too much infighting, boardroom turmoil over the last few years. He has fallen out with the other shareholders. He has to go, otherwise McLaren will not have any direction as it seems no one person is in overall control of the team.

He's nearly 70 years old now. We all know what started happening to Bernie when he got too old..........

 

Yes and No.

Recognition of his previous achievements, but also reality that his time has passed.

Can't rely on the glory days to see you in a job forever.