This. I suspect there will be more turbulence to come; this 'coup' is the beginning of something and not an end in itself. I've never been a Button fan, as you probably know, but I really feel for him right now: as if he needs any more **** on top of losing his dad; it never rains but it pours as they say. In his favour, he can provide some stability and consistency amid all the turmoil, which should protect his seat for this season. He's neither young nor the hottest driver on the grid, but he is a WDC with a genuine wealth of experience and maturity and surely they'll need some continuity after all the losses of key personnel over the last months. I do find these new developments quite exciting from an F1 fan's point of view and God knows McLaren needed some kind of kick up the arse. Ron is ruthless but he's also narcissistic and such people don't always act so judiciously. Spectacular failure is quite possible without someone grounded at the centre of things; IMO, Whitmarsh was this type of figure and on a psychological level Button may find himself required to provide something similar. Incidentally perhaps, but this is not something I could imagine Alonso being able to contribute.
Now Ron is back I wouldn't be surprised to see Hamilton return at the end of his current contract with Mercedes.
......and that is the problem. It is highly unlikely that either Alonso or Lewis would return (and kimi aswell) whilst Ron is active and by default that doesnt leave a lot of driver options. I dont think Brawn at the helm would make any difference, if Ron is there and active the drivers will be sceptical (IMO). Maybe a Button/Mag partnership is the ideal (or only) option over the next couple of seasons and I would imagine that the Brawn & Honda link would be the only thing that could prolong JB's stay at the team past next season - although I would expect an significant pay cut in trur Dennis fashion! The final point is that what if JB decides he has had enough? Where does that leave McLaren? Apart from Vettel (and the above mentioned drivers) there would be no big name driver left - unless KM has the same impact that Lewis did in his Rookie season.
Can't see Hamilton going back to Mclaren any time soon, he wanted the move so he could grow as a person and a driver, and he's now got a better chance of competing for championships than he would at Mclaren, based on 2013 anyway. I think Mclaren need to hope they find a star, or perhaps see if someone in the second tier of drivers can step up. Grosjean or Hulkenburg might be options, and depending on 2014 Bottas another.
My gut feeling is that Jenson wanting to continue probably depends on the quality of the 2014 car. He still talks passionately about the sport and says he has no plans to retire, but his last quarter of 2013 felt like he was just "waiting for it to be over" in the hope of a better 2014. With no other top drives likely to be available other than McLaren, i expect him to retire if he is dropped or loses faith that the team will bounce back quickly. Other big name drivers are pretty limited, that's what i'm hoping will save Jenson's seat for another year or two, but if Dennis sees him as "Whitmarsh's driver", he could be inclined to take a risk. Would any of them really be much of a step up over Jenson? If not a star, he's still a proven winner and champion in the right equipment. Hulkenberg is the only current non-wdc driver i could really see McLaren pursuing, but they passed him over for 2013 & 2014 and there must be a reason for that. I think in terms of a real "star" (providing McLaren can't lure Hamilton or Alonso back) they're relying on Magnussen or Vandoorne.
I think the difference in Hulkenburg is potential. We know what Button can do, he's quick and solid, but rarely does anything to make you sit up and take note of him when the car's not at the sharp end. Meanwhile Hulkenburg had several performances last season which caught the eye because he'd put the car where it didn't really belong. He might be able to turn that into being a "star" driver, whilst it's a much safer bet that Button will never crack that top tier. They definitely could do with something eye-catching from Magnussen this year!
Enough? I've never driven an F1 car yet... let me at least try before I decide to retire.. now, I know there's a weight limit but you think they could make the cockpit entry a bit bigger?
I understand the thinking that says McLaren must have a "star driver" but three of the current five are, shall we say, senior in every sense of the word. Hulk has long been tipped as a future star and it's really only the lack of a top car that's preventing him being up there now.
Now put Hulkenberg in Schumacher's place. There you go, thank me later.[video=youtube;wYI6PFNDFrg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYI6PFNDFrg[/video]
They need to give Magnussen a chance, everyone should stop doubting him, I had predicted Di Resta to be the next driver, perhaps to keep a British driver after Button retired.
I'll thank you now, Manny; very interesting. Ron: "You are horrendously impressive"!!! Nevertheless, I think it's wise to be a little sceptical and not to take anything said 'on camera' at face value.
I hope I'll be forgiven for remaining in a back seat, for now, but I've really enjoyed reading this thread. It has an interesting assortment of perspectives and some well-reasoned arguments, lending a well-balanced feel to the forum and eclipsing most others I've glanced at on the topic. Thanks, EMSC. I'm glad you saw fit to return.
Bad News If you were hoping for an Orange car. Ron's Company Is all in favour of retaining the boring old chrome colour scheme!
I'd be suprised if the changes have much of an effect on 2014, as the cars concept etc would have been managed and designed under Whitless's command. If the car is a dud, there's not much they can do, unless Ron decides to press ahead with 2015 early and try and get a new car out mid-season as a development for 2015. It is clear this is all done with a view to Honda coming back. Dennis & Honda were formidable last time they worked together, until Honda got too big for their boots and dictated to McLaren they must have a V12 instead of a V10. The change has been done now to give their 2015 the best possible chance to suceed. I think they have written off 2014 already.
I believe RD sees his obsessive perfectionism best reflected in squeaky clean chrome. Actually, i'm serious. It is no exaggeration to say that if his garage floor were tilted, one could pour Champagne at one end and lap it up at the other. Of course, this is utterly impossible to test.
