is that they have become too self-obsessed. Too focused on their brand and the hi-tech, and not enough on the art of actually winning races. No more is this apparent than in their narcissistic silver car, their restrictive rules regarding driver marketing, their race strategy being generally one step behind their competitors, pitstop issues that went on far too long for a team of their stature, and their seemingly 'for-the-sake-of-it' change to a pull rod suspension this year rather than incrementally improve last seasons car - which was the fastest - like all the other top running teams did. For example, how many dev resource hours were diverted last year into shaping that smooth nose which could have been better spent on marginal improvements in downforce, going with a duck nose instead? It's self obsession at the cost of performance. Also, although pushing greener technologies and lower cost engines is undoubtedly a good thing, I can't help but feel that McLaren are much more outspoken about these issues than other teams, which when you add up all the other issues above-mentioned, suggests a fundamental loss of focus. A loss of recognition, in a Zen like manner of speaking, as to why they are really there - to win races, and not to sell McLaren road cars. Basically, they have fallen asleep behind the wheel and need to wake up. It's as if they are now just too damned clean and have forgotten the gritty greasy reality of being on the cutting edge, on the track. Feel sorry for Button, but i hope Hamilton really socks one to Whitmarsh this year.
Tons of points there... I'll reply once the race I'm watching is over. One quick reply though.... Never write off McLaren and I blame Whitmarsh.
I think with Hamilton gone, and most of the media attention with it, maybe they will quieten down and work harder knowing one of the fastest drivers around has left. And they need to make up for it...
I think what people need to remember is that McLaren don't have the same amount of money to compete as say RBR and Ferrari. Ferrari builds beautiful cars and sells them for crazy money, RBR sells tasty carbonated beverages for crazy money... McLaren are still trying to establish their road car division, so until that really starts to reap rewards they have to concentrate on making money any way they can. If that requires a lot corporate BS in the meantime, then they just have to do it. McLaren have survived where many others haven't. The likes if Lotus (the real one), Brabham, Tyrell all gone, Williams have hurt bad in recent years too. Don't be so hard on Macca... In reality they are one of F1's great survivors IMO.
Are they in the ****e? Or are they doing an Ali rope-a-dope? For me, the pre-season testing was clear as mud at times, Merc were/are quick, McLaren were quick when the wanted to be, Ferrari were better than this time last year, Lotus have speed and Redbull choose to keep the Bull on a leash (or did they?) We won't get a true picture of where everyone stands until Q3 in a couple of weeks time, even that could be too early to tell, a clearer picture will be formed by the time the first fly-away races are over.
yeah , I was gonna say a similar thing, basically it costs money to race, if Mclaren want to rely on internal sources of revenue then they have to get their road car business running.
I saw a comment a while ago that summed up post 1999 McLaren perfectly "they are very good at winning races but piss poor at winning championships"
McLaren are just having a cool-down period for a few years, probably (4-5 yrs). When the car division is up and running for them and the extra tens/hundreds of millions start coming in hopefully for them, then they can expand and increase their budgets in F1.
Well put it this way if they could actually manage people properly and were not so uptight then they could have a dream team now of Newey, Alonso/Raikkonen and Hamilton. And this is coming from a McLaren supporter, it's true that no individual is bigger than the team but there are some people in the sport who are worth accommodating for due to their talent. To me McLaren do not do this unlike some other teams and that's why this process will probably repeat itself in years to come.
I think this is generally a very interesting OP, as are the replies, but this part of it stood out for me. Ron Dennis is famously fastidious, just as he is obsessed with cleanliness and a rather sterile idea of perfection. While obsession must be a common factor among those in the sport, and crucial for success, I think it's a good point that McLaren's obsessions may have become mis-directed. Obviously, Ron has been in ultimate control of Mclaren for a very long time and I wonder to what extent his ethos and personal obsessions have become such a part of the way the team operates that they may not be working in the best interests of winning on the track. On the other hand, these same factors probably work much better towards creating the kind of super cars they are developing for the road market, the success of which would give them greater financial freedom for the F1 team in the long term. But for now I agree that they do appear to have lost some focus in the running of their F1 team.
Hope you enjoyed your NASCAR my friend and yes, spot on, Whitmarsh does not live in the real world, he's a politician, not good when you have to make speedy pit lane decisions.
LOL - I am still amazed at the anti Button stigma - given that both Ferrari and Red Bull would sign him? I understand the flak Whitmarsg gets given the lack of success, or affected success due to team incompetence! At least it keeps the threads comical.
Whitmarsh himself is only a scapegoat. McLaren have had far worse periods when Dennis was TP. As for the stigma, TBH, one of the reasons i like this forum is the general lack of petty posts like that in comparison to other forums, hope it doesn't become a theme. Anyway the "problems with McLaren" are for me largely overblown, They've beaten Ferrari for three of the last four years and in the fourth only lost through reliability. Nobody has really been able to take the fight to Red Bull consistently enough, but Macca have been a comfortable "Best of the Rest" in the current era. Not where they'd want to be of course, but not that bad. Lowe and Hamilton may have left but as i saw someone point out in another thread the but im satisfied with Tim Goss being given the role, and as much as people like to think he is irreplaceable and special, Lewis is just a driver, McLaren have survived losing Senna, Prost, Hakkinen, Raikkonen and Alonso in the past to name a few, he is already forgotten. Their current line up is a bit weaker without him, but in Button they still have a world champion and Perez in my opinion looks like a future one (He and Hulk and the only non champions on the grid i could ever see winning one). Pre-season testing hasn't been massively encouraging, but i don't think the car is a dog by any means, and we haven't actually seen more the fuzziest image of the true picture. Ultimately i think those predicting the death of McLaren are probably more talking about what they want to be true.
