Ron is back in control of Mclaren

That's the least to be expected.

 

Yes, now they need some pace and hopefully a solid streak of reliability.

This is going to be an extremely interesting season, no doubts. I still imagine that RedBull won't get it wrong and we'll be seeing a lot of that damn finger despite all the changes. If that's the case then the highlight of the season might be Bernie in handcuffs.

>8^)
ER

 

Oddly enough the reintroduction of unreliability might be the best part of the new engine formula.

 

Give this man an A+!!!

 

This short article written by Ross Brawn gives a very thorough look at what the team faced from a technical pov, before and through the 09 season.

In addition to having the weaker and less fuel efficient Honda engine, they would've also been burdened with an oversize (relative to what they became) and unreliable (iirc it was an issue they all faced that season at some points or another) KERS system.

https://www.haynes.co.uk/wcsstore/HaynesPublishing/images/PDFs/H4721spread3.pdf

 

That's pretty much the reference I was thinking of, but it doesn't mention lap time impact from the crude engine adaptation:

 

Yes you did! - To give you an idea of the additional changes he'll:

A ban on facial hair!
A ban on wearing jeans to work!
Which tools go in which drawers!
Which way round the hammers have to face!
The position/number of waste of the bins!
Which makes of car are allowed in the factory car park!

Etc., etc., etc.

That's the detail he goes down to! - It'll be a much less relaxed place to work from now on!


Oh and this isn't based on some unsubstantiated idea of how McLaren is under Ron's rule either! - Trust Me! - I've had dealings with the Company/Team!

 

Certainly isn't the Italian way but if that sort of focus brings championships does it really matter?

 

Kinda '+1'.....

I was working on a pretty low budget F2 team 'back in the day' when his 'Project Four' was sponsored in the series by ICI. Most of us had decent sized enclosed trailers and an awning. He had an F1 sized hauler, and even the (perfectly positioned) trash cans were painted ICI green with their logos all aligned. Anal doesn't even begin to describe it...... Phil is pretty much spot on, the guy's a lunatic!

But there's no doubt he's also a winner, so what do I know?

Cheers,
Ian

 

Normal people, by definition, don't achieve great things.

 

From Twitter: A further sign Whitmarsh is on way out at McLaren? He's not quoted in Vandoorne press release, instead it's Sam Michael. Very unusual that.

 

Honda's V8's weren't the best. Nor where their V10s. Quite unreliable and not nearly as much power as the BMW and the Mercedes engine when the race for more power really started to take off.

 

Read up on the McLaren MP4/4...

 

Yeah, and why not about the Honda RA271 of 1965? If we´re going to talk about past glories...

 

Everyone has caught up since...

 

With the engine spec freeze its tough if not impossible to rate the engine makers vs one another.

 

+1

Another reason why this season should be so interesting..... They've all got to homologate the things pretty much now IIRC. Who's got it 'right'? Who's MGU-H (unlimited power) is the best? Who's got the best MGU-K? It's all a little nerdy, but one of the reasons I love it!

I don't think there's a 'freeze' per se on them right now though. I reckon if someone's down on power, the FIA will allow some tweaks to 'level the field'. Whether that's right or wrong is of course another debate.

Cheers,
Ian

 

In the last 20 years, McLaren has amassed 3 WDC and 1 WCC.

 

Which is way above average.

 

There are rumors today that Sam Michael will be announced as the new McLaren Team Principal tomorrow, replacing Whitmarsh. IMHO, that would be a horrible mistake - I'm not a Sam Michael fan. He made a name at Jordan, but during his spell at Williams the team regressed, and it may be coincidence, but since he joined McLaren they have been falling back as well.

 

It will make things interesting.
If Macca fails I won't be crushed.

 

He'll be but a puppet in that role and there will be a puppet master, no doubt, pulling the strings.

>8^)
ER

 

Well, i see Ron Dennis already made his first mistake hiring Sam Michael.......

Great.....

 

Sort of "meh" when compared to the other "big boys."

 

Homologation of Power Unit (engine) is going to be a phased in process of different elements of the unit. Overall, it is:

8% by 2015
23% by 2016
35% by 2018
95% by 2019

So, the next 5 years will be very much open for development and innovation.