How far behind is McLaren ?

I have to say that as a UK based Ferrari fan who over the years has had to put up with the arrogance of Ron Dennis as he constantly stuck his nose up in the air and claimed that his team were superior to every other team in the sport, I'm finding their current predicament highly entertaining!

He made a scapegoat out of Martin whitmarsh and was arrogant enough to claim that now he was back in charge, McLaren would immediately return to the front of the grid and back to their winning ways. The reality is though, that he has lead his "superior" team to one of their worst ever seasons in their F1 history!

I believe they call that: "Poetic justice!", and I for one, as a Ferrari fan, thinks that it serves him right!

Feel it? - I'm bloody loving it!

 

A happy day in FerrariLand is a Ferrari first and McLaren last.

But seriously, I blame not Ron but Honda. They have let him down. This Honda program is a complete joke. 1) no reliability, 2) no power, 3) high fuel use

Look... McLaren had Mercedes engines last year. It's not like they didn't know what the gold standard was.

 

+me

 

Corrected. McLaren coming last means Ferrari did not beat them, everybody did so no competition.

Like it or not the McLaren Ferrari battles raised the profile of both.
Pete

 

Those setting the rules must be self serving morons, because if they can't see that F1 fans don't want drama in the form of pathetic stories about drivers not getting on with each other or whining about engines not being good enough, they actually WANT good racing, a pace for development that makes the excitement build as rival teams improve and improve throughout the season, so that the best car on race one may be the worst by race six, and fight back to best by race 17 - just like it used too be.

It saddens me to think that I only bother watching the last few minutes of qualy now, and as I sit watching the race I am generally doing other things at the same time, it has barely 25% of my attention, and only so I know where Ferrari is, I could care less who wins these days as you know it's a merc. Over the last thirty five years, I used to draw the curtains, audio to 12, phones off, laptops on, and immerse myself every session I could. I would sit there trying to predict strategy etc and making notes for the race of things to watch. Guess it saves me time f1 being so crap now

 

Ron Dennis is accused of many things by his detractors. Most of it is exagerated or invented. People who achieve something often become the target of criticism, Ron Dennis is in good company. He may seem aloof and arrogant, that's because he is justifiably proud of his team and of McLaren's success over several decades, he has every right to be. He is probably the most successful team principal in the history of F1, having led his team to more WCC and WDC than any of his rivals.
You don't get there by being a nice man!
McLaren is the best British team in the history of F1; and it still has maintained its independence. Now the road car division in the McLaren Group is emerging as another winner.
That the team is at a low ebb and having problem at the moment with the new Honda power unit is undeniable, but that should also be put in perspective with the lean years most team go through during their existence - even Ferrari.

 

Sid, this is a classic example of the advantage you enjoy due to the time difference. I would have written this first if I hadn't been sound asleep.

+1

 

Thanks nick! I'd swap the time difference for living where you live any day!

 

Excellent post.

I would have only said one thing differently (see above).

All the best,
Andrew.

 

While I concur that the testing ban sucks, and unless you're a Merc fan, the racing at the front is pretty boring, I have to ask;

When was that *ever* the case? [OK, I realize you're exaggerating, but that's just silly IMO.]

More often than not the best out of the gate stays there. Someone, rarely more than one, may catch up, sometimes all the way, most times just closing the gap.

Sometimes, but not often, there's maybe 3 teams, very rarely 4, in with a real chance of victory. [Outside of "freak" results.]

F1's problems go *way* beyond the testing ban.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Well said - People forget Ferrari went 20 Years WITHOUT winning a WDC tiltle :-/

 

And a lot of those years they weren't even close to competitive.

 

Back in the day Alain Prost, had given the Ferrari's labels such as "truck", "pig", and "accident waiting to happen

 

2003

 

Speaking as someone who is loving the demise of a Dennis led McLaren I really hope your opinion prevails so I can continue my enjoyment.

Really?

Wrong - Bahrain

ROFL. Yep, and the Pope isn't Catholic and the Kennedy's aren't gun-shy

Yep, it's all Honda's fault. It's the engine that's their problem. This year they're saddled with the worst engine - just like last year

 

^^^ You really naive to think that Mercedes were supplying a PU equal to the one in their own car

 

The PU might be the same but not the software, chassis, aero etc.

 

While I understand Honda attempting to move the goal posts with a radical turbo ideal, maybe they should have just copied the Merc one that they would have had in front of them.

So yes the Merc PU in the McLaren would have been different but not physically different. Honda should have learnt a heck of a lot from studying that!!
Pete

 

Maybe the engines Mercedes was giving McLaren did look exactly like the ones Honda has this year.

 

When an Engine manufacturer has it's own team their competitors are supplied with less power than their own.
Also pivotal in development is the engine supplier working closely with chassis manufacture
Which was Not happening wit McL/Merc But is happening with McL/Honda - just saying IMO

 

So, please, do tell is which British team has a better track record than McLaren.

McLaren has shareholders, that's for sure, and some of their from the Middle East probably, but it has refused twice to be bought out to become just the competition department of a car manufacturer. That's why it is still independent.

 

It's hard for me to understand your hatred for Dennis, unless that's what get you through the day ...

 

So you can't think of any other British racing team with a decent record - oh my. Off the cuff I think both Red Bull and Williams has more championships per year in existence.

If by "some" you mean "the majority" then, yes that majority owner has the "independence"

 

I'm sure you're better than this William. "Hatred" is your word not mine and it may suit your narrative but it's simply wrong to make up stuff like that - not a biggie, but still wrong mate.

Yes, I'm enjoying the coincidental justice of the way things are playing out for Dennis and his McLaren - and I'll continue enjoying it

 

Since when is Red Bull a British team?

And Williams doesn't have more championships than McLaren.