McLaren threatens to leave F1 | FerrariChat

McLaren threatens to leave F1

Discussion in 'F1' started by TheMayor, Mar 25, 2019.

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  1. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    Of course, its always about "the money". But its about rules making them not competitive? Where did that come from? Is Brown saying the rules help one team and not another?

    https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclaren-could-quit-formula-1/

    McLaren CEO Zak Brown claims the team could quit Formula 1 if the 2021 vision doesn’t show a brighter future for the sport.

    Twelve months ago Formula 1’s owners Liberty Media revealed their desire for a 2021 overhaul, and on Tuesday they will meet with the FIA and all ten teams in London to begin putting that blueprint into action.

    Plans include changes to revenue distribution, a possible budget cap and new racing regulations, but June is seen as the deadline to pass such updates, meaning time is not on Liberty’s side.

    To make matters more complicated, McLaren, who are the second longest serving team on the grid behind Ferrari, have said they may not continue in Formula 1 if the vision doesn’t give them a reason to stay.

    “For McLaren it has to tick two boxes: to be financially viable and to be able to fight fairly and competitively,” Brown told the Guardian.

    “If it wasn’t that, we would seriously have to consider our position in F1. That’s not a position we want to be in.

    “People throw it out there as a negotiating tactic but this has to be a fiscally responsible, competitive racing team and, if we feel the new rules don’t put us in that situation, we would have to review our participation in F1.”
     
  2. DeSoto

    DeSoto F1 Veteran

    Nov 26, 2003
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    Come on, Zack, that trick doesn't work for Ferrari, what makes you think that it's going to work with a mid-field customer team like yours.
     
  3. Ryan...

    Ryan... Karting

    Nov 9, 2012
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    WI
    Agreed. Until the majority of teams on the grid decide to take a firm stand, nothing will change. Teams can complain all they want about budgets, Mercedes and Ferrari included, but you know they're going to continue paying those fees as long as they stand a chance at winning or make money at the end of the year.
     
  4. subirg

    subirg F1 Rookie

    Dec 19, 2003
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    They aren’t the first and they won’t be the last to threaten to quit. It’s a guaranteed certainty that Ferrari, Merc and redbull will all do the same before the 2021 regs are agreed. Then, at the last minute there will be a miraculous breakthrough and all will be well. And the regs won’t have changed materially, in particular around revenue sharing.
     
  5. Bas

    Bas Four Time F1 World Champ

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    A budget cap can't and should not be the answer.

    Limit areas where they can spend money (aero, engine and chassis), not by going standardized parts but rather simplification. If a team like mercedes wants to spend 50 million on a front wing because it wins them 1 tenth of a second, so be it, but the point is very little time should be able to be won by spending huge amounts of money.

    There will always be top teams and **** teams, a team like Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull will always be able to hire better drivers. Right now we've got the pendulum swung way too much towards engineers championship. It should be so that teams can hire a better driver to win the most amount of time, rather than invest truckloads of money into clever engines and overly complicated aero that ruins racing.
     
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  6. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
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    Zak is showing his unlike Dennis used to.
     
  7. furoni

    furoni F1 World Champ

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    LOLOLO...so zack is now trying to become a comedian...i guess it's ok because he obviously sucks as team boss....
     
  8. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    That's the clue !

    Limit the number of updates allowed each season (engines and aero) .
     
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  9. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Budget cap opens the door to massive cheating, I think.
     
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  10. Bas

    Bas Four Time F1 World Champ

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    I'm not sure that's the right idea...it risks one team getting it right and we're in the same **** all over again.

    If we go back in time to 2002 (where aerodynamics was very much understood quite well already), wing development was far less than we have now... See below the 2002 Monaco wing
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    And the 2002 Monza wing
    Image Unavailable, Please Login


    As we can see, the difference between the two front wings (half a season and vastly different levels of downforce needed) is barely noticeable. I'm not sure what exactly the rules where back then but rest assured there was a lot less freedom on what could be done re elements, endplates and whatnot....so less money would be spend there.

    Now if we take Red bulls wings here:

    Monaco 2018:
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    And Monza 2018
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    We see how vastly different the wings are. The concept of wings has changed drastically, everything is changed to correspond to other alterations of the car to work as best as possible. Impressive for sure, but crazy money consuming...


    My point is if we simplify the wings to 2 elements, and maximum width of no wider than inside of front tyres, end plates without anything else stuck on...there really isn't much that can be done with them, and what can be done is well....cheap. The overall shape of the wing is free, but no elements are allowed on. It's a quite simple rule change that will save millions each year.

    Clean up the rest of the body with same rules. Make the diffuser less complicated also. And so on.

    That sort of tyre cover thing that the F2002 had, is actually a pretty elegant way to reduce some dirty air. Indycars solution can only be described as ugly (but effective, I'll give them that!). I'd like to reintroduce that. Again, limit aero development on that piece so it'll generate minimum amount of downforce.

    It's quite easy to make these rules. Sadly F1/Fia is too afraid of pissing of some people in the sport and refuses...
     
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  11. jcurry

    jcurry Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Because if you lost 2-3 mid-field teams, and/or end of the field teams(s) (Williams), you would not have any field. F1 is gone if there are only 10-12 cars on the grid.

    What is so wrong with this statement? Everyone on here ******* and moans about the rules, e.g. aero, 'Mercedes', no passing, 'Mercedes', development, 'Mercedes', less complex powerplants, etc. To me the statement is just a similarly generalized comment. Just re-read half the comments thus far in this thread and they are saying the same thing.
     
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  12. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    I go along with that.

    I really don't like the way aero have developed in recent years.
     
    Bas likes this.
  13. Igor Ound

    Igor Ound F1 Veteran

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    Yes, budget. Let’s start by cancelling legacy payments to old teams that don’t perform anymore and contribute 0 to the entertainment now Alonso is gone...
     
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  14. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    Excellent idea. I suggest more at the front of the season and none at the back half. This way if someone has a bad design they are not stuck with it all season. But this idea of updates for every 2 races is just silly.
     
  15. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    Honda was giving McLaren FREE engines and tech support plus paid 1/2 of their driver's salary (which was mostly Alonso) in the 3rd year of a 10 year exclusive deal (aka no one else could get a Honda engine). Zak tossed them out so he could keep Alonso then became a BUYER of Renault engines. Then, Alonso quit even though Zak sponsored him at Indy and let him skip Monaco for it.

    Good move? I don't think so.
     
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  16. Remy Zero

    Remy Zero Two Time F1 World Champ

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  17. furoni

    furoni F1 World Champ

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    As i said before..it was brilliant, just goes to show how good manager Zack brown (i guess the brown refers to the colour of what's inside his head) is!!!!
     
  18. furoni

    furoni F1 World Champ

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    Oh, and ince again Teflonso ****ed Mclaren..the guy is relentless!!!
     
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  19. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    You were right all along, Mayor, I must admit, and I was wrong !

    McLaren shot itself in the foot and is now in a rut.

    The future is not promising for the team of Woking.
     
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  20. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
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    Alonso is no different than any other WDC-- he is ruthless and out for #1. If McLaren caved to his demands and is now in the hole, that is simply bad management. Tough ****.
     
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  21. johnireland

    johnireland F1 Veteran
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    Make the cars simpler and you solve the budget problem. Limit wing size (front and rear) and no additional aero add-ons...but allow various designs for various tracks. Eliminate "energy recapturing" systems. Return to steel brakes. Eliminate DRS. Eliminate hybrid engines. And go racing.
     
  22. furoni

    furoni F1 World Champ

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    There is no love lost from me for Mclaren....
     
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  23. TheMayor

    TheMayor Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    I completely agree. Look at Indy car racing.

    V8 engine with one turbo and done. Unlike F1 the only fuel restriction is how much they are given per race. Also, Indy cars have Push to Pass (similar to Party mode) but its limited for the race.

    These F1 cars are way overly complicated for what they need to be. Give us more screaming engines that blow up once in a while and less downforce so there's more passing.

    Isn't that what both the teams and the fans want????

    Then stop this ridiculous idea of penalizing drivers on the grid! People come to see their favorite drivers race. The guy loses his gearbox that's no fault of his own and he drops way down to never have a chance to win. Its STUPID!
     
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  24. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    Zack was brought in to a) find a major sponsor and b) get the team up the grid.

    he's done neither.

    now he's looking for excuses and scapegoats...
     
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  25. Remy Zero

    Remy Zero Two Time F1 World Champ

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    Getting the team to the top of the grid would have been a tall order. But the least he could do was to get a proper and major sponsor. I think he has so far brought in just BAT? And some chocolates?
     

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