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[CookinFlat6]

At last Whitmarsh looks to be confirming what a few of us on here have been saying all along

Q: Let’s recap: McLaren had the fastest car at the end of last season and you knew that 2013 would be a transition year, given the big changes coming in 2014. What logic was there behind the decision to make such radical changes when most likely they would be obsolete for 2014?
MW: The time the team was making the decisions was in a situation when we were falling a bit behind. The start of the 2012 season was good, but then in mid-season we were falling behind and it is about that time that you make these decisions - and then last year’s car became quicker and quicker. It was bad timing, it was misjudgement, and it was ambition. It is very clear in hindsight that we’ve got it wrong. Hindsight is a great thing to learn from, but it doesn’t help right now. But let’s also be fair: this car now is quicker than last year’s car. So what we’ve done is that we have made marginal steps forward - but effectively we’ve lost about six months of time. The other teams - as we should have done - have developed their 2012 car and got ahead, and we slowly have to catch them up. We’ve done a little bit of that, but it’s clearly not enough.

They decided to radically change the car when they were falling behind (Button was falling behind, Lewis only had a couple of slow races like Silverstone, after the team had started messing around resulting in an equalisation of both drivers) If there had been 2 Lewis' as teammates, there was no falling back, just a couple of slower races just like RBR and Ferrari had earlier in the season

This years car is only now quicker than last years - yes in Buttons hands, he was generally upto half a second slower in quali and got absolutely monstered in quali

Therefore the 28 started off with a half second deficit due to Button, and they have lost 6 months starting with that deficit and trying to 'find' it, just like the lost months last year searching for Buttons balance

so mid 2012 they decided that a car Lewis was competing for the WDC in (apart from the team errors) was not good enough and radically changed it for the 28. Then after making that decision they discovered the car getting faster afterall, once Button had learnt how to drive the car from Lewis but they were already committed to the radical 28

Which by a big coincidence suddenly was even slower than the one they had previously

before Lewis left

What an absolute farce
http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/8/14918.html

[racechick]

So they decided to change the car during the period that Button couldn't drive it and Lewis was getting podiums?? Is that what Button meant when he said ...they've listened to me, I've had a massive input into this car...Well that backfired massively didn't it.

[Hammer278]

Lol both Whitmarsh and Domenicalli are like peas in a pod....both sound like idiots these days.

[CookinFlat6]

Right there is the proof

Button is responsible for 2013

[1Lemon]

Another case of design by committee that are plaguing McLaren.

[CookinFlat6]

So they decided to change the car during the period that Button couldn't drive it and Lewis was getting podiums?? Is that what Button meant when he said ...they've listened to me, I've had a massive input into this car...Well that backfired massively didn't it.

Yup its what Button meant when he said the 27 was the worst car. So now we know, the mistake wasnt made because mclaren just decided to be radical, or had reached the development ceiling of the 27. they lied. The truth is that they decided it was not fast enough while Button couldnt drive it, ignored Lewis' results and planned the 28 to be faster (for Button)

And now the 28 is faster than the 27 for Button but they are 6 months behind where they would be if they had evolved the 27 and just let Button get on with it. As they found later in the year, there was nothing fundamental wrong with the 27 it was just that Button couldnt set it up like he wanted for a while

But that attempt to give Button the car he was claiming would make him quicker is the 28 and it was not faster in Buttons hands

How can this team continue next year with Button and Whitmarsh?

[1Lemon]

So they decided to change the car during the period that Button couldn't drive it and Lewis was getting podiums?? Is that what Button meant when he said ...they've listened to me, I've had a massive input into this car...Well that backfired massively didn't it.

Yup its what Button meant when he said the 27 was the worst car. So now we know, the mistake wasnt made because mclaren just decided to be radical, or had reached the development ceiling of the 27. they lied. The truth is that they decided it was not fast enough while Button couldnt drive it, ignored Lewis' results and planned the 28 to be faster (for Button)

And now the 28 is faster than the 27 for Button but they are 6 months behind where they would be if they had evolved the 27 and just let Button get on with it. As they found later in the year, there was nothing fundamental wrong with the 27 it was just that Button couldnt set it up like he wanted for a while

But that attempt to give Button the car he was claiming would make him quicker is the 28 and it was not faster in Buttons hands

How can this team continue next year with Button and Whitmarsh?

But then again look at it this way, why would they not change direction? Why continue development for a driver when you know he's not going to be driving that car, it'll be better to make a car to suit the older more experienced WDC in the team rather than the young up-starter. Ignoring that designing a car around Button is almost impossible because he needs the car to be perfect and his window of perfection is smaller than a Pirelli Super Soft's tread.

[racechick]

But they didn't Know Lewis was leaving mid summer when they changed direction, he didn't make his decision to leave till much later than that.....maybe partly as a result of seeing the design direction?? He was clearly already unsettled when Lauda courted him for Mercedes.

[CookinFlat6]

So they decided to change the car during the period that Button couldn't drive it and Lewis was getting podiums?? Is that what Button meant when he said ...they've listened to me, I've had a massive input into this car...Well that backfired massively didn't it.

Yup its what Button meant when he said the 27 was the worst car. So now we know, the mistake wasnt made because mclaren just decided to be radical, or had reached the development ceiling of the 27. they lied. The truth is that they decided it was not fast enough while Button couldnt drive it, ignored Lewis' results and planned the 28 to be faster (for Button)

And now the 28 is faster than the 27 for Button but they are 6 months behind where they would be if they had evolved the 27 and just let Button get on with it. As they found later in the year, there was nothing fundamental wrong with the 27 it was just that Button couldnt set it up like he wanted for a while

But that attempt to give Button the car he was claiming would make him quicker is the 28 and it was not faster in Buttons hands

How can this team continue next year with Button and Whitmarsh?

But then again look at it this way, why would they not change direction? Why continue development for a driver when you know he's not going to be driving that car, it'll be better to make a car to suit the older more experienced WDC in the team rather than the young up-starter. Ignoring that designing a car around Button is almost impossible because he needs the car to be perfect and his window of perfection is smaller than a Pirelli Super Soft's tread.

They backed the wrong horse, which drove Lewis out. Many of us have being pointing to this mismanagement and lack inability to put ability before disturbing looks. We were called conspiracy fantasists but ofcourse there was no conspiracy it was just incompetence on a scale not ever seen before in F1, I reckon as the next few years will show, never will a competitive team become a complete basket case so quickly
imagine what this present collection of individuals is going to come up with over 2 major engine changes with all the new regs and driving style changes and reliability for the new power unit. This is probably their best year for a while

Unless big changes are made, but there is no one left to make them, the owners, the Bharainis don't appear to care less as they are getting their money's worth wether McLaren do well or not

[Hammer278]

I await to see McLarens performance come 2014...I believe it will set the 'tone' of this team's performance for quite some time. If they manage to come back to the front of the grid, huge congrats to them as it will be a testament to their infrastructure and (hidden) talents within the team.

[CookinFlat6]

So Mclaren celebrate the 50 yr anniversary today. Well done to them!

Ron is chairman still

He spoke about the hunger to win and how each employee should never forget and settle for less
He didnt mention the previously popular goal/standard of winning a quarter of the races each season

And no announcement of any contract extensions tying a star driver to the team

Shame, thats the type of announcement just made for a 50th aniversary of a winning team

[What's Burning?]

Perhaps Vodaphone will rething their sponsorship deal with McLaren due to their recent 130 billion of potential windfall announcement

[Jabberwocky]

Did I hear right today that nokia has sold its phone and phone os to Microsoft?

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[What's Burning?]

You did indeed.

[Jabberwocky]

Was that a shock to the people in the know?

So wjat to nokia do now if not phones?

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