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[McLaren Fan]

McLaren isn't a true British team anyway. Bruce McLaren was Kiwi, thus McLaren is really Kiwi. It is only British not because the company is based it England but because McLaren has a British F1 racing licence. Remember Renault F1 is also based in The UK, but is French not because Renault is a French company, but because Renault's F1 racing licence is French.

Yes, I pretty much agree. McLaren was started by a Kiwi and had many Kiwis working for the team (most notably Dave Ryan, but McLaren shafted him ), but there was also American involvement from people such as Teddy Mayer. American influence increased when Marlboro sponsored the team from 1974, and were, of course, responsible for Project 4's merger with the team in 1980. A year later, Ron Dennis brought TAG into McLaren, and in 1995, Mercedes-Benz purchased shares in the team. Then in 2007 Bahrain's Mumtalakat Holding Company bought shares in the McLaren Group. McLaren are probably the most culturally diverse team in Formula One.

[Gaz]

McLaren isn't a true British team anyway. Bruce McLaren was Kiwi, thus McLaren is really Kiwi. It is only British not because the company is based it England but because McLaren has a British F1 racing licence. Remember Renault F1 is also based in The UK, but is French not because Renault is a French company, but because Renault's F1 racing licence is French.

Yes, I pretty much agree. McLaren was started by a Kiwi and had many Kiwis working for the team (most notably Dave Ryan, but McLaren shafted him ), but there was also American involvement from people such as Teddy Mayer. American influence increased when Marlboro sponsored the team from 1974, and were, of course, responsible for Project 4's merger with the team in 1980. A year later, Ron Dennis brought TAG into McLaren, and in 1995, Mercedes-Benz purchased shares in the team. Then in 2007 Bahrain's Mumtalakat Holding Company bought shares in the McLaren Group. McLaren are probably the most culturally diverse team in Formula One.

Yeh its an international team that happens to be UK based.

prob becasuse the UK has excellent motorsport infustucture

[Robert182]

Yeh its an international team that happens to be UK based.

prob becasuse the UK has excellent motorsport infustucture

got that spot on mate uk has best engineers / best brains for the job

[csrracer]

I think what's Interesting about the Team Nationality issue is that regardless of who their main Sponsor is Ferrari has always worn there Traditional Italian Racing color of red.

[Jensonb]

McLaren isn't a true British team anyway. Bruce McLaren was Kiwi, thus McLaren is really Kiwi. It is only British not because the company is based it England but because McLaren has a British F1 racing licence. Remember Renault F1 is also based in The UK, but is French not because Renault is a French company, but because Renault's F1 racing licence is French.

I only used Mclaren as an example. Because you can also use Renault, Williams etc for that matter. Or BMW or even Sauber in its days...... the thing is, apart from Force india no other team takes cover behind a nation's flag (and even then Force India is not a 100% indian team). To me its not really important anyway. Teams can do whatever they want to attract fans or sponsors or whatever... but in the end what matters is the spirit each team brings into competition, and Ferrari is one of the most competitive teams not only in F1, but in motorsports and road cars in general. I personally enjoy this, and i think this is the very spirit of racing that i feel is the way things should be.

I don't get Force India. It's a stupid name and the concept's not up to much either. If hew ants an India-themed racing team, why did he not simply by their entry into A1GP*?

*Jensonb does not endorse the prolonging of the stereotype that A1GP counts as a motorsport

[bud]

its a marketing scam, do you know how many people are in India?

[Rivelution]

I think what's Interesting about the Team Nationality issue is that regardless of who their main Sponsor is Ferrari has always worn there Traditional Italian Racing color of red.

What you said just made me wonder if USF1 will use the traditional American white with blue stripes or some cheesy American red, white, and blue livery.

[AKR]

I think what's Interesting about the Team Nationality issue is that regardless of who their main Sponsor is Ferrari has always worn there Traditional Italian Racing color of red.

When Jaguar were in it a few years back they had green racing colours which is the traditional British racing colour. And I remember Prost F1 and Ligier were blue which is the French Racing colour, and cough, cough dare I say it, McLaren is silver based which Silver is Germany's racing colour. I guess Mercedes are German and McLaren is heading down the German path of Mercedes.

[AKR]

Yeh its an international team that happens to be UK based.

prob becasuse the UK has excellent motorsport infustucture

got that spot on mate uk has best engineers / best brains for the job

I agree the facilities are good in the UK, but I doubt they have the best engineers and brains for the job. McLaren has many German Mercedes engineers and in the past Japanese Honda engineers when they were McLaren-Honda. If you want the best brains look towards Germany, Italy and Japan. If you want the best infrusture as in buildings, facilties etc then look towards the UK.

[bud]

Really? then why did Ferrari look to the UK for their engineers

[AKR]

Really? then why did Ferrari look to the UK for their engineers

I don't know, but why do MClaren have German engineers. Umm so that means then, according to some, that if the UK have the best engineers, and Ferrari has British engineers, then Ferrari are the best.

[bud]

Actually McLarens design teams consist of Brits and their head of engine design is Dutch from memory.

[AKR]

Actually McLarens design teams consist of Brits and their head of engine design is Dutch from memory.

Huag, I thought he was German. Oh well I too can be wrong as well.

[Gaz]

Yeh its an international team that happens to be UK based.

prob becasuse the UK has excellent motorsport infustucture

got that spot on mate uk has best engineers / best brains for the job

I agree the facilities are good in the UK, but I doubt they have the best engineers and brains for the job. McLaren has many German Mercedes engineers and in the past Japanese Honda engineers when they were McLaren-Honda. If you want the best brains look towards Germany, Italy and Japan. If you want the best infrusture as in buildings, facilties etc then look towards the UK.

Massa's Race engineer is a brit from Manchester.

you only have to look at the years of F1 colin chapman, adrian newley, Ross Brawn..

[Gaz]

Actually McLarens design teams consist of Brits and their head of engine design is Dutch from memory.

Huag, I thought he was German. Oh well I too can be wrong as well.

Hes not the engine designer hes just the mercades motorsport boss.