Big Tea wrote: ↑12 Sep 2018, 12:14
taperoo2k wrote: ↑12 Sep 2018, 00:14
adrianjordan wrote: ↑11 Sep 2018, 09:13
In my opinion Mclaren absolutely should have had a go at buying Force India and swapping the PU contract if there was any chance. Then raid the best of FI technical staff for Mclaren and then run the remainder of that team as a B Team.
It's more than likely Mercedes have a clause in it's PU supply contracts that negates any contract swapping between teams. McLaren are quite rightly concentrating on trying to fix the problems they have, which will hopefully lead to a half decent car in the early 2020's. Buying FI would have distracted them from that rebuilding process. Besides if McLaren decide they need somebody asap the teams shareholders would likely open the cheque book if the team convinces them it's a sound move.
McLaren are in a post Ron Dennis era, shedding his single minded management style is likely part of why McLaren have fallen so far from the front. So buy FI ? Silly idea and one I doubt McLaren's powers that be would have even considered.
The only 'up side' I see to this is that Mclaren would then (presumably) have call on the staff.
However, as I have said I do not think Mclarens problem was with the staff they could use, but with Management, which hopefully they now have in hand.
There was a kind of admission from Zak Brown a few days ago on a Dutch website
https://www.gpupdate.net/nl/f1-nieuws/3 ... luut-niet/ where he basically told that McLaren have been a mess management wise the past years and that it wasn't just Honda.
McLaren these days are, in my view, still in survival mode, trying to figure out how the team works instead of competing. When Mercedes bought Brawn they had a multi year plan, when RedBull took over Toro Rosso is was part of a much bigger plan then just having a few extra seats. I hope Zak gets his team in order so they can plan and develop a vision, something McLaren is lacking now. At least there isn't that Dennisesque shouting anymore that they are going to win the next race....
They need partners. A good technical (PU) partner is the hardest part, as they build sports cars themselves they could try lure a company into F1 that doesn't build something fast for the road. Someone odd like Kia?
A comercial partner would be less difficult because of Brown's history. The orange livery is cool, but doesn't make any money and the brand McLaren could use extra marketing value to be associated with a good brand.
Still lots of things to happen in my view, hopefully somewhere 2020/2021 a McLaren on the podium again.
