Sam gonna loose his job?

[kfzmeister]

The pressure is finally on. The fact that McLaren can't seem to get a handle on it's trackside issues is gonna cost him his job.

http://richardsf1.com/2012/06/26/is-...nder-the-pump/

[wiredvw]

I will be very surprised if he keeps his job for the remainder of the season. The only way he keeps it is if there are NO mistakes for several consecutive races.

[The Ninja]

I like the Twitter quote about Williams was rubbish and McLaren were brilliant until Sam Michaels left Williams. It sucks that one man can cost a driver a WDC.

[kfzmeister]

It's pretty incredible to me that this could even happen. One man really responsible for all this?
Not only a Driver's Championship lost, but potentially a Constructor's as well. That's millions of dollars......

[dubsix]

I don't know if it's all down to Michaels but something stinks since Dennis isn't there at the helm on raceday, cleaning house could be one way to sort this out.

[kfzmeister]

cleaning house could be one way to sort this out.

Lewis, too?

[dubsix]

don't throw out the baby with the bath water.

[wiredvw]

I don't know if it's all down to Michaels but something stinks since Dennis isn't there at the helm on raceday, cleaning house could be one way to sort this out.

Not so sure about that. Last season they were very clean with their pit stops, rarely losing time to anyone. This season, and Michaels arrival, there have been problems at each race. Significant problems. It's hard to think the same guys who ran the pit stops last season suddenly forgot how to service a car other than their training and trackside methodology changed with the arrival of Michaels.

[snafuracer94]

Something changed for the worse in a big way. To see multiple screw ups from a world class PROFESSIONAL race team is just mind boggling! Lewis deserves better. ANY driver deserves better!

[Blaspherion]

They need that lead race engineer Howden "H" Haynes from the Audi Racing Le Mans. He drills his pit crews ad nauseum. McLaren could benefit from some efficient Audi work ethic.

That or Ron needs to step back in and take care of business.

Stan...

[Mk1Racer]

don't throw out the baby with the bath water.

I think that's the appropriate use of that saying I've ever seen.

[veedub87]

They need that lead race engineer Howden "H" Haynes from the Audi Racing Le Mans. He drills his pit crews ad nauseum. McLaren could benefit from some efficient Audi work ethic.

That or Ron needs to step back in and take care of business.

Stan...

Well, somebody's realized there's a problem and has called for accountability. 800 practice pit stops in a single session...

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/2...ice-pit-stops/

[The Ninja]

Well, somebody's realized there's a problem and has called for accountability. 800 practice pit stops in a single session...

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/2...ice-pit-stops/

The pit stops yesterday were blisteringly fast. Too bad the cars were crap.

[Mk1Racer]

The pit stops yesterday were blisteringly fast. Too bad the cars were crap.

Yeah, I think Lewis' first stop was something like 2.8 seconds!

[wiredvw]

Yeah, I think Lewis' first stop was something like 2.8 seconds!

I was too! When I read they did over 800 pit stop practices in the week leading up to the British GP I was certain they were going to flop from practicing too much and burning out.

[10Ten]

it's all cus Sam Michael is a pothead. Wait... didn't I just read that somewhere?

[The Ninja]

I was thinking about this last night. It might sound crazy, but hear me out.

In this thread as in some others many people have commented that a more involved Ron Dennis is what McLaren needs to start turning things around. I tend to agree that the team needs someone to come in and crack the whip. There just seems to be a lack of discipline from the top down.

The thought I had about McLaren is; how much do you feel that their road car business has affected the F1 team? I know that Ron Dennis has been focused on the car business with the MP4-12c, the new Spyder, and the upcoming F1 successor. Do you feel that the company is putting the F1 team on the back burner?

One reason I think this is last year there were talks of McLaren ending it's Mercedes engine partnership in order to use it's own engines. We have not anything about that this year. Was this a victim of the car business?

[wiredvw]

I was thinking about this last night. It might sound crazy, but hear me out.

In this thread as in some others many people have commented that a more involved Ron Dennis is what McLaren needs to start turning things around. I tend to agree that the team needs someone to come in and crack the whip. There just seems to be a lack of discipline from the top down.

The thought I had about McLaren is; how much do you feel that their road car business has affected the F1 team? I know that Ron Dennis has been focused on the car business with the MP4-12c, the new Spyder, and the upcoming F1 successor. Do you feel that the company is putting the F1 team on the back burner?

One reason I think this is last year there were talks of McLaren ending it's Mercedes engine partnership in order to use it's own engines. We have not anything about that this year. Was this a victim of the car business?

Inevitably there will be a choice by management to apply resources according to what they think is appropriate - perhaps they got it wrong. But engineers can sometimes just get it wrong. It could be as simple as mis-calibrated CFD equipment (ie wind tunnel) - not unheard of in F1. McLaren have never really had any other real focus than F1. sure they have helped with a few cars here and there, but never as committed as they are with the MP4-12c. You could be on to something regarding engines too...perhaps they have diverted resources to jump start their own engine department for the 2014 F1 engine. However, recall that Denise was more or less forced out of F1 by Mad Max after the spy scandal.

Fact is that McLaren must find their legs being both a car manufacturer AND top F1 team.