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Originally Posted by LiveandLetDrive
Every country has its embarrassing idiots, ours just happen to like urine-flavored beer and the only sport more dizzying than tennis. Well, basketball's pretty bad too.
I'm also curious where in the structure of the team McLaren is going wrong. Didn't a mechanic sabotage something hydraulic that lead to a failure last year? Or was that just a mistake? They certainly don't seem to have alot of passion from what I've seen. Kimi's monotone makes me want to beat my head on the wall.
I've only been watching since last year really so I have a lot to learn yet  |
Well believe it or not McLaren are probably the most professionally presented working operation out there. Ever since their convincing double victory in 1998 and return to the winners circle, the car's speed and performance has continued to soar, but at hte cost of enormous amounts of reliability. Just for a bit of a refresher for ya LiveandLetDrive, They won four constructors titles and four drivers championship titles with Marlboro backing, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in 1988-1991. Then followed two seasons of a handful of wins in a useless car thanks to Senna's brilliance. Then a further decline with the loss of Senna to WIlliams, to no wins in 1994-1996. Hakkinen came on strong in 1994, and in 1996, but it was pointless. In 1997, they returned to the winners circle, and by seasons end, had three wins, should have been more, but things were just starting. In 1998, they won 10 races, and both titles, and lapped the field in the first two races. In 1999, the won the drivers title, just, but should have walked it. In 2000, Hakkinen started the year with two DNF's from leading, then just when he was ready to stamp his authority on the title at the inaugural US GP, the Merc cried enough, that title was gone.
2001 was an embarassment for mcLaren, DC started well, but then the car just quit on him at a whole list of races including Spain and Monaco. Mika's car let go no fewer than 10 times that year, most of them he was in solid points positions and leading the race until the last lap on one occasion...
2002 was a poor year, but the car showed promise by season's end, Kimi should have won his first race at France but for a bit of bad luck. 2003, was Kimi's year, however a few 'political affairs' involving Ferrari and protests insured the Michelin runners were at a disadvantage going into the final races with new front tyres following an FIA decision which decided after a whole season that these tyres were illegal following the protest of Ferrari.
'03 was gone, but it was hardly a perfect year for reliability of the McLarens anyway. 2004, was poor,similar to 2002 in many ways. And 2005.......again, another title that McLaren lost by shooting their own feet clean off.
The whole tyre fiasco in f1 must make Americans like yourself laugh. Because over there I understand tyres are big round things that go round on a race car and provide good amounts of grip. Like everything American, it's not necessarily an original idea, but it is always the simplest and the better than the rest in the end.
Hope that wasn't too confusing but in short, McLaren have failed to produce a reliable car. Ferrari have produced the perfect compromise, a fast car that finishes races with the minimum of fuss.