Going back further: the Woking-based outfit arguably had the fastest car in
2012 but squandered it; in the previous three years they were not quick
enough to win either championship; their last drivers’ championship was with
Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and they have not won the constructors since 1999.
Q: What’s going on behind the scenes?
In essence, Ron Dennis is back in charge of the Formula One operation. As Telegraph
Sport reported last week, Dennis has replaced team principal
Martin Whitmarsh as group CEO, with the latter’s future increasingly
doubtful.
It is believed further announcements will be made on the leadership of the
team next month, but they can’t come soon enough with testing in Jerez
starting on January 28.
Jonathan Neale, managing director, was asked about
the situation earlier this week, and naturally declined to comment,
but early indications on
Twitter were that Dennis’s return was generally well received by
staff at Woking.
Q: Is the team have money troubles?
The team claim to possess the biggest operational budget in their history, but
they have so far been unable to announce a title sponsor to replace Vodafone
for 2014.
When Voadfone said they were pulling out, last December promised an “exciting
announcement” soon, with the expectation being a replacement would be
unveiled along with the new car on January 24. But now that’s not happening,
there’s a possibility they could go without a title sponsor until the return
of Honda as engine supplier in 2015.
“We’re in good shape”, Neale
said earlier this week. “I’m pleased to say that McLaren Racing will
have a larger operational budget available to it in 2014 than it’s had in
any previous seasons”.
Q: Why have they changed their driver line-up for 2014?
Mexican Sergio Perez was ditched at the end of 2013 after just one season in
the team. While Martin Whitmarsh has said he did not feel Perez did anything
specifically wrong (preferring to credit the skills of their new rookie
driver, Dane Kevin Magnussen), the Mexican was generally slower than Jenson
Button in qualifying, recognised to be the weaker weapon in the Briton’s
arsenal.
OUT: Sergio Perez
IN: Kevin Magnussen
Magnussen impressed in the time he’s had in the car, as well as winning the
2013 Formula Renault 3.5 Series, and clearly McLaren felt he was a better
bet for the future.
Given the sweeping rule changes in 2014, which represents something of a fresh
start, the team probably saw it as the best opportunity to change driver.
Q: How are McLaren likely to do in 2014?
This is the question that, in truth, no-one knows the answer to. McLaren are
still one of the big boys of Formula One, but they are not the absolute
powerhouse they once were.
In years gone by they had a knack of turning around underperforming cars,
winning the development race, but that quality was severely lacking in 2013
as attention turned to the big rule changes for 2014.
If McLaren are able to start from a decent base, and develop the car as we
usually expect them to, they should be able to compete at the front.
However, with their relationship with Mercedes coming to an end, they will
have had less opportunity than the works team itself to package their car
around the new 1.6 litre V6 power unit.
All the indications are that 2014 could be a year of transition for McLaren,
in which Magnussen gets the experience he needs, and they prepare for a
championship assault when they revive their historic relationship with Honda
in 2015.