Vodafone McLaren Team 2012

[Lurk]

If you COULD stop writting like THIS, it would be BETTER. It is QUIET annoying to read...

Anyway, Perez can be fast but he needs to calm down. He did several huge mistakes since he signed with McLaren, some which could have cost him a good seat if he didn't have signed already. Abu Dhabi was is fault whatever he said, huge mistake at Suzuka too..

[munudeges]

I'm "GETTING" This from Martin Witmarsh he said "CHECO" is not bringing in any Mexican sponsorship "CHECO" is vey much getting paid to race.. He accepts he opens up a new market but he's not bringing in sponsorship..

You're not getting anything from Martin Whitmarsh I'm afraid sweetheart. Team bosses up and down the pit lane will swear blind that the paying drivers they are getting in are not bringing anything with them. The commercial angle of getting a drive should not even be open to question on a knowledgeable forum such as this one.

He accepts he opens up a new market..

There you have your answer and it's pretty obvious what that means. I'm afraid team bosses never give you the exact answer you want. You join up the above comments with the loss of a major sponsor like Vodafone and you have your answer.

From a commercial point of view Perez makes sense, and as good a driver as he might be McLaren won't be losing too much sleep over Hamilton. It's a business decision and Perez is enough of a decent driver to get the team the points it needs. They probably moved in quickly to ensure Ferrari didn't get him. I'm very surprised Ferrari didn't. The state of sponsors and the economy globally is still precarious.

[Richard]

Thanks for the lesson on Mexican nicknames, I sincerely didn't know that. However, on this forum we try to discourage excess use of CAPITALS and nicknames regardless of language or culture.

There are two reasons for this, firstly to discourage fanboys, secondly to provide clarity for readers who might speak a different language. That's why you'll not read about the hulk giving way to 6 tents, or THE BOSS beating golden boy, or the finger beating the kiwi from the western isle.

So proper names in normal type please. Think of it as cultural sensitivity to the forum. That's how we do it around here.

[Nando]

Vettel undoubtedly has the best nickname ever in F1 And he brought it all on himself.

[NathanOlder]

I bet Jenson is happy that Lewis has left, knowing if next years car is a gooden, he will have it alot easier with checo.

[wesley123]

I bet Jenson is happy that Lewis has left, knowing if next years car is a gooden, he will have it alot easier with checo.

I actually hope PErez take the first place, button has had his time imo, time to give the young guys the chance of succes

[marcush.]

Button is a true champion ,no doubt about it .Hamilton is right on top of his game and still Button is there and finishes on equal points to him winning races .
One could count the team,car and race incidents leading to loss of points for Hamilton ,but my feeling is Button had similar bad carma this year ...car and drivers both good enough to win the championship but the team too often messing up...well at least their problems seem to be easier to solve than MGPs...

Funny to hear that
Mclaren thinks Hamilton will return after just one year....

[NathanOlder]

Anyone see the Tooned episode on sky. I wonder who the Spanish speaking guy with long hair will turn out to be ?

[beelsebob]

Button is a true champion ,no doubt about it .Hamilton is right on top of his game and still Button is there and finishes on equal points to him winning races .

Yes, but Button hasn't had over 200 points taken off him by various disasters out of his control.

Mclaren thinks Hamilton will return after just one year....

I don't – I think he'll be going to RBR after just one year.

[NathanOlder]

Button is a true champion ,no doubt about it .Hamilton is right on top of his game and still Button is there and finishes on equal points to him winning races .

Yes, but Button hasn't had over 200 points taken off him by various disasters out of his control.

Mclaren thinks Hamilton will return after just one year....

I don't – I think he'll be going to RBR after just one year.

Spot on, I cant wait to see Lewis & Jenson fight next year. As now they will fight 100%

Only the end of 2009 they came close in similar cars, Maybe next year could be a close one.

Edit... Do people think he will get out of a 3 year deal that easy ? or will there be clauses ?

[GrizzleBoy]

Button is a true champion ,no doubt about it .Hamilton is right on top of his game and still Button is there and finishes on equal points to him winning races .
One could count the team,car and race incidents leading to loss of points for Hamilton ,but my feeling is Button had similar bad carma this year ...car and drivers both good enough to win the championship but the team too often messing up...well at least their problems seem to be easier to solve than MGPs...

Funny to hear that
Mclaren thinks Hamilton will return after just one year....

Here's where we can make the easy distinction between what happened to Jenson and Lewis this year.

If McLaren weren't crap in the pit/garage, Lewis would have won a WDC very handily.

If McLaren weren't crap in the pit/garage, Jenson would have been "not as bad" this season.

It seems people forget that Jenson was racing for a single point in many races mid season.

The fact that he is so close to Lewis in points just goes to show how badly Lewis has been let down (or "managed down", not how well Jenson has been able to keep up with Lewis.

[ScottB]

The difference between the two is that when the car is good, as it was this weekend, then Jenson and Lewis will be very close. Earlier in the season, when the car wasn't so good, Jenson was struggling to get points while Hamilton was still fighting for wins.

Jenson is a very good driver, and if Mclaren produce a quick car that is reliable then he will be right up there, but if they don't it could be a lean year...

[astracrazy]

I can see macca having a terrible year next year. I can't see Perez handling the pressure based on whitmarsh's comments and Perez's performance since the signing. If the cars wrongly set up Button has a disaster. TBH it doesn't look good imo

Apparently it was all down to Ron why Lewis left and his highly embarrassed about it that his ordered all the top brass to not discuss it. (according to the exclusives/quotes in papers)

It could cost him big time

[marcush.]

I remember Button having similar fate of bad luck ? + that awful string of uncompetitiveness when Mclaren did not find a setup window suitable for jenson .
I´m afraid Hamilton was really top notch this year no question ,but Jenson was not blown away by him -again.

[GrizzleBoy]

I remember Button having similar fate of bad luck ? + that awful string of uncompetitiveness when Mclaren did not find a setup window suitable for jenson .
I´m afraid Hamilton was really top notch this year no question ,but Jenson was not blown away by him -again.

Can you explain in what way, other than the final points standings how Jenson was not blown away by Lewis?

If we add up all the points lost by the McLaren team for EACH driver, Lewis would be 100+ points clear of Jenson.

Qualifying? Lewis got what was it, 7-8 pole positions? Jenson got his first in three years...and only because of a part on his car that Lewis didn't have.

Race? Button got a better start in Aus and had the free air to run away with the game, but Lewis was right there and only lost a position due to pit strategies. Button got lapped by Lewis in Canada and was passed by Lewis in Barcelona, despite Lewis starting in 24th on the grid.

I don't really like how the media as a whole is kind of trying to ignore the fact that Lewis not only completely thrashed Jenson, but that Lewis would have easily been WDC if not for McLarens almost "too bad to be true" performance for him.