This forum contains threads to discuss teams themselves. Anything not technical about the cars, including restructuring, performances etc belongs here.
Yes, thigs are looking good, I would say its a step in a right direction, Mclaren used to be a leading team in new tech, but they have fallen behind a lot in recent years and seeing them rebuild from the ground up is a good sing.
I'd much rather have Sainz or Norris over Vettel...
Vettel is hugely Overrated...
Well, we don't know how good Sainz actually is. He has done a good job, but was easily beaten by Hulkenberg last year.
Simply put, he’s improved a great deal
Q: (Stefano Mancini – La Stampa) Kimi, will you help Vettel to win his championship this year?
Kimi Raikkonen: I can only drive one car, obviously.
@2018 Singapore Grand Prix drivers press conference.
I'd much rather have Sainz or Norris over Vettel...
Vettel is hugely Overrated...
Well, we don't know how good Sainz actually is. He has done a good job, but was easily beaten by Hulkenberg last year.
Performance is not static... People making driver comparisons saying that if in X season, driver A outperformed driver B and in Y season, driver B outperformed driver C, therefore driver A is better than C isn’t a fair or objective comparison.
Their performance sometimes isn’t static and not 100% dependent on their skill... Different drivers will adjust better to different car characteristics, confidence in the car’s performance also plays a role, as well as how well they integrate with their race engineer... Their momentum and psychological frame in a set period of time will also play a big role in their performance.
I agree. Sometimes, drivers don't feel comfortable in the car. Sometimes they lose their form. Some times the team dynamics of the drivers and their relationship with the team, the engineers and mechanics don't get in sync. Sometimes, the team's management philosophies themselves are a problem. Depending on so many factors like these, the drivers' performance varies. So, I won't write Vettel off instantly. He was really good with the high downforce blown diffuser cars. If the characteristics of the 2021 car is similar, he might get the mojo back. He is a nice chap too.
However, here lies the problem. He cracks under pressure - be it the time when he crashed into Hamilton for brake testing or during the innumerable times when he spun when he was pressurised by a competitor. Arguably, he is not good at going wheel to wheel like say Alonso or Hamilton. A great driver should be able to adapt; a great driver should consistently extract out of whatever car he has. I would say he didn't manage that.
Now, coming back to the team itself, the driver pairing this year has been refreshing; they go well together without conflicts. The current gen drivers are also stars on social media; they seem to get well together than the previous gen drivers. Sainz has fit in one the team as the experienced driver to lead the team. No driver errors, so spins, not hitting the barriers during practice runs, no whacking of the rear to get gearbox penalties. Both our drivers have been outstanding in that respect. Bringing in Vettel would only shift the power to one side - clearly, a champion of Vettel's stature would ask for a no.1 status; that would affect the team dynamics. It could have been a thing that McLaren managed in their glory days with championship winning drivers. But I think a young driver pairing with equal status and mutual respect is what we need at the moment when rebuilding the team.
I think it is better to keep these two for 2021 regardless of whether Vettel would be a better option or not. And if there comes a time when McLaren is hardpressed to choose a new driver for 2021, then it better be Daniel Ricciardo rather than Vettel.
