If Ron doesn't think McLaren's ready to break off, I'm sure it's better to stick with Merc

Well, we've got an answer on the brake problem from Whitmarsh.



A rogue pad would do it, that's for sure.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79959

You've got to love a long-term "commitment" that includes investing 10s of millions in one of your chief competitors.

well, lets see how the "long-term commitment" goes, but I don't mind hanging on to Mercedes for a bit more while we set up Mclaren automotive and become a full time manufacturer that can then invest in solid F1 engines and co.

at the moment, it seems we are eating our cake and having it... doing the manufacturer thing solo, competing with Mercedes sports cars in the car market but still getting their sponsor money for the team.

The other way to look at it is that, its not just a Mclaren team, its Mclaren Mercedes (40%)... so while we might compete in the car market in future... we are joining forces to kick major F1 arse... which Im pretty convinced we will do next season if we can have a competitive car n good 2nd driver.

Hamilton is convincing me that he is even a better driver than I thought and Id easily put money on him doing the job if our car can be as fast as the fastest cars next season. On pure pace, Im beginning to think he might actually be simply the fastest guy on the grid.
Id love Kimi to come to Merc just so I can confirm or dispel this notion.

You and me both sir

You've got to love it as long as it makes McLaren-Mercedes stronger (than whatever McLaren would do on its own). It's not that easy to replace the money lost or to come up with a decent engine very fast without breaking the bank.

And Mclaren's chief competitor is Ferrari IMO. Even if Brawn gets Mercedes funding besides Mercedes engines, that still only puts them at equal footing. In touring cars, for a long time manufacturers like BMW have supported different (semi-)works teams at the same time, like Schnitzer and Bigazzi. This can work in F1, too. It also helps if Mercedes has more political power to use in F1, with more teams associated with them. Ferrari hasn't hesitated in the past to make use of their connections with teams like Sauber.

Besides, Marlboro and now Santander also tended to pour money in competing teams. Should McLaren refuse Santander money on the ground that they pay even more to Ferrari?

+1

Great topic indeed. Bye to 4-24 and crossing the fingers for 4-25. It was a great season after all. But let's hope the next one will be much better.

The F1 turnaround of the century has been pulled off. Just a shame it couldn't be capped with a victory. Nevertheless, the team dug really deep this year. Congrats and roll on 2010 and a new challenge (hopefully with a stronger start this time). Thanx to all Mac forum contributors (especially those who kept the faith during the dark days!!). See you on the 25 thread guys.

goodbye silver donkey... it's been... emotional.

My last post on the Silver Donkey thread

Cya all at MP4-25

Here's to a better steed next year

Well, with that kind of ability to develop, god help the competition if McLaren turn up with a car that even merely breaks even at the start of the year.

A few things:
Of course it's not that easy to replace the money or the engines. My point was that Haug's comment that Merc were still committed long-term to McLaren seems rather thin whilst they're paying a lot of money in order to defeat McLaren (and the other teams). I was not suggesting that McLaren are unwise to get what they can from Merc, I just regret that Merc are falling for the "Ross-Brawn-walks-on-water" spiel, and have this burning need to have "their own" team, rather than one with 50x more history. They're entitled to do what they like; I wish that they weren't doing what they're doing.
Just because they're not helping Ferrari does not mean that they're not hurting McLaren. They could be helping Force India and it still might hurt McLaren. Certainly if they were to pay McLaren what they're going to pay Brawn, it would help McLaren. That's pretty straightforward, is it not?
As for political power, maybe that would be a plus, but in any dispute that affects differently the team of which they own 40% and the team of which they own 75%, which they control, and which bears their name, on whose side will their sentiments fall? Not McLaren's.

If Andy is reading this - send a massive thank you to the boys back home.

We went from being crushed and dejected around the Spain mark, to cheering and hopeful for pretty much every race of the second half of the season.

Massive massive job to get that far, so well done to you all.

We`ll miss you kindda.

The perfect "good-bye" for this thread would be if the 5th driver somehow managed to get a pic of Lewis riding the official MP4-24 SilverDonkey.

Bye Bye Donkey...

Nice sendoff

Loely pictures bond

MP4-24. The Last Hurrah
MP4-24. The Last Hurrah
MP4-24. The Last Hurrah

Farewell old friend

It was an awesome lap. McLaren was clearly dominant on this weekend, it could have been such an easy win.

I'm still disappointed for that crap brake pad.

SilverDonkey became tired and retired.

I am sad they stopped using the assymetrical diffuser and bodywork. Always fascinated me how that worked.

Exhaust outlets are still asymmetric.

Regarding the diffuser, the asymmetric wasn't any serious thing for aerodynamics, it was only a solution to set the opening for the starting-engine.