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Sam Michael to Leave Mclaren at the end of 2014 [Merged]


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#1 Gilles4Ever

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 10:43

McLaren have confirmed sporting director Sam Michael is leaving at the end of the season to return to Australia. Resigned in March cont'd

cont'd McLaren categorically deny reports technical director Tim Goss and chief operating officer Jonathan Neale are leaving. Story soon



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#2 WitnessX

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 11:17

Sam Michael has resigned - leaving at end of year

https://twitter.com/andrewbensonf1



#3 Maustinsj

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 11:19

Cripes!

#4 Lights

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 11:20

That was rather short-lived then.



#5 ardbeg

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 11:23

Sam Michael has resigned - leaving at end of year

https://twitter.com/andrewbensonf1

Williams kept him far too long



#6 Newbrray

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 11:40

Full story on Sam Michael leaving

 

http://www.gptoday.c...l_set_to_leave/



#7 TomNokoe

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 11:41

Alongside the proverbial whimper for Sam Michael.

#8 Tsarwash

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 11:50

Oh Dear, poor Sam. Joins Lotus, they promptly go bust. Jordan flourished while he is there, then joins Williams, they enter their worst period in their history, is forced to resign. Joins McLaren, they suffer their worst few seasons for over twenty years. Who would hire him now ?

#9 frosty125

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 11:51

No great loss IMO.



#10 Zoetrope

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 11:56

Sam Micheal leaves...McLaren-Honda wins 2015 title  :p I don't really know if justifiable, but this guy had awful reputation around here.



#11 Force Ten

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 11:58

Sam Micheal leaves...McLaren-Honda wins 2015 title  :p I don't really know if justifiable, but this guy had awful reputation around here.

...that being the pantheon of logic, reason and knowledge.


Edited by Force Ten, 22 October 2014 - 12:08.


#12 eronrules

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 11:59

http://www1.skysport...d-of-the-season

 

 

 

A McLaren spokesman formally confirmed that Michael, who joined McLaren from Williams in 2011, handed in his resignation to the team in March with the 43-year-old and his family to return to his native Australia after 20 years in F1.

 

http://www.bbc.com/s...rmula1/29723594

 

 

A McLaren spokesman said the 43-year-old resigned in March after saying he wanted to return to his native Australia with his family.

 

The spokesman "categorically denied" reports that technical director Tim Goss and chief operating officer Jonathan Neale were to be fired in the near future.

 

He said: "They are not leaving and there are no plans for them to leave."

 

The spokesman said the team "regretted" Michael's decision to leave McLaren and Formula 1.


Edited by eronrules, 22 October 2014 - 12:12.


#13 bonjon1979a

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:00

Ah, Sam Michael, you'll be remembered as the man in F1 who did....ermmm, what exactly did he do?



#14 WigF1

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:01

About time. I've never rated him, but hope he does well in V8's or something.



#15 bonjon1979a

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:01

Oh I remember, he got fired from Williams, then came into mclaren to take charge of the team race track perfornance - pitstops and race strategy in 2012. The most calamitous season in reason memory for those aspects of the team and since then? No idea...



#16 Knowlesy

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:02

Ah, Sam Michael, you'll be remembered as the man in F1 who did....ermmm, what exactly did he do?

 

Was instrumental in the decline of Williams.

 

He then moved to McLaren to drag them down the grid.

 

Incredible.



#17 RedBaron

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:03

Good news for Alonso.



#18 FlitchPower

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:07

Mercedes should hire him might make the championship interesting :)

#19 karlth

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:08

Ah, Sam Michael, you'll be remembered as the man in F1 who did....ermmm, what exactly did he do?

 

Apart from causing Montoya to leave Williams and partly Hamilton to leave McLaren?  



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#20 Kraken

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:09

Sometimes I think I must watch a completely different set of F1 races to a lot of people.

 

Just waiting for the usual posts from people thinking Sam Michael designed the last two McLarens.



#21 ensign14

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:09

Ah, Sam Michael, you'll be remembered as the man in F1 who did....ermmm, what exactly did he do?

 

He was the Lewis Hamilton of team management.  In that he had a surname for a Christian name and vice versa.



#22 goingthedistance

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:15

Having that guy in your team was like employing a colony of black cats.



#23 sopa

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:19

So based on popular opinion Sam Michael is the cancer in F1 teams. You better wish he next goes to Mercedes to stop their domination and make F1 more exciting again. :lol:



#24 LORDBYRON

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:19

Its no great loss



#25 HoldenRT

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:20

Guess McLaren are due for an upswing of form in the next season or two then. :lol: :| :well:



#26 Jon83

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:20

Ah, Sam Michael, you'll be remembered as the man in F1 who did....ermmm, what exactly did he do?

 

Improved McLaren's pitstops during the odd race?
 



#27 sopa

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:20

Sometimes I think I must watch a completely different set of F1 races to a lot of people.

 

Just waiting for the usual posts from people thinking Sam Michael designed the last two McLarens.

 

There are a handful of people, who are always at fault at everything, regardless of what they do. Sam Michael is among them.

 

In contrast there are people, who can never do anything wrong, who are perfect and gods. Among them Newey and certainly some drivers that fanboys are very fond of.:D

 

As it is, we have both sides of the coin and everything seems balanced in this world right? :D



#28 LORDBYRON

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:22

 

McLaren have confirmed sporting director Sam Michael is leaving at the end of the season to return to Australia. Resigned in March cont'd

cont'd McLaren categorically deny reports technical director Tim Goss and chief operating officer Jonathan Neale are leaving. Story soon

 

Come  January they will leave due to family/personal reasons 



#29 Ferrari2183

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:22

That's alright. Everything is Sam Michaels fault...



#30 FlitchPower

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:23

Improved McLaren's pitstops during the odd race?


I guess Ron forgot to put in the contract that pitstops should also be improved for the even races too? :p

#31 Newbrray

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:26

Just as all teams wait for the Where will Alonso go to in 2015 continues, a similar question is being asked although not for the same reason

 

Formula 1 fans all over the world are holding their breath with tremble and fear as they wait to know what team Sam Michael will be associated with Next year (hopefully not theirs) :)



#32 sopa

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:30

Just as all teams wait for the Where will Alonso go to in 2015 continues, a similar question is being asked although not for the same reason

 

Formula 1 fans all over the world are holding their breath with tremble and fear as they wait to know what team Sam Michael will be associated with Next year (hopefully not theirs) :)

 

The mysterious question though is why would an F1 team hire Michael? Are they masochistic?

Or is this Bernie's secret deal in F1 - to cause problems to certain teams to increase the excitement of competition?

Bernie is concerned that Mercedes might completely dominate the new era of F1 and mandates that Michael should go there! Mercedes has hired all kinds of people throughout the years and now only Sam Michael is still missing... Hopefully Merc sees the empty space in their team that would fit Sam perfectly. ;)



#33 karlth

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:30

That's alright. Everything is Sam Michaels fault...

 

No just the things he was in charge of and ruined.



#34 goldenboy

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:31

A guy who I think was strongly underrated on here, yet thought of as highly capable inside the paddock.

#35 sopa

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:37

A guy who I think was strongly underrated on here, yet thought of as highly capable inside the paddock.

 

That's the thing. People just want stories, someone be the good guy, someone the bad guy. Who is bothered to try to go into deep details to understand, what is really going on.



#36 sopa

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 12:40

By the way, this arguably underwhelming career of Sam Michael has seen a serious height as well - Frentzen's race engineer in 1999. This was the year in which Jordan had its best season, Frentzen had its best season and they all gelled together perfectly. Sam Michael certainly played a role in this excellent chemistry at the time.



#37 Lazy

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 13:08

The only thing I know he was in charge of was sorting out the McLaren pitstops which are now very good, if not the best.

 

I think his poor reputation here is based on regurgitation of ignorance tbh.



#38 RekF1

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 13:09

#pray4australia

#39 AustinF1

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 13:12

No just the things he was in charge of and ruined.

So which things are those then?



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#40 Lazy

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 13:18

So which things are those then?

I think he was seen talking to Jenson at one point, clearly plotting something dastardly.



#41 mclarensmps

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 13:44

I love how this board thinks that Sam Michael has some kind of impact on car and driver performance  :lol:

 

The only visible thing Sam Michael ever had an impact on, for us fans, are pitstops, and maybe strategy (that, too, is questionable). 



#42 Maustinsj

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 13:47

Now that this thread has been split off the MP4-29 one, my contribution has been deleted. Therefore, I repeat my critical insight into the situation below:

Cripes!

#43 karlth

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 13:55

So which things are those then?

 

Technical director at Williams when the team's performance took a massive nosedive.  Head of engineers at Williams when he argued with the team's star driver, during a race, causing him to leave the team to a competitor.  Handling operations at Williams and McLaren when everything that could be blundered was.  


Edited by karlth, 22 October 2014 - 14:47.


#44 loki0420

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 14:02

Its strange how this guy is so highly rated among the paddock yet he acheived so liitle in any role he was involved. Not sure how i feel about his departure though i believe its for better,



#45 HoldenRT

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 14:10

That's the thing. People just want stories, someone be the good guy, someone the bad guy. Who is bothered to try to go into deep details to understand, what is really going on.

 

Well with McLaren especially, they have a high expectation similar to Ferrari, so if something is wrong, you always need someone to blame.  McLaren have been on a downward spiral, so it's natural to have some frustration or blame to go around.  So if there is any poison spat at him, it's probably mostly from that contingent.

 

For the specifics, it's really hard to comment.  Have nothing against Sam Michael personally, he seems like a great guy and is well spoken.  He does a good TV interview.  Hard to fault his technical knowledge or ability either.  However, you also can't ignore a trend.. or separate from what anyone else says.. for me.. just a general vibe or feeling.  I think it's really harsh to call him a cancer or anything else like that.  At the same time.. the results of the teams he has been in, while he has been there.. haven't been the best.  Both for Williams and now McLaren.  It's impossible to be able to prove anything, and even if McLaren are very strong next year it doesn't prove anything.  It's a strange thing though with some people.  I'm really not surprised by anything that has happened at McLaren based off of his years at Williams.  I had the same general feeling about Nick Fry, nice guy, probably great at his job technically, but something just didn't click.  Even when he was with Brawn and they won the WDC still didn't have a good feeling.  Hard to put a finger on exactly why though.  Maybe they are too nice for F1 (Piranha club).



#46 sopa

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 14:12

Its strange how this guy is so highly rated among the paddock yet he acheived so liitle in any role he was involved. Not sure how i feel about his departure though i believe its for better,

 

To debate seriously now, I have to say that keeping Williams among the top teams was always too much of a task at the time, Sam Michael or no Sam Michael. If I am not mistaken, Frank & Co have retrospectively admitted they put too much responsibility on Sam's shoulders. But the problem with Williams was that they lost works (BMW) engines, became a privateer team and their budget dropped significantly compared to previous glory days. There was not much Michael could do about it. Maybe if Williams had someone like Newey onboard, they could have fared slightly better, but the period from 2006 onwards particularly was always going to be an uphill struggle.

 

Actually I think some of Michael's cars were not that bad. Like the 2009 one, built by Williams as a genuine privateer midfield team at the time. But they pulled above their weight and raced against works and other big teams (RBR) pretty well. Or 2007, when they beat Toyota, their engine supplier.

 

As for McLaren. I do remember the bad pitstops of 2012, but haven't the pitstops been pretty good and quick recently? Don't remember so exactly.



#47 Petroltorque

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 14:18

I think the telling fact is Michael was employed at McLaren in a non design role after being TD at Williams. That says a lot.

#48 DampMongoose

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 14:20

Australia will probably capsize.



#49 pinkypants

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 14:26

Excellent news  :wave:



#50 hittheapex

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Posted 22 October 2014 - 14:34

Oh Dear, poor Sam. Joins Lotus, they promptly go bust. Jordan flourished while he is there, then joins Williams, they enter their worst period in their history, is forced to resign. Joins McLaren, they suffer their worst few seasons for over twenty years. Who would hire him now ?

I know, it doesn't look good for him does it? I can't decide if he was carried by the people he worked with at Jordan, or whether he was competent enough and the failures were a mixture of a very difficult situation that most would have struggled with.


Edited by hittheapex, 22 October 2014 - 14:35.