Coulthard comments

[Matra et Alpine]

In another thread we raised the possibility that David Coulthard might start telling it as it is once he signed for another team.

Well he's not waiting

McLaren driver David Coulthard said the team had been distracted by their move to the £300m base, which is more than a year behind schedule and way over budget.

"People can get lost within a vast organisation like McLaren-Mercedes," Coulthard told BBC Five Live.

"When analysing where performance has dropped off, I'm sure there will be some people drop out of the system."
....
The Guardian newspaper has claimed the team are ready to scrap their car, the MP4-19, and replace it with a new one, possibly in time for the Hungarian Grand Prix in August.
....
There has been speculation in F1 that McLaren's design team may be restructured as a result.

Mansour Ojjeh, whose TAG company owns 30% of McLaren, said after the Bahrain Grand Prix: "In a company like McLaren-Mercedes when a situation is as serious as this, you can reasonably expect heads to roll."

The Scot said McLaren's performance was "extremely disappointing", adding: "Not one member of the team that's really pulling their weight is not disappointed."

And Coulthard hinted that some people at McLaren may have lost their edge and ambition.

Asked if some team members were in the comfort zone, he said: "Inevitably over a long period of time people get into that area but if you're at the front line I don't think you can.

"Your performance is measured every second weekend and it's there for everyone to see. We need to do more."


Raikkonen has failed to finish any of this year's three races
He said the car's lack of performance was due to "a combination of design issues and that leads to drivers having a lack of confidence".

He added: "The balance of the car is not that bad. If the pace was there, I'd be reasonably happy with it.

"I've certainly had winning cars more difficult to drive than this one, but it just doesn't give the necessary speed in the corners and on the straights to give you the lap time. It's as simple as that.

"It's a combination of the entire package.

"One of the greatest strengths of the car is its ability to brake into the corners. Control systems are working very well. And it performs very strongly in that area relative to the competition.

"But leaving the corners, in the middle of the corners, positional ability is quite difficult, so that's where you lose the time."

Much of the criticism has focused on McLaren's Mercedes engine, which is down-on-power and unreliable compared to standard-setters Ferrari and BMW, which supplies Williams.

But Coulthard said it was wrong to single out the engine.

"At the end of the day it's not one element that allows a Grand Prix car to win, you've got tyres, engine, drivers and chassis and all four of those things have to work in harmony or else you won't perform," he said.

[Matra et Alpine]

and in Ron-speak ....

McLaren boss Ron Dennis has denied the team's move to a new factory has diluted their Formula One effort.
F1 insiders have accused Dennis of focusing on the state-of-the-art new base to the team's detriment.

But he said: "I understand people might think that, but they are wrong. I have great confidence in our organisation but we can't get it right all the time.

"It's painful, but only a fool would say an organisation succeeds or fails because of one person."

[Matra et Alpine]

I think DC may be moving to sports cars and Mercedes ???
Why else would he say the cars not fast engough and then say it's NOT the engine.

Odds on Ron will retire early ( you heard it here first ) !!!!!

[Deckard]

Well the rumors of Ron retiring early started after the poor performance in Melbourne. And since things certainly haven't improved......?

DC to sportscars? Interesting theory. You know DC well, so I'll take your word for it.
I guess he doesn't need the money and is still racing because he enjoys it. Although a stint at a different team might do him a world of good.

[henk4]

Fortunately for JPM he can always move to Minardi.

[Coventrysucks]

Odds on Ron will retire early ( you heard it here first ) !!!!!

Oh no I didn't

He would probably retire from the racing side, but not from the company.

Lets not forget that under Ron Mclaren have won 9 of their 11 Drivers titles, and 7 of 8 of their constructors titles.

David has GT experience, I know he won his class in Le Mans 1993, in a jag XJ220 before being disqualified on a technicality.

The problem seems to be with the engines, despite what they say, it was easy to see that the Mclaren was loosing out to other cars on the straights, so either they were running much higher downforce, or lower power, and from what I have heard it is the power turned down.

I think since Mercedes took over Ilmor they haven't been producing good engines. Something needs to be done.

I am surprised that Kimi hasn't been more critical - at least David has finished races this season.

[Matra et Alpine]

I am surprised that Kimi hasn't been more critical - at least David has finished races this season.

Kimi, like Mika before, is trained to only Ron-speak.
Ron's attitude to his drivers is strangest on the pit-lane and DC has suffered by not being a lap-dog. ( I've already gone over this in other threads )
If the F1 fails then you'll see the quick demise of the much-hyped new McLaren Mercedes under development and the end of Ron's new building and company !!