Farewell Ron

[Graz]

Boullier will be ok. Ron hired him but B's his own man and seems to be good.

Am I alone in wondering why Zak Brown got the gig? I could never take to him, there's a lack of substance to him.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by Graz

Boullier will be ok. Ron hired him but B's his own man and seems to be good.

Am I alone in wondering why Zak Brown got the gig? I could never take to him, there's a lack of substance to him.

He is absolutely the man for the job I cannot think of anybody who a) is so street smart b) well connected c) a deal maker

[greentrumpet]

Sad that RD has gone but can't wait for his autobiography; fights with Max Mosley, Bernie, how LH could fail to turn up to his retirement, Stepneygate, Liegate. Just hope he uses a ghost writer or I'll need a translator!

[The Fat Clerk]

Tell you what, as a person he's top of the tree a real nice gent, definitely McLarens loss, an the end of an era.

Living in, and working in Woking in the 80's & 90's I had several dealings with him and have the utmost respect for him, the consummate professional.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by The Fat Clerk

Tell you what, as a person he's top of the tree a real nice gent, definitely McLarens loss, an the end of an era.

Living in, and working in Woking in the 80's & 90's I had several dealings with him and have the utmost respect for him, the consummate professional.

Top post 😉

Let's see if Brown can put the money where his mouth is!

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Top post ��

Let's see if Brown can put the money where his mouth is!

Can you put lipstick on a pig and call it a supermodel?

Mr Brown will have a huge challenge ahead of him in selling space on a McLaren at the moment...

[greentrumpet]

Tin hat time but I see the problems stem from 2007; the team embroiled in scandal after Stepney photocopied Ferrari docs in a print shop next to McLaren (hardly covering his tracks) a big fine. Alonso stacking and holding LH up at a pit stop then the team leaving LH on track in China with tyres down to the canvas thus snatching an almost certain WDC away. Later losing key personnel and getting 2nd string Merc engines forcing them to move more quickly to Honda.
The chassis is good, if Honda come up with a good engine for 2017 they could turn it all around, and that will have been down to RD not the new regime.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by greentrumpet

Tin hat time but I see the problems stem from 2007; the team embroiled in scandal after Stepney photocopied Ferrari docs in a print shop next to McLaren (hardly covering his tracks) a big fine. Alonso stacking and holding LH up at a pit stop then the team leaving LH on track in China with tyres down to the canvas thus snatching an almost certain WDC away. Later losing key personnel and getting 2nd string Merc engines forcing them to move more quickly to Honda.
The chassis is good, if Honda come up with a good engine for 2017 they could turn it all around, and that will have been down to RD not the new regime.

Wow some of that was nearly correct!

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Top post 😉

Let's see if Brown can put the money where his mouth is!

Being a sponsorship guy, I suspect he's hoping to put somebody elses money where his mouth is.....

[chillibowl]

with exxon gone and BP coming in, its going to be a whole new look/livery for the team.

new look, new sponsors, and no more Ron...

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by greentrumpet

Tin hat time but I see the problems stem from 2007; the team embroiled in scandal after Stepney photocopied Ferrari docs in a print shop next to McLaren (hardly covering his tracks) a big fine. Alonso stacking and holding LH up at a pit stop then the team leaving LH on track in China with tyres down to the canvas thus snatching an almost certain WDC away. Later losing key personnel and getting 2nd string Merc engines forcing them to move more quickly to Honda.
The chassis is good, if Honda come up with a good engine for 2017 they could turn it all around, and that will have been down to RD not the new regime.

There was some stuff written around it at the time, but wasn't one of MB's reasons for the differences between their works engines and those given to McLaren had to do with Petronas v's Mobil, which Petronas soundly won.

Wonder if that will be the case in the new Mobil deal at Red Bull?

[Adam43]

Yep, it was the oil not being 'works' rather than the engine.

Mercedes more often than not have given equal engines to all their teams. Before and after the current regs. The times not are down to development or when a much cheaper deal for the customer team has been reached.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Yep, it was the oil not being 'works' rather than the engine.

Mercedes more often than not have given equal engines to all their teams. Before and after the current regs. The times not are down to development or when a much cheaper deal for the customer team has been reached.

Oils and fuels.. interestingly Williams uses Petronas oils & fuels, with Petrobras branding aboard...

[Adam43]

The whole lot! It shows how integrated everything is nowadays. Very clever. Actually it isn't just "nowadays". It always has been, except people have got better at noticing it, understanding it and exploiting it.

[BSchneiderFan]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

with exxon gone and BP coming in, its going to be a whole new look/livery for the team.

new look, new sponsors, and no more Ron...

Johnny Walker moving to Force India too.

[GTRMagic]

The Power Of Ron

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

with exxon gone and BP coming in, its going to be a whole new look/livery for the team.

new look, new sponsors, and no more Ron...

I believe that the BP McLaren deal is only going to be 'minor' and will not be a big livery influence as it is based on product/tech support only.

The big money BP deal is going to Renault, who can/will offer first pouring rights to BP as part of a deal across all their road car brands and dealerships, I believe. Which is a massive carrott for BP as it will be a huge volume of business worldwide.

[Moneyseeker]

I think Ron ended up backing himself into a corner by uncharacteristically 'undelivering' - in his terms.

He said he would get a replacement title sponsor and didn't, then said theydidn't need one as the McLaren Group could fund it - which probably brought a gulp from shareholders. He then brought in Honda to return McLaren to the glory days and it hasn't, he then said he would buy out the shareholders and didn't/couldn't - so sadly I think he left himself nowhere to go but out of the door.

[djinvicta]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

The Power Of Ron

Having run a Business, with staff for 30 years, I understand and respect this writing.
Whatever you think of Ron, and I got on his bad telephone side with some advertising "efforts" at Lydden early 2000, he has to be admired..
A sad loss to the sport...

[spider]

That Telegraph article was a great read tbh.

I have so much admiration for the job he's done with McLaren - in F1 and with their road car division, it's utterly remarkable. In terms of 'dream' road cars, I'd go for a McLaren over a Ferrari any day - and that says something about the connection I feel towards the brand.

Thing is, if you have a personal rift with 75% of your shareholders, you're in trouble.

His career and in particular the way he bounced back from the personal / professional turnoil around '08, is beyond admirable.

Fascinated to see if he goes on to do something else now - he'd be an incredible mentor.

[Mekola]

Wonder if, in the future, Ron could do something �* la Ross Brawn 2009.
This of structuring a in extremis team around him and make it conquer both driver and constructor championships. Manor perhaps?

[JABWOA]

'09 was a very special circumstance, just image if Honda had stayed in and still spend all that money - fantastic what if scenarios. Plus what if Newey had argued to keep his double diffuser from the start of the year, not dropping it after is was ruled illegal during planning. Ah what fun!

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by JABWOA

'09 was a very special circumstance, just image if Honda had stayed in and still spend all that money - fantastic what if scenarios. Plus what if Newey had argued to keep his double diffuser from the start of the year, not dropping it after is was ruled illegal during planning. Ah what fun!

And Honda had found the 80 BHP they were short of.....!

[VIVA GT]

I see that according to Autosport (click here for link) McLaren are distancing themselves further from Ron by removing MP4 (Marlboro Project 4) from their chassis numbers now...

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

I see that according to Autosport (click here for link) McLaren are distancing themselves further from Ron by removing MP4 (Marlboro Project 4) from their chassis numbers now...

Minor comment... I have read two versions. It being "Marlboro Project 4" and "McLaren Project 4" (including a transition from the first to the second with the loss of the sponsorship).

Its a bit of sad comment to Ron's impact to the team. Maybe they should give him a plaque with "MP4" on it and say... "Here, you forgot this when you left".

Richard