Monday 20th January 2014

Motorsport On Monday

Macchinations at McLaren and excitement on the Monte - 2014 is hotting up already!

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As if the 2014 Formula 1 season wasn't intriguing enough, what with a bold new set of technical regulations and several high-profile driver transfers, last week we witnessed the kind of surprise leadership machinations that are more redolent of professional football than motor racing.

Ron Dennis has reasserted his control

Ron Dennis has finally grown tired, it seems, of seeing the Formula 1 team that he did so much to help build fail to compete for championships - or even podiums in 2013 - under the direction of Martin Whitmarsh. Dennis therefore staged what has been described as a coup to regain control of the team and oust Whitmarsh from his role of chief executive officer. The 66-year-old, who stepped down from day-to-day running of the team in 2009, has since promised that changes will be made. Whitmarsh, it seems clear, will be replaced as team principal in the coming weeks, although not by Dennis who doesn't want to return to the pit wall.

The speculation machine immediately put two and two together and concluded that former Mercedes boss Ross Brawn was odds on favourite to replace the apparently departing Whitmarsh. It is true that the picture fits, although it'll be Brawn's personal reasons for leaving Mercedes that determine his desire to switch to McLaren or otherwise; if he left Brackley because he'd had enough of the non-stop, on-the-road lifestyle of an F1 boss a role at McLaren surely wouldn't appeal; if he left because of Mercedes' top-heavy management structure, or perhaps because he could no longer stand the sight of Niki Lauda's red hat, then a change could be as good as a sabbatical.

Does Bernie have cause to worry? Maybe...

Regardless, Dennis' rather drastic actions will place an awful lot of pressure on the team's 2014 performance. A repeat of 2013 hardly bears thinking about, but if the team does again fail to even score a podium with a new team principal at the helm the scapegoating of Whitmarsh will turn out to be exactly that, and serious doubts will be raised about the inherent competitiveness of the entire team, its designers and perhaps even its drivers.

In 2015, McLaren will switch from Mercedes to Honda power as it revives a famous and successful partnership. What that does mean, however, is that the Honda engine will be a year behind the Mercedes unit in terms of competitive mileage and perhaps, therefore, on the back foot. A third winless season in 2015, should 2014 prove to be so as well, could be disastrous. Here's hoping that McLaren is back to winning ways before long.

Further up the food chain, another leader was ousted as Bernie Ecclestone was forced to step down from the board of the company that runs Formula 1 due to bribery charges. He'll continue to run it day-to-day, but for now he no longer has the kind of autocratic power that has defined his leadership of the sport and his actions and decisions will be vetted more closely by the board.

Ogier ominously dominant on the Monte

Ecclestone insists that the moment the court case is over and he's acquitted of the bribery charges, as he seems so certain he will be, he'll return to the board and nothing will have changed. Only time will tell, but for now it does seem as though the modern world will soon catch up with a business that has long seemed pardoned from the kind of political correctness and corporate responsibility that is commonplace in most other walks of life.

Politics aside, the World Rally Championship got back underway last week in spectacular fashion on the Monte Carlo Rally. For a day at least, it seemed as though the status quo - Sebastien Ogier's dominance - might have been upset. In unpredictable conditions that sparked a tyre lottery, the leaderboard was shuffled with Frenchman Bryan Bouffier on top, Britain's Kris Meeke in second and stage-winning Robert Kubica in third. It was one of the most exciting days the series has seen for some time.

Evans impressive on his WRC debut

As the weather settled for day two, Ogier delivered a swift backhand to any notion that he'd lost his edge. In just three stages, he converted a 47-second deficit to the leader to an 11-second lead of the entire rally. He eventually won by more than a minute. The world champion's performance on the Monte was one of his finest yet. If he is able to win in Sweden, as he did in 2013, one feels quite certain that he has the ability to win every rally this season.

There was, however, much to feel hopeful about in the very fine performances from Meeke and Welshman Elfyn Evans. The former showed good speed throughout the rally and wisdom, too, as he survived a punishing event that he has struggled with in the past. The Citroen man went on to score his maiden WRC podium (the first time a Briton has stood on the rostrum since Richard Burns finished third in Australia in 2003), proving his worth as a factory driver.

A Brit on the WRC podium? Got to be good news

Evans, meanwhile, overcame his near total lack of experience in WRC machinery, and of this difficult rally, which he had never contested before, to finish sixth overall. On the third special stage he came within half a second of setting a fastest stage time. For much of the event he led his vastly more experienced M-Sport Ford team-mate Mikko Hirvonen, 15 times a rally winner.

We should, of course, keep our expectations of the Brits firmly in check, not least because neither has any competitive experience of the highly specialised Rally Sweden that is to come. It doesn't seem unreasonable to hope, however, that we might see Meeke challenging for wins by the end of the year and Evans fighting for podiums. On the evidence of the Monte, the Brits are back.

 

[nickfrog]

The Monte Carlo was nothing short of amazing to follow, thanks to BT Sport. But I am sure someone will come along wearing rose tinted specs to say it's rubbish compared to Group B etc...;-)

[WMP]

Well done Mr Meeke!

There doesn't seem to be too much 'established' talent in this years WRC so given how experienced Kris is it may turn out to be a good year?

Good luck to Elfyn as well, his father was always good value in the national championship but never quite managed to make it on to the international stage.

[WingNut]

"Motorsport on Monday" and no mention of the Dakar result that concluded on Saturday?

[Oddball RS]

after three.................. Bye bye, Bernie, Bye bye...... ;-)

[suffolk009]

I think Honda coming in a year late is genius. They'll have a whole year to do as many test miles as they like - as they're not in F1 in 2014, surely they're not subject to testing restrictions.

[binnerboy]

re Mclaren, didn't Martin Brundle say that when they were developing a road car the F1 teams performance always dropped....

now the 12C and P1 are out there they can refocus on winnning.

Not sure if Whitmarsh is anything but a scapegoat , time will tell

[Toby C]

binnerboy said:

re Mclaren, didn't Martin Brundle say that when they were developing a road car the F1 teams performance always dropped....

now the 12C and P1 are out there they can refocus on winnning.

Not sure if Whitmarsh is anything but a scapegoat , time will tell

Except that the third and fourth road cars are in development. Isn't there plans for one a year - although I think that includes facelifts?

[APOLO1]

Who is the new sponsor for the F1 team...?

[fatboy69]

APOLO1 said:

Who is the new sponsor for the F1 team...?

Dont know - i had an email this morning from McLaren offering their 2014 season shirts, sweatshirts etc. Annoyingly the 'photos' of the kit are in black & white with no hint of the new sponsor.

Only 4 days to go though as new car/sponsor etc being unvieled on Friday - with the 2014 Ferrari being revealed on Thursday.

[senninha2]

APOLO1 said:

Who is the new sponsor for the F1 team...?

Strongly rumoured to be Sony which would make sense given their Honda association.

And 'if' Ross was to take the helm that would probably tick a box for Honda as he took their last car to Championship victory as Brawn ... gives Ross 12 months to sort out the internal team whilst refining the chassis design whilst Honda refine the new engine.

I'm hopeful of stronger season in 2014 as Jenson gets pushed by Kevin, and if the above were to happen then a title challenge in 2015 ...

would be nice ...

[anonymous-user]

senninha2 said:

Strongly rumoured to be Sony which would make sense given their Honda association.

And 'if' Ross was to take the helm that would probably tick a box for Honda as he took their last car to Championship victory as Brawn

With a Mercedes engine!

The last Honda F1 engine was never that competitive, hopefully they do a better job this time.

[ayseven]

I found the Bernie bit quite funny: I paraphrase: "he will be involved in the day to day, but will answer to the board..." as if anyone would vote against him, after all he has done to get everyone involved even richer. He isn't going to the poorhouse even if he loses.

[APOLO1]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/112220

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