gav Wrote:
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> I'd seen the reports he was scouting Denmark, but
> will investors want a young gun for probably less
> than £1,000,000 or a WDC at probably
> £10,000,000+? They've already paid for the
> widely regarded best driver around, so do they
> feel they need another WDC at 10x the price of a
> youngster who might do just as well as a rear
> gunner in their eyes?
We can be damn sure, that those figures have been discussed, even though I don't think those you present here are entirely accurate. The factor is more like x15-20, than x10. On the other hand, you could also argue, and I am sure it was done at that meeting, that Button was instrumental in defeating Force India, thus netting a substantial windfall of chunk change for the team.
> The general consensus is that Dennis wants
> Magnussen as he likes to bring through a young
> hotshot. But Magnussen isn't his hotshot, he's
> Whitmarsh's. Perhaps Dennis is happy to go with
> Magnussen, but only if he brings a decent cheque
> with him? In my head, the Dennis & Magnussen
> theory just isn't working right now.
Why would Ron Dennis take time out from his busy schedule to personally drum up sponsorship for KM if he isn't his choice? That doesn't make any sense at all. I can tell you this: there was an article about Lego declining to be a sponsor, which coincided with RD's visit. This is odd indeed. I have NEVER seen Lego publically decline something like that. I have actually met their bosses during a time of crisis, and they know the value of discretion, and they are brand conscious like crazy. So why would they do that? If you look at the reasons given, they said "not the right match", and as I read it, it was in terms of being affiliated with McLaren. So... what does that mean? Who are they talking to?
IMHO, they are talking to Shell, with whom they have a big partnership, who also happen to sponsor Ferrari. There have been very vocal protests against Lego partnering with Shell, due to what Shell are doing elsewhere in the world. At a time where they stuck with Shell, even though they are doing the most crazy things to avoid gender brand damage due to stereotypical placements of product types in stores and small design features on their tiniest of pieces, it is safe to say, that they took RD's visit very seriously and couldn't hide it from Shell, but at the same time want to protect their partnership now that they couldn't strike a deal with McLaren.
So why would RD walk into a heavy situation like that, if it was just another generic attempt to drum up sponsors... it doesn't make any sense. The only way the Lego reaction fits, is if it is paddock knowledge, that RD wants KM.
> There's certainly an interesting power struggle
> going on at McLaren and it's quickly turning into
> an embarrassment which benefits neither driver.
It is not only an embarrassment, it is spilling over into power struggles outside of the corporate structure. It seems very likely that Alonso has put his weight behind Button. Allegedly, there was a Santander banner commercial on some Santander ATMs this morning featuring Button, wearing the McLaren Mercedes driver suit. Now, McLaren has done everything they can to dismantle EVERYTHING related to Mercedes just a few minutes after the Abu Dhabi GP was over. So how does Button suddenly appear in the Mercedes-sponsored driver suit for Santander? It's not like McLaren couldn't photoshop a Honda logo onto the suit. I can only see that as a move generated by Alonso, which is something I have honestly never seen before.
> McLaren need to be showing strength and solidarity
> in what is meant to be the start of an upswing for
> them... they're showing neither at the moment.
More to the point, if the power structure in the team is such, that they cannot make decisions about such important matters as driver line up, and they end up in management gridlock, how are they going to generate the necessary swiftness and decisiveness of leadership up to and during the 2015 campaign, that is required to be a front runner? This looks very much like a big problem in the making. During a campaign, it is often better to make a quick but wrong decision, than it is NOT to make a decision. I am beginning to think, that McLaren management structure is the true weak spot of the new team.
It's only after we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/2014 09:06PM by Morbid.