Hamilton no show at Mugello

Hamilton seems to be so focused this year to the point that he wanted to give up his time and become personally involved in the testing such are his concerns about the car. His input could be invaluble but it seems the Mclaren corporate machine knows better and has simply side stepped him.

Contrast this to Ferrari, Lotus and Caterham whose main drivers will all be involved. Alonso in particular will be doing the bulk of the testing for Ferrari. Just as the likes of Shumi and Senna did before him he is taking a leading role in a cars development and is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to understand the technical issues. And this can only be of a benefit to both team and driver further into the season.

I suppose The wider question is does the problem of not starting out at a smaller team limit a drivers exposure and therefore capacity to help develop a car and perhaps make better setup decisions on race day? 'Cut your teeth' so to speak. And if so then after breaking away from his fathers shadow is it now time for Hami to break out of Mclarens shadow ? Or so long as the car performs is there even an issue?

Thoughts.

Button's not going either, I saw an interview at the weekend where JB said that as they're not testing any major upgrades there wasn't much benefit in him and LH going - MacLaren are sending the test drivers to test how parts handle long running and "extreme things" ( ).

i dont fully see the point of test drivers as, it wont be them that will be racing the car, so makes sense for the main drivers to test new parts etc.

Plus driving styles differ, whats good for one driver may not be for the other.

I think the most worrying this is that in a 3 week window of opportunity and free testing for the teams, Mclaren decide to bring or test no major upgrades!

oh dear!

Critical_mass wrote:i dont fully see the point of test drivers as, it wont be them that will be racing the car, so makes sense for the main drivers to test new parts etc.

Plus driving styles differ, whats good for one driver may not be for the other.

I was also thinking of driving styles and differing opinions/feedback.

I know Button was happy to miss out but if a driver wants to be included then I just think it should be accomodated as it can surely benfit his understanding of whats going on. Of course Hamilton may have simply changed his mind.

As John says though they don't seem to be testing much but if they are off the pace at Barcelona then there will be serious questions of MW.

i can see Mclaren losing what ever advantage they had at the beginning of the season. Bahrain may have been an insight of that happening.

You have to wonder what Mclaren is doing? What a way to shoot yourselves in the foot.

What a stupid decision by the team bosses there

It's not definate yet but I've this sinking feeling that in Spain Vettel and Red Bull will simply carry on where they left off in Bahrain. The early promise shown from Mclaren has just not materialised. Their root problem seems to be the've never really gotten to grips (excuse the pun) with Pirelli and its the same old sorry story in the pit lane.

Pass the cyanide.

It is fascinating that an opportunity for drivers to test the car is considered a waste of time by Mclaren.

I would suggest the pit crew is also involved in testing so they will avoid inventing new ways to wreck their drivers chances

McLaren have not become an embarrasing, amateurish team this season........that happened many years ago. The decision for both drivers too miss this test is simply shocking an unforgivable, at a time when Alonso states, 'this week in mugello is crucial not only for our team but everyone's'.

No major upgrades heading into the european phase.......WTF????? McLaren are a joke. Hamilton will probably spend time with music producers and Button will probably show off his 'superb physical condition' by being papped in another triathlon. Can someone remind me why Button does all this triathlon work? I mean this is surely a period of F1 where the drivers hadly even sweat because all there doing is pacing themselves looking after the tyres, no wonder there's no crashes anymore and 100% reliability. If McLaren fail to win a title this season, this is key point in time they can look back on and think, 'yes, we got it wrong'. If that's the case Martin Whitmarsh is gone. No questions.

I fully expect Vettel to win in Barcelona because one thing's for certain......Adrian Newey isnt on holiday this week.

John wrote:McLaren have not become an embarrasing, amateurish team this season........that happened many years ago.

Elaborate please? Exactly when and in what way did this happen?

John wrote:
The decision for both drivers too miss this test is simply shocking an unforgivable, at a time when Alonso states, 'this week in mugello is crucial not only for our team but everyone's'.

I will concede this is strange to say the least, especially given that McLaren are only among the fron-runners and have no clear advantage. However your assertion that its "shocking and unforgiveable" is just laughable.

The only explanation I can think of is that both drivers have contractual obligations to fulfil that they simply cannot get out of. Then again that is the team's fault for tying up their drivers like that in the first place. I do get the distinct impression that the corporate side does intrude too much on the racing side with McLaren.

John wrote:
No major upgrades heading into the european phase.......WTF????? McLaren are a joke. Hamilton will probably spend time with music producers and Button will probably show off his 'superb physical condition' by being papped in another triathlon. Can someone remind me why Button does all this triathlon work? I mean this is surely a period of F1 where the drivers hadly even sweat because all there doing is pacing themselves looking after the tyres, no wonder there's no crashes anymore and 100% reliability. If McLaren fail to win a title this season, this is key point in time they can look back on and think, 'yes, we got it wrong'. If that's the case Martin Whitmarsh is gone. No questions.

I fully expect Vettel to win in Barcelona because one thing's for certain......Adrian Newey isnt on holiday this week.

If you understood anything about F1 you'd realise the drivers still need to be in great physical shape, because they can still lose several pounds of body mass during the hotter races and that the G forces (as high as 5G - or 5 times gravity) puts incredible strain on your body...particularly your neck...over 50, 60 or 70 laps.

Also, if you'd actually been listening to the commentary, you'd know tyre, fuel and engine management is only done for certain periods of races and that they still max everything out to make a strategy work, or if an overtake is on the cards.

Your comments about no crashes and 100% reliability is utter horse manure and proof you must've been watching while wearing a blindfold. Just go back check the results over the last few seasons and look at the number of DNFs. There are quite a few I promise.

Engines still blow up. Hydraulic and electrical failures still occur...just not as often as they used to because (1) superior engineering (2) components have to last longer and so are made more durable.


You continue to amaze me with the amount of total guff you spew...though I should be used to it by now.

Oh my god, you take everything so serious and you dont even read people comments properly........and you say i watch f1 with a blindfold haha!

If you cant accept that mclaren are an embarrasment currently then you really need to visit specsavers. This season so far and seasons back they've become so poor its unrecognisable to the team back in the day. Your saying that continual foul ups, shocking strategy and a haul of pts lost by the team, not driver, isnt embarrasing.........you are the joke.

Of course I know about F1's physical demands, I'm not stupid and understand the intense training needed upon the neck to deal with sizeable g-forces. I was just having a laugh about what button would be doing in the week off and undertaking triathlons in a period where f1 is about pacing not racing.

Also i was talking about this season and there is proof that reliability and the reduced amount of crashes is in line with the new style of racing and higher emphasis on tyre manangement. Of course theres been crashes and incidents in previous seasons but ONCE AGAIN you dont read my comments. I was talking about this season.

Basically whatever I say on here you disagree with . If I typed the word 'yes' on its own and posted it you would find something wrong with it.

Embarrasing

i'm guessing as you've not responded DW, you are admitting you are in the wrong.

All other teams are fielding their race drivers.

http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12433/7719165/RBR-and-Mercs-complete-test-line-up

Either Mclaren are very confident, or are being aloof and are about to fall flat on their faces or have nothing meaningful to test.

Hope it's the first one.

I hope its the former, but i reckon it'll be the latter.

Webbers comments:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/02052012/66/webber-race-drivers-test-brainer.html

Basically reflects most of the views on here.

Horner takes the opposite view.

http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12475/7729352/Horner-questions-Mugello-test-

Maybe we've misjudged Mclaren. If so then I for one will be more than happy to eat a big slice of humble pie.

SteveG wrote:Horner takes the opposite view.

http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12475/7729352/Horner-questions-Mugello-test-

Maybe we've misjudged Mclaren. If so then I for one will be more than happy to eat a big slice of humble pie.

He's only "reputed" to have said that. Its entirely possible he was misquoted, or had what he said taken out of context. I'm pretty sure if Christian Horner hadn't felt it was necessary, Red Bull wouldn't have turned up, or at least would only be letting their test drivers have a run out. Seb and Mark seem to think its important.

John wrote:Oh my god, you take everything so serious and you dont even read people comments properly........and you say i watch f1 with a blindfold haha!

If you cant accept that mclaren are an embarrasment currently then you really need to visit specsavers. This season so far and seasons back they've become so poor its unrecognisable to the team back in the day. Your saying that continual foul ups, shocking strategy and a haul of pts lost by the team, not driver, isnt embarrasing.........you are the joke.

Of course I know about F1's physical demands, I'm not stupid and understand the intense training needed upon the neck to deal with sizeable g-forces. I was just having a laugh about what button would be doing in the week off and undertaking triathlons in a period where f1 is about pacing not racing.

Also i was talking about this season and there is proof that reliability and the reduced amount of crashes is in line with the new style of racing and higher emphasis on tyre manangement. Of course theres been crashes and incidents in previous seasons but ONCE AGAIN you dont read my comments. I was talking about this season.

Basically whatever I say on here you disagree with . If I typed the word 'yes' on its own and posted it you would find something wrong with it.

Embarrasing

Yes you are embarrassing:

john wrote:
McLaren have not become an embarrasing, amateurish team this season........that happened many years ago. The decision for both drivers too miss this test is simply shocking an unforgivable, at a time when Alonso states, 'this week in mugello is crucial not only for our team but everyone's'.

No major upgrades heading into the european phase.......WTF????? McLaren are a joke. Hamilton will probably spend time with music producers and Button will probably show off his 'superb physical condition' by being papped in another triathlon. Can someone remind me why Button does all this triathlon work? I mean this is surely a period of F1 where the drivers hadly even sweat because all there doing is pacing themselves looking after the tyres, no wonder there's no crashes anymore and 100% reliability. If McLaren fail to win a title this season, this is key point in time they can look back on and think, 'yes, we got it wrong'. If that's the case Martin Whitmarsh is gone. No questions.

I fully expect Vettel to win in Barcelona because one thing's for certain......Adrian Newey isnt on holiday this week.

Please show me where in that post your comments about crashes, fitness and reliability only refer to THIS season. If you can I will admit I was wrong.

John wrote:i'm guessing as you've not responded DW, you are admitting you are in the wrong.

I'm guessing since you've not bothered to elaborate how McLaren have become an "embarrassment" (asserting I need to go visit Specsavers doesn't count) you've realised how foolish you look every time you run your mouth off with these ill-considered comments.

WTF? Dyrewolf this is a topic about 'Hamilton not appearing at Mugello' it's a forum topic about this season and the events of this season, therefore all my comments are related to what has unfolded this season. If you cant understand that then there's no hope but you won't ever admit you are wrong.

McLaren have become an embarrasing outfit this season and lowered their professional reputation among the paddock, even those very words came from the pundits working on Sky when questioned about their extrememly poor pit stops AND how these mistakes are costing them a haul of points. Everyone else I talk to about F1 even acknowledges this fact except you......but that's hardly suprising.

My other comments are also in line with the facts in that pacing, instead of racing, has shown to or led to a reduced amount of crashes and that reliability has also increased due to the machinery and engine being put under considerably less strain. I could go on but there's no real point.

Apology??? Not holding my breath