It’s safe to say that 2015 has not been the season for McLaren, especially for a team that has two drivers with three world titles between them. The team, currently second last in the constructors’ championship, had to watch both of their drivers retire from last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay.
The team that once hosted drivers such as Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and Alain Prost have had to accept a total of seventeen points this season. We all know that McLaren’s car this year is slow, but you’d guess that Fernando Alonso – 2005 and 2006 World Champion – and Jenson Button – 2009 World Champion – would be able to score a lot of points.
Alonso has retired from seven of 13 Grand Prix this year, teammate Button recording another seven. However Button, who is expected to announce is retirement from Formula One, has secured two point-scoring finishes whereas ex-Renault driver Alonso has also scored points in two races; most notably fifth in Hungary.
Rewind to the 1980s now, McLaren boasted the drivers of Austrian Niki Lauda – who survived an inferno of fire at the 1976 Nürburgring Nordschleife Grand Prix. They also hosted two amazing rivals, the legend Ayrton Senna and French champion Alain Prost. These were the years of McLaren dominance.
Let’s go to the 1990s, the decade in which Ferrari and Rothmans Williams were the teams to beat. After Jacques Villeneuve controversially won the 1997 championship, the Flying Finn Mika Hakkinen took back to back titles in ’98 and ’99.
You would have to wind forward another decade until McLaren took another crown. Hamilton’s maiden championship in 2008. This title was something special, winning it after overtaking a rather slow Timo Glock on the last corner of the last lap of the last race, snatching it from Brazilian Felipe Massa.
And now back to 2015 where we awkwardly watch Ron Dennis’ team struggle every race. What will happen in 2016, will Danish driver Kevin Magnussen get his seat back? Will they be fast? Who knows…we’ll just wait and see.
