F109 Countdown: McLaren

McLaren:
2008 Results
Best Finish: 1st (Lewis Hamilton x5,Heikki Kovalainen x1)
Points Scored: 151
Championship Position: 2nd
2009 Drivers: Lewis Hamilton & Heikki Kovalainen

Last, but not least, we finish up the F109 Countdown with McLaren, just seven days until the start of the new season.

If we are to believe what we have seen in pre-season testing, McLaren are going to struggle mightily at the start of the season. Do I believe that will be the case? No. I’m firmly of the belief that they are sandbagging. Now, maybe they won’t have the ultimate pace, but I find it hard to believe they won’t be in the thick of things.

It has been usual to see them hovering near the bottom for most of the pre-season. For a team like McLaren, which strives for excellence, it is out of character. But not impossible.

In the past, I’ve catalogued how McLaren have failed to produce winning cars consecutively. Last year was actually a change in the norm when they produced a championship contending car. So maybe there struggles are real, and that they will be in trouble.

I still have a hard time believing it. As I mentioned in previous articles, they have known well in advance how things were going to play out. For a team the size of McLaren, I can’t imagine they would take their eyes off the ball that much.

If they are, it will be intriguing to watch how their drivers react. Especially Hamilton. Not since Schumacher have we seen a driver with such raw talent on the grid. But, sceptics will point out that he walked into a winning ride, so how he deals with what is paraded as an ‘uncompetitive car’ will be a true showing of his talent.

If it is a poor car at first, I still expect him in the hunt. Personally, I think great drivers are defined by what they can do when they are not in the best car. I read how Senna did it; I watched when Schumacher did it. Even Alonso pulled some stunning results in a dodgy Renault. This could be a real chance for Hamilton to really cement his legacy and prove to any doubters regarding his skill.

As for Heikki, I would definitely class him as a driver who needs to perform this year. There was too many up’s and down’s from the Finn last year. While the early stages of the season could be put down to bad luck, some of his latter season runs, where he was needed to back up Hamilton, were poor.

Now with a year within the team, there will be no excuses for him. He has to put it out there and show he can match Hamilton. He has to contend for victories. Any less will be a failure.