Can McLaren afford the fine?

andy97 · 17 Sep 2007, 08:45 (Ref:2015376)

An interesting analysis on the Monoposto Racing Club's website

http://www.startline.org.uk/slol21/macca.htm

BootsOntheSide · 17 Sep 2007, 10:46 (Ref:2015491)

In short, it's a big sum of money, surely designed to limit their competitiveness over the long term. Any benefit Ferrari gain from this is a pure coincidence.

DougK · 17 Sep 2007, 11:29 (Ref:2015532)

F1 is a very uneven and biased sport and for sure the reason for the fine was to give the red team a bigger advantage in my view.

I don't think its right the bigger ( and richer) teams get more garage space. This just makes the gap wider to the smaller teams. Equality is needed in the sport (and it seems only RD has this thought) and ALL teams should have the same amount of space at least to give them a chance.

Aren't Team orders banned in F1? If so how is the Red team allowed to tell their drivers not to race? How come KR got away with doing do-nuts at the end without at least a fine?

Something tells me one team is favoured more than another.

Knowlesy · 17 Sep 2007, 12:49 (Ref:2015631)

Let's not go down that road Doug. It is a well used topic and not at all the point of this thread!

Can McLaren afford the fine? Yes.

Will it hamper them short-term? Most definitely.

luke · 17 Sep 2007, 12:51 (Ref:2015634)

I'm sure Ron would rather pay me a stranger but fan, £50,000, that would be nothing to him..If only!

duke_toaster · 17 Sep 2007, 15:55 (Ref:2015851)

Quote:

Originally Posted by DougK

F1 is a very uneven and biased sport and for sure the reason for the fine was to give the red team a bigger advantage in my view.

I don't think its right the bigger ( and richer) teams get more garage space. This just makes the gap wider to the smaller teams. Equality is needed in the sport (and it seems only RD has this thought) and ALL teams should have the same amount of space at least to give them a chance.

Aren't Team orders banned in F1? If so how is the Red team allowed to tell their drivers not to race? How come KR got away with doing do-nuts at the end without at least a fine?

Something tells me one team is favoured more than another.

Of course.

Ideally each team would get 2 garages. One car only needs one garage.

chillibowl · 17 Sep 2007, 16:30 (Ref:2015895)

during the ITV pre race coverage it was suggested that Ron and Mclaren were looking at other options in order to pay the fine. also suggested was that Mclaren's 2008 has already been set independent of this fine, so from that one would assume that their 2008 challange wont be affected. as for 2009 i have no idea.

sorry for no link to it as it was during the broadcast.

Clive · 17 Sep 2007, 16:34 (Ref:2015900)

Quote:

Originally Posted by luke

I'm sure Ron would rather pay me a stranger but fan, £50,000, that would be nothing to him..If only!

me too!!! please! please!!

Mr V · 17 Sep 2007, 19:48 (Ref:2016103)

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy97

An interesting analysis on the Monoposto Racing Club's website

http://www.startline.org.uk/slol21/macca.htm

My apologiies, but any article that has the following text under a picture....

Quote:

American actor Mercedes Mccambridge who has no known connection with McLaren Mercedes but sounds a bit similar.

Isn't worth reading in the first place

TonyCotton · 17 Sep 2007, 20:24 (Ref:2016143)

The piece was not intended to be deadly serious or in depth. The picture was intended flippantly. Sorry the joke misfired.

Incidentally, there is only one "i" in apologies.

Knowlesy · 17 Sep 2007, 20:28 (Ref:2016151)

OK, now explain the Pedro Diniz caption.

Welcome to the forum.

Mr V · 17 Sep 2007, 20:38 (Ref:2016164)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyCotton

The piece was not intended to be deadly serious or in depth. The picture was intended flippantly. Sorry the joke misfired.

I gathered that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyCotton

Incidentally, there is only one "i" in apologies.

Being a smart ar$e doesn't get you anywhere

**Adam43** · 17 Sep 2007, 20:43 (Ref:2016172)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr V

My apologiies, but any article that has the following text under a picture....

Quote:

American actor Mercedes Mccambridge who has no known connection with McLaren Mercedes but sounds a bit similar.

Isn't worth reading in the first place

Not a fan of sniffpetrol then?

Welcome to the forum.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyCotton

Incidentally, there is only one "i" in apologies.

Good point. Isn't there a space between Tony and Cotton?

he he

On topic: Yes they can, Overall they are in rude health. A debt free F1 team! However it is a dent on the coffers, they will have $100m less than they would have. That is a lot, even for a top F1 team. If I lost 1/4 of my racing budget I'd be missing races.

BTW my full name is Dr Boris AdamAshmore. AdamAshmore is all one word

Knowlesy · 17 Sep 2007, 20:45 (Ref:2016177)

Hi Boris. Good luck in the elections for London Mayor.

Mr V · 17 Sep 2007, 20:48 (Ref:2016181)

Couldn't be any worse than the current one, but i digress

Dutton · 17 Sep 2007, 20:49 (Ref:2016183)

The Mclaren-Mercedes outfit can totally absorb this cost without it being overly impacting.

That is not to say it won't be felt at all, but they will carry on like they previously have.

Speedy1 · 17 Sep 2007, 21:36 (Ref:2016250)

Afford it?
The real question: should they pay it?
It appears the dirty deeds in question were commited by individuals within the companies not the company principals. Fairly large distinction.
Did this cause $100m damage to the sport? $100m damage to Ferrari?
Punishment should fit the crime.
Loss of the constructor title is a monster penality to pay.
And then the FIA licking their chops over how to spend the penalities ...
Acting like low class ambulance chasers.

Nicholosophy · 17 Sep 2007, 22:11 (Ref:2016271)

I wonder how much Mike Coughlan is worth? Perhaps a lawsuit for breach of contract or something similar?

Perhaps letting FA run off to another team and getting a pay driver for a year could be an option.

*tries to remove tongue from cheek, however its stuck*

**Adam43** · 17 Sep 2007, 22:19 (Ref:2016274)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedy1

Afford it?
The real question: should they pay it?
...

That is being dealt with in the main thread on this topic. This is an interesting aside, which is more to do with the workings of a top F1 team and the potential impact on future racing. Lets let it have its own thread.

runshaw · 17 Sep 2007, 22:27 (Ref:2016284)

Yes they can afford it. End of.

willb · 18 Sep 2007, 00:29 (Ref:2016340)

yes they can afford it. yes it is a huge amount and may not be justified. however, i'm fairly sure they would rather pay it then to have been excluded for both 2007 and 2008 which as an alternative would have been a disaster for mclaren.

broadrun96 · 18 Sep 2007, 00:53 (Ref:2016357)

I'm sure they would have no trouble affording it, esp minus the money that would have been theirs from FOM.

andy97 · 18 Sep 2007, 20:14 (Ref:2017367)

Plenty of people posting stuff on here along the lines "of course they can afford it" without a sniff of evidence or anlaysis. The piece at the top of the thread was tongue in cheek but at least it was based on an analysis of recent Accounts, as filed at Companies House. My apologiies (2 i's on purpose) but any post on here which criticises others without bothering to offer an alternative analysis isn't worth reading!

**Adam43** · 18 Sep 2007, 20:20 (Ref:2017378)

McLaren is debt free (at the moment). This is common knowledge, I beleive it was originally stated after the new HQ was finished and Ron Dennis repeated this the other day. Their turn over is known to be in the hundreds of millions. They have the backing of Mercedes-Benz, who are very big. I do not beleive that they will use Mercedes money, but my point is that it is there as back up.

Yes they can afford it, but it isn't trivial. Next year's budget will be planned and will have alocated all of that $100m.

tonful · 19 Sep 2007, 12:18 (Ref:2017870)

Don't forget the additional income from selling this years cars to Prodrive. All of a sudden $100M doesn't look so expensive.

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