billamend wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2024 10:24 am
Alex_Z wrote: ↑Mon Jul 22, 2024 10:48 pm
its probably his worst season.
Still way ahead of Piastri in points.
mwillems wrote: ↑Mon Jul 22, 2024 10:54 pm
I know. Such a selfless guy. £20m plus all the hard work of a team behind him able to deliver a championship car without having to sit next to Max Verstappen, all coming at around about the time that he is just getting good enough to challenge Max, having been supported by the team to make him mentally stronger and make him as capable as he is today. All done in a way that is a total contrast with how other teams can treat F1 drivers. He really has had to put up with a lot, poor guy.
No sarcasm, just warm truthful humour, my friend
He did carry McLaren on his back during the Ricciardo years. They hired and treated Daniel as a superstar, and then Lando had to bring the points himself with a shitty car.
And it's not like he couldn't go to another very very well paid seat. It's not a secret that most teams wanted him. He could be in the RB seat since very early in his career.
mwillems wrote: ↑Mon Jul 22, 2024 10:54 pm
I think he should count himself lucky to be at a team like this, quite honestly, as would any driver. This is where we are today. If he doesn't like it then I don't doubt we could attract any top talent on the grid when they are available. That is the truth of todays Mclaren.
Yeah, like drivers don't want to drive for Mercedes, Ferrari, or RB when they have a record of being ruthless with driver calls to win championships — like McLaren should have done today.
Drivers will flock to Mclaren, no one would doubt that they will sort that out the strategy.
Lando could go to another seat, others could come here. We are not beholden to him. As for the Ricciardo years. yes, he did well, that's why he got a massive contract, so he wasn't doing anyone any favours. His career was enhanced and he was hugely enriched. That's how deals work, everyone wins. So no, we don't owe Lando any more than we already gave him. And now, there is a car that can challenge to be the best, and that is rarer than a driver that can challenge, in my opinion.
As for Lando being Well ahead of Oscar on points, this isn't really the case. Oscar is not far from Lando and having a good season. Less consistent than last season but with higher peaks and signs that he's getting on top of managing his Sundays now, as there have been some weekends when he has just nailed it and been a championship level driver.
Edit: To make clear, I don't want to change our line up, at all. I love it. But the team doesn't owe anything more than it already has given. The age of the superstar is going, in all areas of life, the team/product is king now.