Written by:
SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com
McLaren: Formula One Grand Prix Team
Team Principal: Martin Whitmarsh
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen
Constructors Finish: 3rd (71 points)
Best Finish: 1st (twice) Hamilton, Hungary, Singapore
Chassis: MP4-24 Engine: Mercedes-Benz FO 108W
http://www.mclaren.com
2009 began with the team riding the momentum of their first world driver’s championship since 1999, courtesy of Lewis Hamilton, and a second place in the 2008 constructors standings.
As they introduced the MP4-24 Ron Dennis, who bought the team in 1980 and had been in charge ever since, announced he would be stepping away from the racing side of the business and in turn hand the reigns to Martin Whitmarsh prior to the season starting.
Barely two years after being embroiled in a scandal involving spying however, McLaren was once again the subject of court action as the season got underway, when a new scandal emerged shortly after the opening round.
Although Hamilton finished third he was later disqualified when it was learned that he had been told to lie to the stewards regarding an incident during a Safety Car period.
Hamilton was originally promoted to third after Jarno Trulli was given a 25-second penalty he was later disqualified however and Trulli reinstated after it was found that McLaren had deliberately misled the stewards over the incident, saying that Hamilton had been given no instructions to let Trulli through under the safety car, a fact contradicted by radio transmissions and an interview Hamilton himself gave.
Sporting director Dave Ryan was dismissed and Ron Dennis stepped aside as team principle, actions which mitigated punishment from the FIA. After a hearing of the World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris on April 29, the punishment of the "appropriate" penalty of a three-race ban was suspended.
On the track, the team continued to work on the MP4-24 and they were eventually rewarded with Hamilton victorious in Hungary and Singapore.
With Hamilton having seven finishes outside the top-10 on the season however combined with 10 finishes for Kovalainen outside the top-10 the team was never in contention for a top finish in the constructors standings and finished third in the standings, one point above Ferrari.
Hamilton showed great promise as the season came to a close following up his win at Marina Bay with two consecutive podium finishes and a pole at Abu Dhabi, but a brake problem forced him to retire early and he was scored 19th. Meanwhile after teammate Kovalainen scored points in Marina Bay finishing seventh, he finished outside the top-10 in the final three rounds.
Perhaps the biggest news for the team happened after the season had ended.
Longtime partner Mercedes announced they were buying a majority share of the former Brawn GP that was renamed Mercedes GP. As part of the deal, the McLaren Group said they will have bought back Daimler's 40 percent stake by 2011. In addition Mercedes competition chief Norbert Haug is leaving the McLaren garage. As if to add insult to injury for the first time since their partnership began in 1995, McLaren will be paying for its Mercedes engines in 2010 and beyond.
McLaren may have had the last laugh however. Even before the dust settled they announced they had signed new world champion Jenson Button, who left the new Mercedes GP team. The team will field the first team pairing of British world champions since Graham Hill and Jim Clark at Lotus in 1968.
The odd man out of course is Kovalainen who will leave the team after two seasons that included his first career Formula One win and three podium finishes.
