McLaren MP/4-29 launch

[SilverArrow]

If we were out of a forum I would have answered with a huge middle finger.

Since we are in a forum, I just say I became a F1 fan because F1 were good looking race cars, all of them, no matter if Ferrari wasn't the most competitive car. I enjoyed the sport because all cars were good looking spaceships. So yes, sound like you are complaining about the complainers.

I don't have a problem with you complaining, I just find it hard to believe that how the cars look affect your choice of watching or not. Or how the noses signal "the death of the sport". It's not like there haven't been ugly cars before (or cars even uglier than these ones).

 

[marco89IT]

McLaren aren't planning on having a main sponsor to replace Vodafone this season, right?

We can't know at the moment but it would be really strange, especially for a big name like McLaren. Yes, they had a poor season last year, but they're still one of the most popular and appreciated teams in F1, and they're also known as regulars on the front of the grid. All this is good for visibility and visibility is what a sponsor is interested in.
Also, writing the name of the car on the livery is a very unusual thing on a launch and if you notice, all the big MP4-29 writings are exactly in the usual places used for the main sponsor. Sounds like "big company, these are the places for your logo"

 

[Wardez]

RacecarEngineering breakdown:
http://www.racecar-engineering.com/cars/mclaren-mp4-29/

 

[IceMan PJN]

So, we go from duckbills to dongs...

 

[neljack]

I can't be the only one that doesn't think the 2014 cars aren't that bad looking?

The noses are different, I get that, but to further that and say their ugly and F1 in 2014 will be awful is blind.

And yep, when you *think* really carefully it kind of looks like a penis, and wasn't funny first time, still isn't funny now.

 

[VolkswagenX]

I don't have a problem with you complaining, I just find it hard to believe that how the cars look affect your choice of watching or not. Or how the noses signal "the death of the sport". It's not like there haven't been ugly cars before (or cars even uglier than these ones).

Whats so hard to believe? The sport is already losing fans as it is going and having these ridiculous cars now isn't going to help. Maybe you're just watching F1 from a technical point of view but I'm sure to most, the visuals are an important aspect of it. Saying that there have been ugly F1 cars in the past is not the same as saying "remember that one season where all the cars looked ridiculous?" is it? We all now there have been some ugly F1 cars in the past but I can't remember seeing a whole field of stupid looking machines. Could live with the stepped nose in 2012 and it was extra easy for me in 2013 since my team stopped using the stepped nose that year.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Yeah the repeating of the term to describe this years nose is getting asinine, comparing it to certain animals (e.g. Elephant, Anteater, crazy nosed prime-ape) is fine. To keep going on with a certain part of anatomy in it various terms to be funny are or whatever else is getting out of hand.

 

[SilverArrow]

"The visuals are an important part"
"The sounds are an important part"
"Overtaking is an important part"
No matter how big or small the issue is people find something to complain about, of all the things that are wrong with F1 (double points, DRS etc.) this is somehow the reason people will switch off? Moaning about things wrong with F1 has become the popular thing to do because it's the biggest. I'm convinced there are people that are glad when some stupid rule comes about just so they have something to complain about. Despite all the gimmicks, people are still watching and maybe other motorsport series should be taking the flack for not being able to attract anything close to the audience that F1 has, despite its numerous issues...

 

[Northstar]

Yeah the repeating of the term to describe this years nose is getting asinine, comparing it to certain animals (e.g. Elephant, Anteater, crazy nosed prime-ape) is fine. To keep going on with a certain part of anatomy in it various terms to be funny are or whatever else is getting out of hand.

I completely agree with this sentiment, I guess it really shows that this forum isn't as mature as I once thought...

 

[prisonermonkeys]

That reminds me of the music video for QOTSA's Go With The Flow, where two trucks collide and the artwork on their bonnets merges together.

 

[VolkswagenX]

"The visuals are an important part"
"The sounds are an important part"
"Overtaking is an important part"
No matter how big or small the issue is people find something to complain about, of all the things that are wrong with F1 (double points, DRS etc.) this is somehow the reason people will switch off? Moaning about things wrong with F1 has become the popular thing to do because it's the biggest. I'm convinced there are people that are glad when some stupid rule comes about just so they have something to complain about. Despite all the gimmicks, people are still watching and maybe other motorsport series should be taking the flack for not being able to attract anything close to the audience that F1 has, despite its numerous issues...

It's not the reason, it's another reason. And F1 isn't as big as it use to be.

 

[TheBook]

We can't know at the moment but it would be really strange, especially for a big name like McLaren. Yes, they had a poor season last year, but they're still one of the most popular and appreciated teams in F1, and they're also known as regulars on the front of the grid. All this is good for visibility and visibility is what a sponsor is interested in.
Also, writing the name of the car on the livery is a very unusual thing on a launch and if you notice, all the big MP4-29 writings are exactly in the usual places used for the main sponsor. Sounds like "big company, these are the places for your logo"

I suppose that's a bit more subtle than HRT with their "your name here" and "this is a cool spot" sayings on their livery.

 

[RACECAR]

After seeing the Mclaren (usually the team that had the least ugliest designs with these new regulations), I've officially lost faith in F1 have good looking cars this year. Not looking forward to the other nose jobs yet to be seen.

Also, I agree the repeated Genitalia references are getting old. Funny the first few times, annoying from that point on. I saw enough of this with the Deltawing so I really don't feel liking reading more of these again.

 

[AnAL0G]

Ugh.

 

[Brutaka]

This isn't the final livery but i do like it in Silver.

 

[Pupik]

The noses may be ugly, but they're still less horrid than the cars from 2005-2008. Those cars were high-sided, low-slung, full of ugly anti-disturbance sails and multi-layered panels which could make onions cry.

 

[Louie_Schumii]

Quick fix courtesy of the internet. Thanks Taki Inoue's facebook.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Quick fix courtesy of the internet. Thanks Taki Inoue's facebook.

View attachment 105528

If McLaren just did that change it'd be great.

 

[AnAL0G]

Yeah, just disguise it with the paint scheme and it'd look miles better.

 

[Anghammarad]

I can't be the only one that doesn't think the 2014 cars aren't that bad looking?

You're not. They look like F1 cars. Also, it's not the look of the car that is important, it is the quality of the racing.

 

[Bo]

"The visuals are an important part"
"The sounds are an important part"
"Overtaking is an important part"
No matter how big or small the issue is people find something to complain about, of all the things that are wrong with F1 (double points, DRS etc.) this is somehow the reason people will switch off? Moaning about things wrong with F1 has become the popular thing to do because it's the biggest. I'm convinced there are people that are glad when some stupid rule comes about just so they have something to complain about. Despite all the gimmicks, people are still watching and maybe other motorsport series should be taking the flack for not being able to attract anything close to the audience that F1 has, despite its numerous issues...

Or maybe if other series got a tiny bit of the coverage or attention that F1 does? That's an ignorant attitude to how the media perceives motorsport. I'd say 90% of people think motorsport is Formula 1, and that nothing else exists. I've converted people by showing them 10 second youtube clips of other championships. If you want more proof, WEC Shanghai sold more tickets than the Chinese Grand Prix.

 

[SilverArrow]

Or maybe if other series got a tiny bit of the coverage or attention that F1 does? That's an ignorant attitude to how the media perceives motorsport. I'd say 90% of people think motorsport is Formula 1, and that nothing else exists. I've converted people by showing them 10 second youtube clips of other championships. If you want more proof, WEC Shanghai sold more tickets than the Chinese Grand Prix.

And who's fault is it that WEC can't get media attention? If they can't promote the sport properly despite the races being free to watch online, then they're doing something wrong. Especially if all you have to do is show someone a 10 second youtube clip to get people watching...

 

[AnAL0G]

Especially if all you have to do is show someone a 10 second youtube clip to get people watching...

I'm assuming this was an intentional kind of generalization, but still it's more complicated than you are making it out to be. For one, F1 is easier to follow, with a lot less going on than what you see in WEC. For hardcore fans, the multiclass aspect can be a good thing, but for casual race fans it might be a deterrent. Yes, the technical side of F1 is pretty deep, but it's a single class style of racing with two drivers per team and 'stars' in the sport, etc.

 

[SilverArrow]

I'm assuming this was an intentional kind of generalization, but still it's more complicated than you are making it out to be. For one, F1 is easier to follow, with a lot less going on than what you see in WEC. For hardcore fans, the multiclass aspect can be a good thing, but for casual race fans it might be a deterrent. Yes, the technical side of F1 is pretty deep, but it's a single class style of racing with two drivers per team and 'stars' in the sport, etc.

My main point is that small problems in F1 seem to be blown completely out of proportion compared to other series. If Audi released their P1 car with a nose like this, I doubt people would complain as much as they are about the McLaren. I also don't think people would say it would be the death of endurance racing if they did. Other series' problems seem to get washed over or somehow twisted into being F1's fault.

 

[Bo]

And who's fault is it that WEC can't get media attention? If they can't promote the sport properly despite the races being free to watch online, then they're doing something wrong. Especially if all you have to do is show someone a 10 second youtube clip to get people watching...

It's certainly not the organiser's fault. The only reason F1 gets the attention it does is because of mainstream media's misconceptions and its history. F1 doesn't exactly do the greatest job at promoting itself. If other championships were given a spotlight, I guarantee you that F1 viewing figures would die down very quickly.

 

[SilverArrow]

It's certainly not the organiser's fault. The only reason F1 gets the attention it does is because of mainstream media's misconceptions and its history. F1 doesn't exactly do the greatest job at promoting itself. If other championships were given a spotlight, I guarantee you that F1 viewing figures would die down very quickly.

You have to attract the audience first before you're in the spotlight, not the other way around. Also, why would other championships getting more coverage affect F1's viewing figures? Are you only allowed to watch one type of motorsport? Does sky sports showing La liga mean people stop watching the premiere league?

 

[mister dog]

OMG The ugliest McLaren ever made.
I thought F1 couldn't make any worse than 2012 but... I was wrong.

Thinking the same here; a tear runs down my cheek when i think back on the times when F1 cars were beautiful machines

I bet the whole grid will have this look; all I can say is 'nicely thought through FIA!'

 

[Louie_Schumii]

Since Ron Dennis is coming back this would be an appropriate livery too. The field would look great with this car in it and it really embodies the McLaren ethos. Plus the team can go back to wearing leather jackets and black t-shirts instead of the disgusting uniform they've had for a couple of years now.

The F1 sub-reddit is a great source of new info. I usually sift through it from time to time when content here gets thin and post up anything I find interesting back up here if anyone wanted to know where I'm getting these awesome pics from

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I'm not fussed. I know it's a throwback to the West livery, but the shape of the car itself makes it look like one of Penske's IndyCars. I'd much rather they tried something new.

 

[Bo]

You have to attract the audience first before you're in the spotlight, not the other way around. Also, why would other championships getting more coverage affect F1's viewing figures? Are you only allowed to watch one type of motorsport? Does sky sports showing La liga mean people stop watching the premiere league?

The only reason F1 is even getting viewers at the moment is 90% of everyone watching it thinks F1 is the only form of motorsport. It's all down to the mainstream media and their misconceptions, so they get passed on to the general public.

Sky Sports showing La Liga doesn't affect the Premiere League because the mainstream media is football obsessed, so people know what the Premiere League is. If it got absolutely no media attention like other racing series, people wouldn't know it exists and it would therefore have no media appeal. It's a vicious cycle - once you get into it, you need to be brave to pull things out of it.