so does McLaren...

[stroker]

throw this season in the toilet and start work on their 2014 car?

[Insomniac]

Only if there is an unfixable flaw in the design. There is still a long way to go and money at stake. They could finish 5th if they improve some or drop to 7th if they pack it up.

[cameraman]

There is way too much constructor's money at stake to give up with 11 races yet to run. They might not take the championship but everyone up to and including Lotus could be caught.

Lotus seems to have an unending supply of new and inventive ways to screw up a race:shakehead

[emjaya]

Only if there is an unfixable flaw in the design. There is still a long way to go and money at stake. They could finish 5th if they improve some or drop to 7th if they pack it up.

They can put all the lipstick they like on that thing but it is still going to be a pig. They should give up and start on 2014.

[Easy]

McLaren has an almost unparalleled ability to develop its car in season. As Cameraman said, there is waaaay too much money in the Constructors kitty to give up now.

[stroker]

I'm no statistician. However, assuming the top four teams all continue to score points at the per race average they have for the season so far, in order to beat their predicted final team point total McLaren is going to have to increase its per race average result from 4.6 pts/race to

43 points per race to beat Red Bull
33 points per race to beat both Ferrari or Mercedes Benz
23 points per race to beat Renault

That means they need to improve their per race finish average 500% to beat the predicted Renault total for the end of the year. They'd have to double their performance just to get past Force India to move from 6th to 5th. Again, that assumes all the other teams continue at their current pace. Renault is sliding compared to their early-season performance so they may end up close enough to catch, but I don't see the top three falling flat on their faces in the remainder of the season.

While the amount of Constructor's Championship money for 5th place versus 6th place might be significant, McLaren's done for the year.

[WickerBill]

Minor detail, but if McLaren increase their position, the others naturally will decrease, making it more like 400% instead of 500%. :)

[stroker]

Minor detail, but if McLaren increase their position, the others naturally will decrease, making it more like 400% instead of 500%. :)

Oh, well, when you put it that way, 2014 be damned! :p

[Indy]

All I know is that I am pissed off about it. :saywhat:

[stroker]

All I know is that I am pissed off about it. :saywhat:

I've got BOTH McLarens on BOTH of my Fantasy teams this year. Tell me about it.

[Gnam]

They'll fight for every point they can this year, just like any other mid-pack team would. ;)

It will be interesting to see if they can scrape up more points that Massa, or if they can eek out one victory. Maybe in Japan, when Godzilla rises from the depths angered at the recent radiation release at Fukushima and lays waste to the rest of the grid.