By Parminio
May 12 2004

We've heard about it for a long time. It's been going on now for 5 years. It's also been the exact amount of time that McLaren have been moving backwards in performance. It has been on the minds of McLaren fans everywhere. It's over. Finally. Amid much pomp and circumstance, the new facility was at long last opened. It marks a new beginning for the team according to the media, and to Ron Dennis. It marks the end of what has been a very heated subject for McLaren fans world wide.

Construction on the facility began in 1999 when McLaren were on top form in Formula 1 and were the team to beat. Since construction began, almost to the day, Team McLaren Mercedes performance has gone backwards.

Coincidence? Maybe. Fact? Deffinately. Amid a great many talks making the circles of F1 lately there have been accussations from different team members about how McLaren have "taken their eye off the ball". It seems no stretch that the Paragon facility has been more on the minds of Ron and company than racing has. Car after car has been introduced...each one slower and more problematic than its predicessor, leading us up to where we are now: fighting for our lives to get an 8th place finish.

Ron Dennis was quoted as saying, "The facility is a major functional tool to ensure that we remain at the forefront of British engineering and technology, whilst helping to strengthen and develop the McLaren brand. It will also act as an incentive to attract and retain the best engineering talent in the world and provide an impetus for the designers of the future. The opening of the McLaren Technology Centre will be a milestone in the history of the McLaren marque, and we are proud it has been recognised in this way."

Let's all hope that since it's finally over, McLaren can get back to doing what got them that facility to begin with: Winning races.