McLaren are being put through the wringer at the moment and you have to feel sympathy. Well, maybe you don't, but I do.
It was no secret in the F1 paddock that Nigel Stepney was unhappy at Ferrari. He'd admitted as much in an Autosport interview at the start of the year, when he mentioned he was open to offers from elsewhere. Predictably, it didn't go down well in Maranello.
Nigel had become something of a minor celebrity in Italy, he enjoyed a good 'straight through' relationship with Ross Brawn. By which I mean direct. They spoke, and the problem was sorted. No messing.
With Ross gone and a new 'Italian' structure in place, it was easy to see Stepney becoming marginalised. It's easy to forget that Nigel has been at Maranello since the back end of '92 - almost 15 years.