|
Post by Hammer on Mar 5, 2017 16:25:34 GMT
|
|
|
Post by racechick on Mar 5, 2017 22:19:18 GMT
Five engines already! Not good.
|
|
|
Post by Wß on Mar 16, 2017 13:12:54 GMT
Well lookie here. Ron fired Hamilton, and Ron ditched Mercedes and Ron made the exclusive deal with Honda. 0 for 3 I'd score it.
|
|
|
Post by Hammer on Mar 16, 2017 14:20:18 GMT
What a PIE in the face! Merc would be like....yeah sure.....5X WHAT YOU PAID BEFORE. Deal?
|
|
|
Post by Wß on Mar 16, 2017 14:26:37 GMT
and they have to take Wherlein as a driver.
|
|
|
Post by Frontrunner on Mar 17, 2017 3:13:33 GMT
Lets say Mclaren and Honda do split at years end, then it doesn't really bode well for F1 especially when these new PU donkeys were meant to attract more manufacturers into the sport, I sure do hope Honda can turn things around for their sake but it really is looking like a big failure. Other manufacturers looking into F1 might think twice as they will not want their pants pull down on the world stage like Honda.
|
|
|
Post by Hammer on Mar 26, 2017 6:50:36 GMT
Pop the champagne McLaren, they did their longest ever testing stint during the race! Somehow these guys do miracles between testing and the 1st race, I expected both cars out before Lap 20.
|
|
|
Post by Frontrunner on Mar 26, 2017 6:59:27 GMT
Seen Alonso in 10th near the end and I thought, No way!
|
|
|
Post by dogued on Apr 10, 2017 23:51:11 GMT
Are McLaren really in dire trouble? I don't think it's as bad as it's been made out to be in the press. Yes, they had issues during testing, which as the only team running Honda engines meant they are already a couple of weeks behind, but nothing that can't be made up from race data now that there is no token system. The main issue appear to be once again the ERS unit. A look at the speed trap results during the Chinese GP highlights this: 1. F. MASSA 336.4 2. V. BOTTAS 336.0 16 S. VANDOORNE 317.5 18 F. ALONSO 309.0 and again with fastest laps: 1 L. HAMILTON 1:35.378 2 S. VETTEL 1:35.423 15 F. ALONSO 1:39.496 But they aren't at the level of Mercedes & Ferrari, so perhaps we should compare them to the "Best Of The Rest". Doing that for qualifying, taking the fastest NON Ferrari/Mercedes car, we see the following results from "Best Sector" times: Sector 1 | D. RICCIARDO 24.408 | F. ALONSO 24.693 | Sector 2 | D. RICCIARDO 27.428 | F. ALONSO 27.862 | Sector 3 | D. RICCIARDO 41.075 | F. ALONSO 41.762 |
Now, keeping in mind that S1 includes half the main straight & S3 includes that insane back straight where ERS runs out, being just over 1s behind the 5th best car isn't all doom and gloom. Put another way, everyone praised Hulkenburg on where he qualified, yet on his absolute best sectors he was only 0.2s faster than Alonso through S1 & S2. S3 and the straights is were he pulled out a further .5s advantage. Stroll was 0.06s down on Alonso through S1 & S2, and pulled out 0.43s gap from the straights. If they use these fly away rounds as testing, there is absolutely no reason why they can't score some serious points in Europe. I can actually see them making Q3 in Monaco at least.
|
|
|
Post by Wß on Apr 11, 2017 12:22:29 GMT
From your lips to god's ears. I'm not being so pragmatic simply because Honda had a clean sheet. They had a clean sheet twice given where they knew they were and what they had to do to improve. I believe they're going to be a year behind at least through mid 2018.
Would Alonso hang around that long when he'd be the first choice at Mercedes when they boot Bottas?
|
|
|
Post by Hammer on Apr 11, 2017 12:25:39 GMT
Why would Mercedes disrupt their entire operation when they could hardly handle Lewis and Nico? Plus the guy is old, most likely past his best. He's not had any front running since 2012. Can he really handle the pressure of being at the front again? Would he need time to assimilate? Except his mouth is still flapping at its prime. I'd be very surprised if they indeed go for the Fonz. Assuming Lewis manages to deliver the WDC this year, they might want to get Wehrlein in next year to learn from Lewis and take over as team leader when Lewis hangs up his helmet.
|
|
|
Post by Wß on Apr 11, 2017 12:52:34 GMT
Don't have the most confidence in Mercedes' young driver program. Alonso would work for Mercedes for free, they hold all the cards. I don't think Ferrari would have Alonso back, I don't think Alonso would go back to Ferrari. Not that many options out there. Renault said their future is in the Hulk.
He either finishes his career at McLaren or bolts. Button would have finished his career at McLaren. I don't think Alonso is the type to do so.
|
|
|
Post by Hammer on Apr 11, 2017 13:46:52 GMT
They'd have to upset Hamilton to do that then. Disappoint the driver who's brought them the WDCs, WCCs, to bring in a big talking fart who has a history of courting trouble.
Lewis Hamilton: Fernando Alonso to Mercedes in 2018 'not going to happen'
Lewis Hamilton has dismissed suggestions that Fernando Alonso could once again be his teammate in Formula One by joining him at Mercedes in 2018.
The Spaniard's future at McLaren beyond the end of 2017 has been cast into fresh doubt after the Honda-backed team made a disappointing start to the new campaign, following a miserable pre-season. Alonso's three-year deal runs out at the end of the current season, amid speculation he could replace Valtteri Bottas at the reigning world champions in 2018.
Last December Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admitted the German manufacturer had considered Alonso as a potential replacement for the retired world champion Nico Rosberg. In January he said Mercedes will be keeping its driver options open for next season, despite having confidence that new recruit Bottas could match the team's high expectations.
"It's not going to happen," Hamilton told PA when asked about the speculation. "Valtteri is fantastic here at the team. He was very, very fast at the last race [Australia]. He has obviously got a lot of potential and a lot of growth to go, but it is all about finding the right balance in the team.
"So far Valtteri and I have a great balance and the scales weigh up nicely. If you have got two kilos on either side, and then take the two kilos off and put four on, what is the point? You need the balance."
Hamilton and Alonso were previously teammates at McLaren in 2007, a season in which the drivers' relationship quickly deteriorated as they fought for the F1 world title. Alonso returned to Renault the following season after relations between himself and the Woking-based outfit broke down beyond the point of repair during a tense year.
At the season-opener in Melbourne, Hamilton, who claimed his 54th career victory in Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix, said the sport needs Alonso to be in a competitive car again.
|
|
|
Post by Wß on Jun 14, 2017 12:52:44 GMT
|
|
|
Post by dogued on Jun 15, 2017 0:58:56 GMT
Doom and gloom, yet I can't help feel it's a mistake. Looking at the progression of speed / lap times, there is improvement. Also, looking at qualifying results, they certainly aren't going backward.
Canada Fastest lap - Alonso 4th fastest on lap 63, 0.04 faster than Bottas' fastest on lap 65 Speed Trap - 11th & 16th, although considering Hamilton was 15th and Ricciardo was 13th, may not be representative
Monaco Best not mention this race
Spain Fastest Lap - Alonso 4th fastest on lap 64, 0.3s slower than the fastest lap (Hamilton) set on the same lap. Speed Trap - 9th & 14th
Russia Alonso asked we don't discuss this race..... or any race before it.
The raw power output from the ICE seems to be working fine, they have great initial traction and torque, it's just the MGU components that seem to still be letting down the car on straights. The difference from a fully operational MGU and battery system is around 25-30 kmph, and this is really killing them late race.
I still think that Honda can come good. The car has shown more and more glimpses of being able to compete with SFI & Williams, they just need to sort the damn reliability out. Put a car on a shaker for 3 days and see what falls off, then tighten it up and go again!
|
|
|
Post by Wß on Jun 15, 2017 3:01:55 GMT
I think at this point, everything between McLaren and Honda might be too little too late.
|
|
|
Post by Hammer on Jun 15, 2017 3:07:41 GMT
Nah I'd be pissed if after all this, they're still missing promised upgrades to the PU, shows a real lack of conviction as a whole.
|
|
|
Post by Frontrunner on Jun 15, 2017 11:31:40 GMT
Pretty hard to defend Honda, I can excuse the 1st year and maybe the 2nd year but to be where they are in this 3rd season back is piss poor. Even seems Hasegawa is starting to doubt himself over this PU project.
|
|
|
Post by Wß on Jun 15, 2017 13:48:27 GMT
What a fuck up on McLarens part knowing they could have stayed with Mercedes in 2014 and had at a minimum been regular podium contenders.
|
|
|
McLaren
Jun 16, 2017 6:01:25 GMT
Wß likes this
Post by Frontrunner on Jun 16, 2017 6:01:25 GMT
Huge gamble at the time, especially when they had the best PU in current F1. Mclaren should stop R&D on the car and start working on a time machine.
|
|