Zak Brown: "no Merecedes or Ferrari engine for McLaren in 2018"

Of course they don't....why should they?

 

Yet the sport wants growth and fans lol. Ok.....lets see what Liberty do with this. If we have nothing but lack-luster teams Im sure that will bring the fans in. I understand the keep your competitor down attitude, but eventually the sport suffers as a whole.

Liberty need to encourage a new engine supplier soon. I know there is interest from others for the future motor but in the near term something might need to be done to keep Mclaren somewhat competitive. Racing is better with more actual competition. A 2 horse race is fun, 3 more so.

 

So that leaves Renault?

 

''help with 2018 engine'' This to me suggest they where looking for help making their engine competitive, not getting a Merc or Ferrari engine altogether.

I don't see Mercedes telling Ferrari how to build an engine either. They made their bed.

 

Here is a novel concept. Mclaren builds their own engine. They want to be a world class competitor as well as build road cars to compete with Ferrari and other high end exotics so this would make sense. I realize you can't build an F1 engine over night and it takes years of R&D
But Mclaren should of thought about this years ago when the contract with MB was about to expire.

 

Poor Zak! Those meanie teams won't help him! The exclusive deal they made with Honda just isn't working like they thought!

Oh, where is my box of tissues!

I said this 2 months ago --- next year and in the years to come in the back of a McLaren will be a Honda motor. They are married. It's called "making your bed and then lying in it".

And I'm afraid so is Alonso as he has no where else to go.

But Zak needs to go also. This statement that "the other teams won't help us" is completely PATHETIC. The problem McLaren has now is the other teams are being "stingy" with their engines?

How the mighty have fallen.

 

They quite simply don't have the money to design their own engine, especially with current regs.

The 2020 one is possible.

 

This is why I think McLaren should consider leaving F1 completely, and use its resources in other series ; GT Bancpain, the Creventic endurance series, the GT Open series, the VLN series with the Nurburgring 24 hours (huge attendance) .

McLaren could even think about an attack on Le Mans; their P1 has all the hybrid technology they need.

There is life after F1 as the FIA and Liberty may one day realise.

 

I don't see it. They want to be a global brand and their roots are in F1. You could say the same for Ferrari but it wouldn't be the same.

Honda needs to deliver. If they can make a motor at least as good as Renault then McLaren can fight with RB, probably win a few races, and stop being a laughing stock.

But Alonso won't be there...

 

Will be interesting what happens with this. Alonso doesn't have anywhere to go and McLaren will be hard pressed to get anyone decent as a replacement with their current performance. Maybe they'd use the contract option they have on JB even if he isn't keen to return.

 

My guess is Honda will want Alonso GONE. When Brown has to come back to Honda hat in hand they will insist. Another year of Alonso's belly aching isn't going to fly with the Japanese.

 

If Honda, with all their resources, cannot get the job done it would be pretty foolish for McLaren to leap in and try and do it themselves. Particularly so now, with discussions about changing the engine formula for 2 or 3 years time.

Jonathan

 

I very much doubt it. They're paying his wages now, after all. Besides, who do you think would be delighted to be trundling around at the back with the car breaking before the end and not say anything? No decent driver that I know of. Hamilton does enough whining and he's in the best car!

Jonathan

 

lol

 

You may be a dreamer, but I am not.

McLaren had it; the team has lost its momentum, it's sponsor appeal, its direction, its leader and its credibility.

It is saddled with an incompetent partner unable to supply a good engine, and an overpaid driver who has not a good car under him.

Time to call it quit, rather than going to doldrums of F1.

McLaren have already created a global brand, but their recent failure is tarnishing their image. Time to leave F1 and get good exposure where it matters to their products; in the GT category where they are competitive and have a good future.

 

The Japanese are about saving face. They will not fire Alonso for mouthing off an other antics because they know their performance is substandard.

But come next year I'm not so sure they won't say they need to cut him lose and McLaren has to start shutting up in public about their disagreements. Honda pays 1/2 of his salary after all.

How ironic is must be for the Japanese to be supporting this team financially and then have them bash them each week in public. That just isn't done in Japanese business.

And the ONLY reason Honda wants to do this is for BUSINESS. They have nothing else to gain and are not doing it just to help the sport of F1.

 

just bring back unlimited testing. sheesh. so stupid

 

I agree. No self-respecting driver of Alonso's caliber would contemplate another year driving a pig of a car with inferior power and poor reliability. This isn't racing.

Alonso should have jumped ship long time ago, and begged for a seat in any team, even take a massive pay cut, or move to another series, to rebuild his career. Instead, he takes the Honda money and whine about their engines !!
Utterly pathetic !!! I have no respect for that sort of mentality.

 

I don't think unlimited testing would help much here. Honda knew from its bench testing they still had problems, which is why they pulled the Stage 3 after practice.

However, I agree with you.

 

Testing would be useless for Honda.

Their engine packs up on the way to the track!!

 

McLaren will stay with Honda.

 

McLaren took the risk to go with a sole-engine supplier with the benefit of it being no cost and the bet didn't pan out. Now they have to pay for it...pretty pathetic they want help from the people they were trying to beat with that bet. I don't feel bad for them at all.

 

With unlimited testing they could get a chassis or 2 from Mclaren and run 24/7 at suzuka (hypothetically) Build a bunch of different engines and couple of test drivers and let em rip...Pretty soon they'll have just a couple of engines they know are the right spec and develop from there.