Or BS.
He might or might not still be at McLaren by then, but from what I'm hearing Honda might not even be in F1 at all in 2018 & I wouldn't be surprised if McLaren has already started designing the car around another manufacturer's engine.
That really is a concern on their part. If they delay and don't change they lose valuable design time, either way, Honda or Renault.
According to the rules, all the engines must share the same mounting points. So adapting a Renault engine on a Mac chassis designed for a 2018 Honda power unit shouldn't need much re-engineering. But it may be different for the bodywork and the engine cover though. Brawn proved in 2009 how easy it was to switch engine supplier.
I'm aware that the FIA has mandated common mounting points so that theoretically any PU can be bolted into any F1 chassis. But, once you get beyond the bolts that join the two together, everything else is different. Different air intakes, different cooling requirements, different cooling configurations, different PU length, different PU width, different battery size, different battery shape...
Just like women... the mounting interface is a common design,... but no 2 alike unless from the same factory with identical design.
william, after the 09 season Ross Brawn said that their car was incredibly compromised because of the late switch to the Merc engine. The Merc engine crankshaft centerline was 2cm higher (a monumental difference) than the Honda relative to the gearbox. And because they had to use their gearbox to retain double diffuser, they had to live with it. This was the reason he said they had their tire warm up issues when they got to the cooler ambient temp tracks and start going backward relative to RB. For aero reason McLaren would also use their own gearbox but today that would only be one part of the troubles. The Renault uses a conventional turbo arrangement so the layout at the front of the engine is completely different and would affect the engine installation significantly. Apart from that the cooling requirements and intercooler and gearbox/hydraulic cooler placement also significantly affect the design of the installation and consequently the aero design under the bodywork. More than software modes, engine installation is where the works teams have the biggest advantage today. In any case, it's all for naught since McLaren seems to be stuck with Honda.
I am not suggesting that it could be an instant swap or that it wouldn't be without problem, but the essentials are there. The rest is just re-packaging the ancillaries and design a new engine cover. Nothing that would defeat a team like McLaren.
Oh McLaren can absolutely do it for the new car. They just need to know which engine it's gonna be - like NOW. But it sounds like they already know.
+1, Absolutely agreed. (Renault is not targeting Alonso, but Ocon; as they have said two or three times, their objective is to be regular winners in 2019-2020, this with the drivers of tomorrow, not those of yesterday...) Rgds
Honda supposedly have their HPE system cooling issues under control now, so they can supposedly make real progress. I believe they will become more competitive but I cannot see them winning races at least until the next power unit reconfiguration. Fernando has nowhere else to go. Very sad IMO
With Kimi confirmed at Ferrari 2018,the last glimmer of hope has gone for Alonso. It's another year of suck it up at Mclaren,trying not to complain tooo much about Honda whilst collecting a big A$$ salary,or maybe Indy.
Agreed , i would imagine his lawyers are busy fine tuning his contract to include all the possible scenarios e.g: If Kimi is leading and me second he is obliged to move over. If i am leading Kimi is not allowed to overtake me. If Kimi gets ahead by mistake during pit stops/safety car he must let me pass. Plus all the other track position scenarios (a lot). if Kimi should get on the podium with me by mistake he must just mumble something like' err well ermm it was a good team result today' NO complaining! But he is allowed to look like a bulldog chewing a wasp,but only a small one.
Not so sure...according to "Auto Motor und Sport" in Germany, the duration is still the stumbling point; Vettel doesn't want to sign for more than a year and want to keep his 2019 options open, whereas Ferrari would like him to sign for three years (see last paragraph - in German). Rgds Ferrari verlängert mit Räikkönen: Neuer Vertrag für 2018 - AUTO MOTOR UND SPORT
I am not convinced that Vettel will sign for Ferrari--they want to sign him for a multi-year contract and he wants a one year with options. There is a real possibility that they won't come to terms.
Toto still insists that there have been no talks with Sebastian. AUGUST 22, 2017 Mercedes approach gives Vettel advantage says Wolff Toto Wolff says Mercedes might need a change of tack in order to beat Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel to the 2017 title. Before the summer break, Vettel won the race in Hungary whilst his closest championship challenger Lewis Hamilton lost more points by voluntarily letting his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas pass late in the race. Wolff told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "It is clear that Ferrari is all about Vettel, while our philosophy of having two drivers means we are disadvantaged. "In the last few years this was not a problem as we were fighting for the championship within our team. But now it's different and we have to adjust," the Mercedes team boss said. "I'm discussing it with James Allison," Wolff continued. "It will not be enough to correct the problems with the car, as the past years were abnormal championships." Meanwhile, the Austrian hit back at persistent rumours that with Vettel yet to re-sign with Ferrari for 2018, the German driver could actually be headed to Mercedes. "That is not true," said Wolff. "We never talked to Seb. "One of our principles is to talk first with our drivers and see if there is a willingness to continue. Hamilton's contract ends in 2018, but for now there is no problem," he added.
Zak said in the Spa press conference that IF they sign Alonso for 2018,then he would not be racing at indy next year ...as it clashes with Monaco.
Lauda: 'Alonso and McLaren was all about the money!' Lauda: 'Alonso and McLaren was all about the money!' Niki Lauda admits he doesn't feel any sympathy for Fernando Alonso's current plight, believing it all started three years ago with a decision based on money. Alonso left Ferrari at the end of 2014 for a lucrative contract with McLaren-Honda. While there's no disputing the material benefit associated with his move to Woking, rewards out on the race track have been non-existent. Former colleagues Nico Rosberg and Mark Webber feel sorry for the two-time world champion whose career has gone nowhere fast in the past three years. But unsurprisingly, Lauda feels no compassion for the Spaniard. Asked what advice he has for Alonso, the Mercedes non-executive offered a cold response. "Nothing at all," he said. "He's where he is because he wanted to make a lot of money at McLaren."
