In three years Honda has not really even come close to Renault, but somehow you know that next year Renault won't be better? LMAO.
And the denial: Fernando Alonso: I haven't given any ultimatum to the team: Alonso: 'There is no ultimatum - I'm not bigger than the team' Rgds
I think Fred should try that seat at Force India. They should get rid of that liability Perez, and with Fred, it could turn them into the 3rd best team easily.
I think Fred should try fishing...it's a bit embarassing claiming he is so good when in fact..nobody wants him....
Teams do no not need an Alonso ,to drive like an animal etc etc, its all about he car, anyone in the top 10 can drive a Merc or Ferrari to a win/podium. He had his chance,and bridges, too bad....
Agree, Perez is a very good driver, and a very solid one too..unfortunatly, the fear that Ocon becomes faster than him is making him make some judgement errors...
Well, actually Vandoorne and Alonso have just made the 7th and 8th times at the second free practice in Monza, a place where you need some engine to score a good lap... Would it be possible that there could be a faint glimmer of light at the end of that looooooooooong tunnel? Rgds
NO power, no power..gp2 engine...i'm a siting duck!! hope to listen all of this on sunday from my favourite driver! no, not Kimi, and not Seb....
That was said with tongue well in cheek... But with a slight tinge of hope as well; it would be decent to see a Honda engine performing correctly. The comedy has lasted enough... Rgds
To me, it's rather like this: "It would be decent to see a McLaren performing correctly. " I have lost hope that Honda will finally deliver a competitive engine during this formula. They are in their 4th year of trying, and it still doesn't look good.
Well you are wrong. Honda is not an engine supplier They are a SPONSOR giving them free engines and cash to pay for Alonso. This is not "just an engine deal". It's a long term agreement between Honda and McLaren. It's not just like "dumping" Honda and putting in a Renault. IMO, it's stupid to take Alonso over all Honda gives them. Alonso is a great driver. He's also NOT a team player and he's not loyal. If anyone but Momma Zak Brown were running this outfit Alonso would have been reprimanded for stopping on the race course TWICE with a perfectly running car because he was embarrassed to be passed.
Honda is like a poisoned chalice; it may come free, but you die from it! I have great reservation about McLaren climbing back from the doldrums after the "Honda experience".
McLaren will never make up the money and free stuff they get from Honda by dumping them and going with Renault, the 3rd string engine supplier.
Well, some insiders say that in fact McLaren has lost more sponsorship support and precious funding over the last 3 years than what Honda has paid them during that period. I cannot verify that. Also, falling at the bottom of the constructors ranking has seen its share of the redistribution fees shrink considerably. Granted, the Renault engine is not the best, but it has allowed Red Bull to score a few victories in the last 3 years, so one can imagine that it would also have given McLaren some fighting chance to be regularly scoring points, get the occasional podium and maybe ... a win. In contrast, the Honda period has been bare of success. I really cannot understand how anyone can have any faith in Honda.
McLaren brought in Zak Brown because he was supposed to be "Mr. Money Machine" with getting sponsorship deals. How did that work out for them? If McLaren goes back to Renault they are for sure getting the 3rd best engine on the grid while RB -- and we all know how good they can make a car -- will have the same engine they have. If the Honda can at least get on par with Renault as far as reliability, then McLaren can be a good mid pack team and use the money to invest in the future or for better drivers. And at least Honda will try to improve. I don't see any incentive for Renault to try to beat the Mercedes or Ferrari engine because they are happy to just be there. And, I'd bet dollars to donuts the "grid penalty" rule is tossed out next year. So Honda can change 5 engines a weekend of they want. It makes no sense to me why they are so keen to keep Alonso over their own sponsor with the dream that if they actually do improve, they will make up the money with some unknown benefactor out there just itching to throw money at "mid pack" McLaren Renault.
Zak Brown must find it an uphill struggle to get sponsorship because the partnership with the failed Honda engine doesn't inspire confidence to invest in that team! But McLaren must stop being a Honda-assisted team, and find a solution to its lack of performance. I don't think Renault is happy to be where they are, but they just retook ownership of the team and need to rebuild it. One thing is sure: Carlos Goshn isn't interested in F1, and if the team languishes for too long at the back of the field, he will put a stop to that and close it! So I guess there is much pressure to improve at Enstone and Viry Chatillon. I expect progress on all front at Renault; the team is very short of technical staff, we are told. If there is no tangible performance by 2020, Goshn will pull the plug; he is an industrialist, not a racing fan. If Honda improves, which I doubt, Renault will still stay ahead of the Japanese, because they are not so far back anyway. Adopting a Renault engine, supposing it was possible, would allow McLaren to become a mid-field team at least until the end of this formula. What happens in 2021, nobody knows, but the F1 map may change. McLaren has to survive until then. Some teams will leave, others be sold, new engine suppliers may arrive, other go. Mercedes may have achieve their goal and leave, for example.
