Everything in F1 goes in cycles, it always has, just look at the history. McLaren will be back, someday, probably sans Honda, but they will be back. We may all be dead by then, but they will be back...
I don't think we will have to wait that long... Do you think Mercedes will still have a team in 10 or 15 years time? I don't think so. They will collect a few championships on the trot like RB did, and then leave as car manufacturers do.
It could be more than $20 Million (From: McLaren feeling the pain on and off the track - Formula 1 - Eurosport British ) : " Formula One's revenues are paid on a sliding scale, although McLaren also get extra in recognition of their importance to the sport. They are currently ninth and, if the situation stays that way, some estimates have suggested they could be in line for $50 million less than last season, when they finished fifth. "
Yeah our view of the numbers is quite nebulous. Even if it was just a $20M swing, that's still a ton of money to a team/company like McLaren. $50M is comparatively huge. Remember they are not backed by a multibillion dollar company like Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Toyota, etc. that can just keep dumping money on the table. Most of these teams don't have an open checkbook. McLaren has bled a lot of talent to Red Bull and Merc in recent years because of this.
McLaren had no "major sponsor" all last year (like Vodaphone which they had the past) and doesn't still today. You can't keep running at the back of the pack and go out and get top notch sponsors to sign up. No one wants to go to a VIP tent and see your cars miss first qualification.
82 if i'm not mistaken.....Mclaren can enter on a spiral like williams, without results, you get less revenue from f.1 prizes, with less money you tend to slip down the pecking order and the further you are (unless you're Ferrari) the harder it get's to get sponsorship....ant it goes on and on, it can be difficult to get out of that hole....
Last time I checked (which is never, actually), but I'm pretty sure Honda is a multi-billion dollar company. Honda is McLaren's unofficial title sponsor. Honda is paying for Alonso. Honda is probably subsidizing Button's salary. Honda is likely providing their PU support pro-bono (for now). McLaren are probably only supporting 1/3 to 1/2 of the team's burden. They can survive on a $20-50 million dollar pay-cut, since Honda has their back, albeit for how much longer we do not know.
Yes, their estimates. Just like my estimates... Because Honda is backing this whole fiasco, McLaren really don't have to earn a dime. Honda is backed-into a corner for now. They have to keep the ship afloat, but for how long we do not know...
Honda is failing in every motorsport this year, which means they have to pour money all over the shop. Sooner or later F1's money will finish as well without results, just like it did in 2009. Better yet Honda is now a McLaren competitor in the automotive with the new NSX and in modern F1 when things go wrong is the engine's fault, when otherwise, is the chassis' virtue. Whatever the results, in a couple of years I can see Honda in the same position Renault is in now, leaving or going alone. Either way McLaren is fuxed.
I think, it was a huge mistake for Ron to go back to Honda. Their last fray in F1 was nothing, but a failure. I never understood why he went back to Honda. Instead, i think he should have maintained Merc power. All the other Merc power teams, are just average, such as Williams and Lotus. Which means, the car and chassis itself needed more attention. He should have been less arrogant, got some average sponsors, maintained with Merc, and get the team to develop the chassis and car better. Instead of fighting at the back, they might be challenging for decent podium finishes. Look what Fred can do with a crappy Ferrari. Now imagine what he can do for a Williams like car.
You are right about that. I expected them to walk to another MotoGP title this year. Instead they have gone backwards and are regularly beatten by Yamaha and even Ducati sometimes, Honda has probably the fastest rider in the field: Marc Marquez. Instead of scoring, Marquez keeps falling over because of poor handling and lately went back to last year's frame! What's going on at Honda?
I don't think McLaren could continue with Mercedes after their split. It's like asking a newly divorced couple to still share the same bed. It's unlikely... Going with Honda was maybe a gamble, but on the strength of their former association, it must have looked attractive. Also, how do you know something isn't going to work before trying it?
I think Honda going back to the old frame has helped them in MotoGP. Marquez had a great finish at the last race, which came down to a battle at the last chicane against Rossi. We'll see how they do in the next races.
I can't recall anyone last year saying that honda were a bs partner choice for McLaren. How things change... Shame really. We need more teams challenging at the front. Let's be clear, McLaren are not at risk of leaving F1. Like Ferrari, they are locked in long term. The losers in this will be Honda alone.
You are right, McLaren is part of F1, like Ferrari. I cannot see a Caterham or HRT scenario at McLaren. But McLaren may face years in the wilderness if they cannot quickly manage a spectacular U-turn from their present form. After several unsuccessful years, a team cannot attract big sponsors and receives less from FOM. It stops attracting top drivers or enginees. So, being at the back has not only a detrimental financial effect, but wider repercusions too. The same happened to Williams, after years being at the top, and they are not out of the wood yet although they are more credible than 10 years ago.
Well my friend, as I mentioned, Honda was only successful in the late 80s. 2004 and 2006 were another two good years that yielded only one victory. Not really a good record then huh..
Historic performance is really not relevant. What counts is resources and how they are applied in the present. Refer to Merc for the best example of this in recent times. Unfortunately, the issue doesn't appear to be the philosophy behind the Honda PU, but the way Honda itself operates culturally. For instance, they do not like to bring in external experts as they believe in developing skills from within. Without question that limits the pace at which they can address their technical issues...
I have already mentioned the culture at Honda, and the fact that they enter F1 with different goals than most European carmakers. I think that in the long run they are right to solve their problems internally, rather than adopting the Western approach of recruiting consultants. That makes their engineering team stronger, instead of relying on outside assistance.
Since these new F1 cars are referred to as Hybrids by the FIA and FOM, in order to hype their relevance, why is Toyota not involved in F1? The Prius certainly is the most successful hybrid ever. One would think that; 1) Toyota might have a leg up due to their extensive experience with hybrids, and 2) What members of the car buying public should be more excited about seeing hybrid race cars than Prius owners? Could it just be that there is very, very little relevance between F1 hybrids and road cars? And, is it just possible that seeing hybrid cars race is not very appealing to that segment of the population to whom hybrid road cars are attractive?
I think you hit the nail on the head there. First, there are lots of differences between hybrid racing and road cars. Second, people with fuel emission concerns are unlikely to be F1 fan. I reached that conclusion by listening to my "ecologically minded" entourage which considers motor racing almost anti-social.
