Insider 0 Report post Posted July 10, 2016 Massive resources, the whole of 2014 to do the homework, 2015 was an entire season live 'testing', 10 races in to 2016 and fighting with the midfield in the wet is considered progress? Please. We are talking about two highly successful companies here. No wonder JB is weighing up the options. 2017 will be another season 'testing' though there may be some percieved parity but you can bet your life Merc, Ferrari and RBR will still be in the top spots and it will be the same old, same old. I just don't see it. Honda just don't get it. It's no way for Vandoorne to get started either but he probably will. They will need Jenson's cool head but they definitely won't get it. he's done his bit. Bottas appears to have lost his mojo and the strategy is all over the place at Grove. They need a strong team leader and Button is that man. A few podiums will make him smile and it's more than possible with the right momentum back at Williams. Honda won't bring in the expertise they need an no one else in the pit lane wants their puny PU. That's it in a nutshell - it's over before it began and Ron needs to extract the team from further ridicule say I. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
radical-one 0 Report post Posted July 11, 2016 I think McLaren is better or getting better. I would not count them out. It may take few more races but they are on the right track. Button moving to Williams won't make much difference for both sides. Williams needs a younger diver and Button is better off with McLaren for the rest of his career. In GB last weekend, I would say that McLaren pace was better than Williams apart from Alonso's error/spinning. I wouldn't be surprised if McLaren would push down Williams further into the pecking order by late in the season. If I was JB, I would ride it out with McLaren. Keep the rest of his career simple and less complicated by saving time getting used to another team. Although he started in Williams, a lot has changed over the years and he can't expect the same setup, engineers being there with the same work ethics as before. Rob Smedly for one has different style. Besides, I can't see Williams being able to pay a lot more than McLaren. Why bother? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Insider 0 Report post Posted July 11, 2016 1 hour ago, radical-one said: I think McLaren is better or getting better. I would not count them out. It may take few more races but they are on the right track. Button moving to Williams won't make much difference for both sides. Williams needs a younger diver and Button is better off with McLaren for the rest of his career. In GB last weekend, I would say that McLaren pace was better than Williams apart from Alonso's error/spinning. I wouldn't be surprised if McLaren would push down Williams further into the pecking order by late in the season. If I was JB, I would ride it out with McLaren. Keep the rest of his career simple and less complicated by saving time getting used to another team. Although he started in Williams, a lot has changed over the years and he can't expect the same setup, engineers being there with the same work ethics as before. Rob Smedly for one has different style. Besides, I can't see Williams being able to pay a lot more than McLaren. Why bother? I'm taking about 2017 which will be a different ball game. I just don't think Honda can get a powerful 1.6L unit together. They have had ample time. There is so much pressure coming from Vandoorne at McLaren and Jenson needs a ride and loves a challenge. He'll have to take a large pay cut but then he just wants to race competitively. Things have gone backwards at Grove since Smedley started running the wall. Great engineer but...... They have the wherewithal, they just need a new catalyst. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
radical-one 0 Report post Posted July 11, 2016 Yes I agree with you too. I for one though wouldn't count Honda for 2017. Even Merc took awhile to get to where they are not to mention Renault being on top for 4 years then way down for a year or so. It's only now again that they / RB are getting their form back. McLaren IMO can still offer better rest-of-career for Jenson. Paycut also may be the last thing Jenson need before retiring. If any, I would want more money before I end my career. Alonso from what I gathered before is another character. He is an excellent driver but not a good development pusher. Look what happened with Ferrari ? They were stagnant when Alonso was there compared with Schumi not tomention how Schumi developed Merc that it is now. Williams, i think Smedly should go and Massa may / can go to Renault. Just my opinion anyways. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
radical-one 0 Report post Posted July 11, 2016 McLaren-Honda to fight Mercedes in 2017 F1 – Alonso Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmcee 0 Report post Posted July 11, 2016 Mclaren need to throw away there magic 8 ball as its clearly not working, still waiting for the podiums there supposed to be getting now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
radical-one 0 Report post Posted July 12, 2016 But Alonso was the second fastest lap next to Nico last week. McLaren is not doing so bad now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Insider 0 Report post Posted July 12, 2016 One fast lap doesn't get you on the podium. FA also finished behind Jens. I find it odd that JB was 5-8/10ths off Nando all weekend. There isn't that much between them usually. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
radical-one 0 Report post Posted July 12, 2016 Yes it does not get you to podium but it surely is an improvement for McLaren would you agree? On the time difference, Alonso is either really special or Button is washed out. You know there's also a possibility that Alonso goes to Ferrari and Button getting axed and not being picked up by Williams. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
radical-one 0 Report post Posted July 12, 2016 I still expect Alonso/McLaren show better pace in the next couple of races. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmcee 0 Report post Posted July 12, 2016 If there chassis is as good as they make out, they'll be competitive in Hungary, well should be. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
radical-one 0 Report post Posted July 12, 2016 Yes. I'm anxious to see McLaren get from lower mid-field to fighting for podiums again. I do believe that Alonso and Button are both capable if they have the correct balanced car. Would be fun to watch F1 if there's 3-4 top teams in almost the same level and podiums is down to driver's performance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmcee 0 Report post Posted July 12, 2016 Like it used to be when you had Williams,Ferrari,Benetton,Jordan and even Sauber at one point, all able to fight for wins week in and week out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
radical-one 0 Report post Posted July 13, 2016 and now this.... Alonso 1.5s clear on Tuesday morning at Silverstone By Chris Medland, 12/07/2016 at 12:39 News, Tests 2 comments 3 © XPB Images Fernando Alonso was over 1.5s clear of the rest of the field on the opening morning of the Silverstone in-season test on Tuesday. The McLaren driver set the pace in the opening three and a half hours of running, posting a time of 1:31.290. Alonso's time - set on the supersoft tyre - was nearly half a second quicker than his best lap from qualifying on Saturday, which was a 1:31.740 set in Q2. Alonso enjoyed a clear advantage over the rest of the field for the majority of the session, with Esteban Ocon second fastest for Mercedes but 1.543s slower than the McLaren. Ocon was driving the W07 for the first time and enjoyed a very productive morning, completing 80 laps. Third fastest was Alex Lynn in the Williams, but the Briton was 1.6s slower than Ocon and more than three seconds adrift of the fastest time. Lynn - who had a difficult weekend in GP2 at Silverstone - posted a best time of 1:34.433 as he completed all of his running on the medium tyre. Ferrari struggled for track time during the morning session, with GP3 championship Charles Leclerc completing only 17 laps. More than half of those came in the final half hour of the session and saw Leclerc set the fourth fastest time, 0.017s slower than Lynn and over 3.2s off Alonso's benchmark. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
radical-one 0 Report post Posted July 13, 2016 17 hours ago, Emmcee said: Like it used to be when you had Williams,Ferrari,Benetton,Jordan and even Sauber at one point, all able to fight for wins week in and week out. Wasn't that what we want to see again? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
radical-one 0 Report post Posted July 13, 2016 1 hour ago, Emmcee said: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spiral.out 0 Report post Posted July 13, 2016 Im pretty sure Honda already said they are releasing a completely re-designed engine next year. Or did they say that last year for this yeah? Im confucious. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmcee 0 Report post Posted July 13, 2016 Iam not sure but anyway, g'day mate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sakae 0 Report post Posted July 13, 2016 2 hours ago, spiral.out said: Im pretty sure Honda already said they are releasing a completely re-designed engine next year. Or did they say that last year for this yeah? Im confucious. It is planned for next year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmcee 0 Report post Posted July 13, 2016 Does anyone know if the engine token system is being scrapped next? If it is, why not use them all now? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sakae 0 Report post Posted July 13, 2016 Token system was supposed to be scrapped next year, however I am right now not certain whether the change was ratified, and what is the final text saying. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emmcee 0 Report post Posted July 13, 2016 Guess then it's business as usual until some clarification. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
radical-one 0 Report post Posted July 19, 2016 I have a feeling that McLaren will up their game from Hungary. Just a hunch... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sakae 0 Report post Posted July 21, 2016 7000 hand made components? No wonder PU is so expensive. Alonso, from natural modesty, forgot to tell us what he did... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites