Tag: mclaren-honda

Alonso to Decide on Future After September

Fernando Alonso remains tight lipped about his future plans in Formula 1 and says that he will decide on his future after the summer break around September or October.

The Spaniard has had to endure another torturous season of bad reliability at McLaren-Honda, something that has become synonymous with the team since Honda entered the sport in 2015.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix Alonso said that he will make his decision in September.

“We have to win. You know, if we are winning before September or something like that I will make a decision and I will stay,” said Alonso when he was asked what would keep him at McLaren.

Ahead of the Thursday press conference, McLaren Executive Director Zak Brown was quoted as saying that McLaren are nearing their limit with Honda and has expressed doubt if the partnership with the Japanese Automaker will continue.

After it was pointed out that McLaren dont, realistically, have a chance for wins this season and if he will leave McLaren if they do not produce a win, Alonso side-stepped the follow up question with his reply.

“You never know. You cannot be 100 per cent now in June about a decision for next year that I don’t even start to consider,” he said.

“What we all want is to win and, related to the answer before, what Zak commented yesterday and the Honda thing is probably what you will expect Zak to say. He wants to win; he wants to put McLaren again on a contender position for the championship.

“So, y’know, after three years we are not in that position. Things have to change, I guess, for the team. And the same with me. I want to win, and I joined this project because I wanted to be World Champion and we are not in that position.

“So, if you don’t see things changing and you are not in a competitive position, maybe you change projects. That’s the only think that I can say now, until I sit down with myself in September, October or whatever – after the summer as I always said, I cannot say 100 per cent about anything now.

“The best decision I will take after summer.”

From what Alonso has said it seems that he is on the end of his tether with McLaren-Honda and is seeking a drive with another team next year. His choices are somewhat limited in that respect with a possibility of an opening in Mercedes should they choose not to renew Valtteri Bottas’ contract for 2018.

McLaren will try everything they can to keep Alonso. Letting him take part in the Indy 500 was one of the ways. Next on the list is the World Endurance Championship.

June 9, 2017
Rosberg beats Ricciardo to Chinese GP pole, Hamilton last

Nico Rosberg resisted what seemed to be a mighty threat from Ferrari to claim the pole position in what turned out to be an action packed qualifying session ahead of the Chinese GP.

Kimi Raikkonen threatened to claim the pole with Rosberg trailing him after the initial Q3 runs but going too deep into the penultimate corner, and a perfect 1:35.402 lap from Rosberg handed the German the pole.

Team mate Lewis Hamilton, who already headed into qualifying with a five place grid drop for a gearbox change, will start from the back of the grid tomorrow.

Mercedes are still trying to fix the problem with Hamilton’s ERS but seem confident that they will be able to solve the problem in time for the race. Hamilton has won the last four Chinese grands prix – he’ll have to really earn his pounds tomorrow if he wants to make it five in a row.

Rosberg cruised his way through Q2 on Pirelli’s soft tyres, meaning that he will be starting the race on the soft compound rather than the super softs which are expected to only last only a few laps.

Ricciardo stormed through his final lap to start on the front row for Red Bull, finishing second – just over half a second down on Rosberg’s Chinese GP pole time.

Raikkonen managed to salvage third – the Finn very disappointed in his result after making the mistake into the penultimate corner.

After having his fans at the edges of their seats with the hopes that the Iceman would claim his first pole position since 2008, the disappointment was more than obvious.

Ferrari team mate Sebastian Vettel opted to go for only a single run in Q3 in a likely effort to save an extra set of tyres for the race but rand deep at the hairpin and finished only fourth.

Valtteri Bottas finished 5th for Williams with Daniil Kvyat, Sergio Perez and the Toro Rosso drivers behind him.

Nico Hulkenberg had made it through to the Top 10 Chinese GP pole shootout but could take no part in it after his front left tyre simply slipped off at a thankfully low speed during the final minutes of Q2 which brought out the second red flag of the session.

Interestingly there was no word of any investigation from the stewards into the incident.

Felipe Massa only just missed out on a slot in Q3 after being caught out by the red flag.

McLaren drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button also felt they had a chance of getting through before the red flag came out, with Alonso repeating a good few ARGH’s over his team radio after being told he wouldn’t be able to have a go at it. Button, just as frustrated responded with a, “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

The McLaren Honda team looks to have made some good progress. Both drivers never got to show their true pace but they will however have a free choice of tyres for the race start tomorrow which could help them make out the deficit suffered today.

Romain Grosjean was 14th for the Haas F1 team with Felipe Nasr behind him.

Renault drivers Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer finished 17th and 19th with Esteban Gutierrez splitting the pair in 18th place. Rio Haryanto finished in 20th place.

Pascal Wehrlein took part in only five minutes of Q1 after he lost control on a bump along the main straight and brought out the first red flag of the session. The delay lasted for 20 minutes as marshalls spent time drying wet patches of water.

Many fans took to Twitter to voice their frustration that such action was being taken for what really amounted to puddles considering the fact that these – the best drivers in the world – do have wet and intermediate tyres available. Wehrlein was running on slicks at the time.

Will Lewis Hamilton be able to fight his way through the pack and pose any sort of a threat up front tomorrow? One thing is for sure – this is definitely going to hurt his title prospects. Rosberg has the Chinese GP pole in his pocket, but not the race victory just yet … Perhaps the Ferrari team could unsettle things at the top a little further with both Raikkonen and Vettel hungry for a win. And, with Daniel Ricciardo in the mix up front, we could just be in for a proper cracker of a race tomorrow. Join us for live commentary, banter and opinions on Twitter @F1_Madness before, throughout, and after the Chinese GP.

Photo Credits: Screengrabs as broadcast by FOM

April 16, 2016
Ron Dennis says Alonso has matured enormously

McLaren boss Ron Dennis has praised Fernando Alonso’s maturity in the wake of McLaren’s rueful F1 2015 campaign, in which the team could manage only only ninth place in the Constructors’ Championship standings.

Dennis and Alonso had a famously hostile relationship in 2007 but managed to iron out their differences to reunite for the 2015 campaign. Honda also made a return as McLaren’s engine supplier and have failed miserably at building a competitive power unit.

Alonso only managed to score 11 points this past season but Ron Dennis has come out with nothing but praise for the Spanish driver’s mature approach throughout the season.

“Fernando is as hard-working as he is talented, be in no doubt of that,” he told the official F1 website.

“He’s matured enormously since he last drove for us, eight years ago, and he’s now one of the most complete drivers I’ve ever had the privilege of working with.

“He has what I often refer to as the four e’s that all racing drivers should aspire to cultivate: energy, enthusiasm, expertise and experience.”

Dennis also reiterated the fact that Alonso will remain with McLaren until at least the end of the 2017 F1 season.

“Fernando’s contract is of three years’ duration – no performance clauses, no nothing,” he said.

“He always knew that 2015 would be a learning year. He knows equally well that, together with Honda, we’ll make big improvements. So he joined us with open eyes.

“Together with the expertise and experience he’s cultivated over the past 15 years spent racing in Formula One, he still bristles with energy and enthusiasm.

“He’s had better years than 2015, obviously; but he knows that great years lie ahead of him, with McLaren-Honda.”

December 17, 2015
McLaren Yas Marina Preview Quotes

McLaren

Fernando Alonso

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend represents many things for us at McLaren-Honda: the end of a challenging season and a significant learning curve; the opportunity to collect as much information as possible and continue our learning; and the start of the winter period where we are all focussed on working incredibly hard on next year’s package, and seeing more progress and results from our efforts throughout this year.

“Yas Marina is always an exciting racetrack to drive on – it’s one of those circuits that changes its character all the way through the lap, which makes it a lot of fun for the drivers. The spectacle of a twilight race, and feeling the atmosphere change as the light fades during the sessions over the course of the weekend is pretty incredible. Abu Dhabi is a fantastic place to end the season and we are hoping to take what we can from the weekend and enjoy it as much as possible.

“After a few difficult weekends, we will of course be pushing hard to finish the year on a positive note, but the whole team knows the work we have to do over the winter, and there’s huge commitment from everyone already to start seeing results. Every session this weekend will be an opportunity to learn more and take that development into next year’s car, so as usual we will continue fighting as hard as we can to the end.”

Jenson Button

“It’s great to be heading back to Yas Marina, not least because of the excitement and buzz that the fans bring and the incredible setting Abu Dhabi provides for a racing venue, but also because it is the end of a long and challenging year for the whole team. Although we’ve had some difficult weekends over the past few races, the mood back at MTC is still very upbeat, and everyone is already working hard for next year.

“It’s testament to the strength of our team that we continue to come out fighting every race weekend, and Abu Dhabi will be exactly the same. Yas Marina is a tricky circuit with lots of different elements coming together: sweeping faster sections, two long back straights, and a slower-speed tight, twisty infield section at the end of the lap. It makes set-up a challenge and particularly for our package it’s not well suited, but we’re hopeful of a more positive performance there than we found at Interlagos.

“If we can push for some points in Abu Dhabi, it’ll definitely be a boost for the team to end the season, and will reward all the efforts from every single member of the team over the past year. We already have our heads firmly on the development push over winter, so anything positive we can take from this weekend will help us start our next chapter together with even more energy. Our motivation is as strong as ever.”

Eric Boullier, racing director, McLaren-Honda

“The last race of the season always offers an incredibly unique and exciting atmosphere. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the season that has passed, enjoy the last racing weekend of the year, and turn our attention to the new chapter to come.

“Yas Marina is a hugely impressive facility and a superb venue to go racing at, and its twilight backdrop is a fitting way to end the season. We’ll go there on the back of a challenging year, there’s no doubt about that, but with the determination to finish the season on a high and provide the ever-enthusiastic fans with a fantastic weekend of racing.

“Although it is the last race of the season, our development has not stopped, and we are still bringing new parts and design elements to the car for the final grand prix. Our development is constant and we place huge importance on learning at every opportunity. All of our efforts this weekend will be beneficial to next year’s car, and it’s essential that we maximise the final sessions of the year, not only to end the season on a high, but to use the invaluable information we can glean from them and channel it into tangible progress over the winter period.

“It’s important to thank each and every member of the McLaren-Honda team: those on the road, at the McLaren Technology Centre, in Sakura and in Milton Keynes, for their hard work, enthusiasm and dedication all year. Our energy and commitment will continue relentlessly over the winter, with our shared goal firmly in our minds: to win. Equally, thank you to our Partners, both longstanding and new, who understand our vision and the immense work going on behind the scenes to assure us of more positive results to come.

“Last but certainly not least, I’d like to express huge gratitude to our loyal fans, who have demonstrated unwavering support through challenging times, and share our optimism for a successful future ahead. We look forward to an exciting weekend against the stunning scenery of Yas Marina, and the start of an exciting next phase for McLaren-Honda.”

Yasuhisa Arai, Honda R&D senior managing officer – chief officer of motorsport

“So much has happened since McLaren-Honda’s new beginnings here in Abu Dhabi last year. We have come a long way since that first test, and although we have had a difficult and eventful season in 2015, the team is as united as ever.

“The amount of changes that have gone into both the car and the power units this year with such speed has been incredible. Both Woking and Sakura have been working tirelessly throughout the year, and together with the drivers, their bond has become stronger as the season progressed. I am thankful for all their hard work, and encouraged by their enthusiasm to improve further over the winter.

“Yas Marina Circuit is an entertaining event that is fitting for the final battle of the season. Our focus will be to end the season giving it our all, and to continue making improvements.”

November 26, 2015
Boullier calls Mercedes’ 2017 safety concerns ‘desperate’

We officially have the once-championship-team-but-now-backrunners McLaren and the current front-runners-by-a-huge-margin having a go at each other. Just in case F1 news needed a bit of spicing up.

McLaren’s Eric Boullier has accused Mercedes of trying to protect the massive performance advantage performance they have over the rest of the field by bringing up safety concerns over the proposed changes to the regulations before the 2017 Formula One season.

Of course, on the Mercedes side, they would say that McLaren are just desperate to catch up but at the moment it is Boullier calling Wolff desperate.

Radical rule changes are on the cards at the end of the 2016 that are set to see the cars between 5 and 6 seconds faster per lap. In order to acheive that, cars would need to be wider, as would their wings and tyres and the aero rules would also need some revamping.

Toto Wolff however is expressing concerns around the tyres saying that he’s not sure that they would cope under the increased downforce, particularly through corners.

Boullier of course completely disagrees and claims that Wolff is desperate to protect the Mercedes team’s advantage by ensuring that fewer changes take place.

“Not really,” Boullier replied when asked if he shared Wolff’s sentiment.

“I guess it is the usual game where you want to stop some changes – you just argue and go after the safety worries. But it is pretty desperate for Mercedes.”

The FIA has asked the teams and Pirelli to simulate the new rules in order to ascertain whether the new rules would in fact pose safety concerns.

November 15, 2015
Alonso gets 25 place grid penalty

Honda has been forced to make a 12th engine change for Fernando Alonso ahead of Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix. The Spaniard receives a 10-place penalty for his 12th engine, plus five places each for an 11th turbocharger and MGU-H, an eighth MGU-K.

Alonso’s McLaren-Honda 2015 F1 season woes continued in qualifying at the Interlagos circuit when his engineer ordered him to stop his car on his first flying lap after spotting an abnormal temperature warning.

Alonso pulled off the track and proceeded to sun himself in a deckchair while his car was being retrieved managing to crack a bit of a smile when he realised the cameras were taking full advantage. Twitter of course was having a field day with memes immediately hitting the timelines.

The team has not been able to identify the cause of the problem and for that reason decided to change the entire power unit – his third of the Brazilian GP weekend.

After not setting a qualifying time, Alonso would have started at the back of the grid anyway but nevertheless gets himself a 25 place grid penalty.

November 15, 2015
Button’s F1 Mexican GP grid penalty now 70 places

Jenson Button’s grid penalty is now a record breaking 70 places after further changes to his Honda engine after the Mexican GP qualifying.

The McLaren-Honda driver had already taken two 25 place grid penalty hits for fitting two new engines, turbochargers, MGU-H and MGU-K units this weekend before qualifying, but will now take an additional twenty place grid penalty for yet another turbocharger as well as new control electronics and yet another further MGU-H unit.

Button did not take part in the Mexican GP qualifying due to a signal system failure that led to a misfire during final practice, forcing Honda to revert back to the power unit used in FP1.

The extra penalty does not really make a difference since Button will have started at the back of the grid anyway and no in-race penalties applied anymore following a mid-season rule change.

Button will start twentieth and last on the grid alongside team mate Fernando Alonso at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

November 1, 2015
50-Place Grid Penalty for Button

McLaren’s Jenson Button will take a 50-place grid at the Mexican Grand Prix race on Sunday.

This is another strategic move from Honda to increase Button’s engine pool and to bring the updated Honda engine that was given to Fernando Alonso in Russia.

At the United States Grand Prix, Alonso slipped down the order to finish in 11th place after performance issues with his engine. An investigation by Honda revealed that it was a faulty injector that caused Alonso’s performance issues. Honda have now decided to roll out the updated engine to Button’s side of the garage.

Before Free Practice 2 on Friday, Button took on his 11th internal combustion engine (ICE), a 10th turbo charger, a 10th MGU-H and 9th MGU-K. He received a 1-place drop for the engine, and a 5-place drop for the turbo, MGU-H, and MGU-K.

After Free Practice 2 McLaren replaced the same components on Button’s car, incurring a further 25-place grid penalty.

Although Alonso is currently using the updated Honda Engine, the team decided to give him his 11th of the season, dropping him 10 places down the grid.

Alonso will incur a further grid drop after the team chose to replace his gearbox in the evening.

Elsewhere on the grid, the Manor F1 team received a 200 Euro fine for Alexander Rossi who was speeding in the pit lane.

Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg was given a reprimand for crossing the white line on pit entry during Free Practice 1

October 31, 2015
Mexico Grand Prix Preview Quotes – McLaren-Honda F1 Team

The McLaren-Honda F1 team preview the upcoming Formula One Grand Prix in Mexico.

Fernando Alonso – McLaren-Honda racing driver

“I really enjoyed the race in Austin and it was definitely one of the most exhilarating races for McLaren-Honda this year so far. It was a hard fight, but we didn’t give up. I hope we can repeat some of those battles in Mexico, but we’re expecting a tough fight on a circuit that on paper won’t suit our car.

“It’ll be interesting as we have no data from there so the conditions are unknown, which makes it pretty exciting. Going to a new Grand Prix at a venue that the current generation of F1 drivers hasn’t been to yet is going to be something special, especially as it already has a great reputation since the last time a race was held there.

“From what I’ve seen of the circuit, it looks like a great design with some interesting corners, and the combination of a high top speed and new asphalt will mean getting set-up right from the first possible moment will be very important to get the maximum downforce. It’s an exciting new chapter for Formula 1 and I’m looking forward to seeing where we are this weekend.”

Jenson Button – McLaren-Honda racing driver

“Austin was an exciting race and the mixed conditions meant McLaren-Honda were able to race on a more level playing field with our competitors until the track dried out towards the end. If the weather stays dry next weekend in Mexico, we know we’ll have a much more difficult grand prix on our hands, so we need to take the opportunity to gather as much data as we can and work on maximising our strategy for our car’s performance.

“The circuit itself looks really interesting – I remember as a kid watching some incredible battles there and the drivers hanging onto their cars around Peraltada, which looked mega, if a bit scary! It’s a shame that corner hasn’t been included in the new layout, but from what I’ve seen of the track and heard from others that have visited, it looks like it’ll be a fun challenge.

“The altitude is easily the highest we have to deal with at any Grand Prix on the calendar, so that in itself will be something new for all the teams to work with, and the fact this circuit has the second highest top speed after Monza will mean it won’t be easy for us. Saying that, having good balance and downforce in the car will be crucial so we’ll get stuck in with set-up and see how we fare on Friday morning. I’m really looking forward to going to a new Grand Prix venue and hopefully we can learn a lot this weekend and put on another good show.”

Eric Boullier, racing director, McLaren-Honda

“We go to Mexico on the back of securing some valuable points after a dramatic weekend in Austin, and the Mexican Grand Prix promises a whole new set of unknowns as we get to know a new circuit layout at an altitude of 2,200 metres. It’s certainly an exciting prospect for the thousands of fans we’ll get to see over the course of the weekend.

“This will be the first Mexican Grand Prix on the Formula One calendar since 1992, but many of our McLaren-Honda team members will remember at least one grand prix held there previously, and those who don’t will surely have heard about the circuit’s great legacy. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez holds special memories for both McLaren and Honda: Richie Ginther took Honda’s first-ever Formula One win there in 1965; Denny Hulme won for McLaren in 1969, and together McLaren-Honda dominated the Mexican Grand Prix in both 1988 and ’89, at the hands of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna respectively.

“Although we have enjoyed past successes in Mexico, the 23-year break makes it feel like a new Grand Prix location, which always makes for a special weekend and a unique atmosphere as the form book is an exciting unknown. The characteristics of this track are definitely challenging, and it’s important that we get on top of set-up and tyre wear on the new asphalt as soon as possible. There’s a lot for all the teams to learn in a relatively short period of time, but, as a racer, I’m really looking forward to seeing how the weekend unfolds and hope that we see some great racing on this legendary circuit.”

Yasuhisa Arai, Honda R&D senior managing officer – chief officer of motorsport

“It is an honour to be back racing at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the track where Honda won its first F1 Grand Prix in 1965 with Richie Ginther behind the wheel.

“F1 technology, the circuit and Honda have all changed significantly since then, and this weekend’s race will be a big challenge for all of the teams in the paddock. The track layout is new and we will all be working with newly acquired data gained from the free practice sessions. Plus, the turbocharger must work harder to maintain its usual output due to the increase in altitude, to push more air to the engine. Energy management will also be difficult, as the track consists of long straights and tight corners.

“As weather predictions go, the rain will be following us from Austin to Mexico City, so we will have to efficiently use the no-doubt limited running times to our advantage in car set-up. McLaren-Honda will work as one to balance both the power unit and chassis performance to its maximum potential to be ready for the race.”

Photo Credits: McLaren-Honda Preview Quotes Photos Credited to McLaren-Honda.

October 29, 2015
Video: Ron Dennis Talks About Alonso, Honda and Button

Watch this interview of Ron Dennis talking about Fernando Alonso’s radio outbursts at the Japanese Grand Prix, developments at McLaren Honda and how he inadvertently confirms Jenson Button for the 2016 season

September 27, 2015