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Honda motorsport boss Yasuhisa Arai has claimed that it is unfair the engine maker is receiving all criticism and has rebuked doubts that the Japanese firm could make enough of a step forward over the next winter to become competitive.
By the reflections on the car it looks it is not on the pitsCBeck113 wrote:He's waiting to be brought back to the pits
brzt wrote:does this look more orange than red to you?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-CcbrxIcAAoBsU.jpg:large
Spun in T2 or is it just staged in T2?mikeerfol wrote:He's also facing the wrong way I believe
Sounds more logical to me. And more people will go on Friday if Alonso is there.Redragon wrote:Change on drivers line for the tests
Button - Thur
Alo - Fri
Button - Sat
Alo - Sun
#aerogollumturbof1 wrote: YOU SHALL NOT......STALLLLL!!!
I wonder what language he is going to use on the radio now....Thunders wrote:This is from todays testing. Is that Andrea Stella on the right?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-NSK0EIAAAxHzW.jpg
What are your feelings at the end of the day?
"Obviously we've had a better day today. We have given several rounds and we started filming at nine o'clock and we finished at 17:45, which is good news at last. We were able to prove finally some potential car, spinning, check many systems we could not do before, so every lap we learn things every turn we discover new things, so we are at a very early stage of development of the car, but definitely interesting very challenging for all of us, because it is a completely new project, everyone in the team is very excited about the collaboration between McLaren and Honda again, and was a nice day for me. Piloting the car, squeeze some of the potential . Obviously we still have some limitations on the engine, maximum power and others, but the car is definitely better than Jerez note and, as I said, every time we stopped filming and had some tweaks to the brake balance to do small improvements in the gearbox, some temperatures were too high, or too low, so every round is a learning process. I think we're enjoying this, but obviously we are halfway through the test, we made six days and we are six, and we need to make some progress, because we are happy with today, but even with that we know that we have made 60 laps, the lowest number of all computers today, so we have a long way to go but we've definitely made progress. "
How do you feel the car?
"The feeling is good. Obviously, it is too early to say, because I have no comparison with anyone under the same conditions, but ... today I noticed well the car, everything went as expected, all the changes we have made in the car were . Obviously we expected were many aerodynamic data to make, because almost everything we miss Jerez test, so for us it again as the first test but I've noticed well;. of course, last year we did 1'27 "1 in qualifying for the Grand Prix and today I made 1'25" 9 so if you were alone say it all very well, I am very fast. There are many teams that are now faster than us, but driving is good, so that's positive. "
Compared to last year, from the first moment he knew he did not have a very competitive car, how do you see the car this year? Have an idea?
"I do not know, hard to say. Last year, the winter was very strange for us all. Red Bull gave ten laps around the winter, had many problems, Mercedes was on another planet ... so I think it is difficult to compare both winters, but I'm happy, excited with this project. Last week I went to Japan, I saw again all the excitement about the return of Honda Formula 1. I saw the facilities, resources ... do not know how long it will take to win but definitely win sooner or later, because we have the ingredients to do it. "
With such a complicated preseason, do you start the season well?
"Like Red Bull last year.'ll Get to Australia hoping it would have been in June or July, but it is not, is in March and I do not know if we will fully ready, but what I am sure of is that we arrive at best conditions we can, because everyone in the team is working day and night to achieve it. We bring pieces each day of testing, today we have brought new parts to reinforce other after the problems we've had, tomorrow come over. Everybody in the team is very professional and are determined to do the best we can. As I said, there are only 20 days to Australia, we will see how prepared we arrived, but I'm pleased with the progress we are making. "
Have you been surprised by the jump from Jerez here?
"Somehow hoped that progress, because there are only six days of testing from here to Australia, so it's time we play our cards and do laps and learn the car. That was the goal. Yes, when Jenson had yesterday the problem and we had another difficult day, we were a little more pessimistic, but today we finally have demonstrated to us all, the team, the boys, factories in England and Japan are going in the right direction. The potential of the car is there, with limitations or not, the car note well, fast noticeable, so we will slowly sorting out some of the problems we have every lap we learn some things, solve, leave other problems, solve them. ... These are the normal things that went through last year, our opponents have a year of experience, 20 Grands Prix experience. We do not have that and we have to do faster than last year. "
A prediction about how competitive they are in Australia?
"Hard to know, because we have many references. Yesterday we took 30 laps only, now 60, also not be sufficient to Australia, and we are in the middle of the test, so it would be unfair to make a prediction of where we'll be in Australia. What is clear is that progress is visible and I'm happy with how things are going. Surely, if we had started at a higher level would be even better, but it is what it is, the complexity of systems today is what takes you, to have winters with unreliability and many problems, but hey, the team is reacting as quickly as possible. Every day tried all possible solutions and are working. These last six days and preparations for Australia's will do best we can. If that going to be enough to be competitive there or not, would launch a campaign on the fly and say something that I'm not sure, but hey, happy ".
Yesterday they broke something that would spare no tomorrow, how it has affected them at work today?
"It was a different piece, but we had some limitation to not be broken or not to force too. Therefore, returns today are 90% of the potential of the car, trying to complete a number of higher returns, and from Tomorrow we have new problems to improve yesterday Jenson parts, and gradually go to 95%, at 97, 99 and 100% hopefully soon ".
Have you found any car on the track with which to compare something minimally?
"None, none. Daba batches of four laps and not come across a lot of people".
Are there any features of the car that you prefer or do not particularly like?
"No, I have not many demands".
Do you get the same understeer that oversteer?
"Yup".
Can you adapt the car?
"Yup".
He was going to shoot tomorrow, why it has been better shooting today?
"He asked me the computer, if not mind rolling Friday instead of Saturday to take on Saturday in the middle. The main reason was that in this test came Andrea Stella, my engineer Ferrari, and well, taking Saturday the middle, tomorrow we have all day to discuss all laps today in detail and think everything more calm. When two days in a row, wheels if you just tonight morning there are some things that escape you. Let's make a program much more detailed if we have every Saturday to work quietly. "
Could they have been round? And compared with other years, how does it feel?
"Yes, yes certainly more laps, especially in the afternoon we had some problems over and had to stop or remove some runs we had planned, but in the morning it is true that all went smoothly. We made batches of four laps because we had many things try, and if you do ten laps you have hours to try them all, but we had no major problems. And then, how do I feel? Very, very happy. The truth is I'm happy with everything, the project being in a partnership as successful as McLaren-Honda, having shot with MP4-4 Senna last week, a car that had posters in the room and had a kart that was a replica of it, because last week I was rolling in it. And I have no worries. I know we have many problems of youth, we have many things to improve and put in place, but if I want to win a world championship, think with your eyes closed you would have to be here . Do not know if I take a year, two, three or five, but I'm happy. "
You have highlighted the quality of the car jump between Jerez and Barcelona this first test. Do you expect something similar between this week and next?
"No, I will always be a curve similar learning what we saw Jerez to Barcelona.'ll Go resolving glitches here and there in the last test. I think the biggest jump is Barcelona II to Australia, is where we test to run ... "
"Tomorrow will be Jenson Button who take over the wheel of the McLaren, and also talk to the press, while Alonso will finish off the job on Sunday. The team has yet to announce the driver lineup for the second and final week of testing in Montmelo ".