Mclaren Honda 2015

[Vasconia]

I saw progress for McLaren in that race. They weren't getting overtaken as easy as in past races.

I'm still pessimistic about McLaren Honda ever getting close to winning a championship though.

I think that Button being overtaken by almost two cars at the same time, would disagree with you.

[Vasconia]

I dont support Alonso´s comments and its something I have always disliked about him. But what he was is true and Honda should be more than embarrased. I dond trust Arai and I would like to see him out, because he is changes things every week. A few weeks ago they were going to improve a lot, they had a better PU than Renault. Now he says that engine looses 160 in the straights, COME ON!.

[proteus]

I saw progress for McLaren in that race. They weren't getting overtaken as easy as in past races.

I'm still pessimistic about McLaren Honda ever getting close to winning a championship though.

I think that Button being overtaken by almost two cars at the same time, would disagree with you.

Being overtaken by two cars is no problem if they have DRS deployed. If this stupidity would be banned, Mclaren would score more points this year...How many times they were faster in corners and then beaten with a shovel on the straights. The car itself is slower arround 10 - 15 kmh at best, now put the DRS idiocracy with it and the car is down for more than 30-40 kmh...

[proteus]

Only totaly useless driver would cockup this kind of speed advantage.

[Andres125sx]

I dont support Alonso´s comments and its something I have always disliked about him. But what he was is true and Honda should be more than embarrased. I dond trust Arai and I would like to see him out, because he is changes things every week. A few weeks ago they were going to improve a lot, they had a better PU than Renault. Now he says that engine looses 160 in the straights, COME ON!.

Actually, both statements are correct, or at least could be correct at same time.

When he said Honda PU is more powerful than Renault, he´s talking about the ICE as the electric part is rule limited to 160hp, same for all, so any difference in peak power is due to the ICE.


Problem with current PUs is peak power is not the most important factor, as the 160hp of the electrical part are not used constantly, only when you´ve harvested enough energy to use it. This means Honda ICE can be more powerful than Renault, let say 30hp more powerful, but then the electrical part (mgu-k) can only be used for some seconds, wich means the rest of the lap you´re down 160hp. Even if your ICE is more powerful, that´s useless if you´re 160hp down for a good part of the lap.

Supposedly, the problem with Honda PU is mgu-h, the motor generator unit installed in the exhaust to harvest from the exhaust gases, wich cannot harvest enough energy to feed the mgu-k wich, apart from being another generator (for braking), is the electric motor providing the extra 160hp to the wheels (crankshaft)

[McG]

Yeah but it was DRS and slipstream assisted and at the end of the straight rather than in the middle of the straight

They just seemed a bit better this race. Maybe coz the straights aren't as long as Spa and Monza. Flattered McLaren a bit.

Anyway, I left the race half way through, couldn't stand to see McLaren doing so badly. Watched the rest of the race when I was in a better mood

I saw progress for McLaren in that race. They weren't getting overtaken as easy as in past races.

I'm still pessimistic about McLaren Honda ever getting close to winning a championship though.

I think that Button being overtaken by almost two cars at the same time, would disagree with you.

[GoranF1]

Honestly,Alonso was way to mild on Honda in that team radio.

[PlatinumZealot]

I tend to agree with you, Phil, on the allegedly 'heat of the moment' nature of the comments. I'm willing to bet that the whole thing was a strategy to embarrass Honda in front of their president, fans and country so that they'll be forced to put more resources into the project and speed things up. I am pretty sure no engineer from Honda is going to feel less motivated because of Alonso's comments, quite the contrary. Don't forget that any F1 team is a highly politicized machine, especially one formed of two huge entities like Honda and Mclaren, it's not like the former put all their money and resources into the project, so a PR disaster like this could trigger good things as well.

Time is running out for Alonso, as I said a few days ago, and he is hugely competitive, so he's trying to do anything he can to make his situation better. In the end, people are complaining that drivers are PR machines and then complaining when they speak their mind? At least it shows that he really wants to win, no matter who he might upset in the process. Also, he's constantly praising the efforts of the people working in Mclaren-Honda, it's not like he doesn't appreciate the effort, but Mercedes put in much more money and resources than Honda and he probably saw this as the only way at his disposal to force a huge corporation like Honda into a change. Vettel is like that, Hamilton is like that, Schuey was like that when he was racing. Ferrari wanted Alonso for 2015, they've said that a number of times, I really don't buy the "He is difficult to work with" myth. As for team options in 2015, that's true for any driver out there. If Hamilton would be free of contract starting tomorrow, which team would take him on?

I have a theory that Ron Dennis told Alonso to say it for him...

[PlatinumZealot]

I dont support Alonso´s comments and its something I have always disliked about him. But what he was is true and Honda should be more than embarrased. I dond trust Arai and I would like to see him out, because he is changes things every week. A few weeks ago they were going to improve a lot, they had a better PU than Renault. Now he says that engine looses 160 in the straights, COME ON!.

English is not his first language. Of course he is gonna say some shizzle.

[Andres125sx]

I have a theory that Ron Dennis told Alonso to say it for him...

I´ve also considered this posibility myself. Alonso had always been supporting the team and project until now, despite some disastreous results including retiring in 5 of his first 7 races because of reliability problems.

And suddenly he say something like that, exactly in Honda´s house?

I´ve never bought coincidences, specially in F1. This can´t be a coincidence. It looks like strategy from McLaren side who has always been trying to push Honda to be faster on his developments because they always try to test everything too much (for McLaren pov).

[turbof1]

Guys, please let's not go into conspiracy theories! Many of you forget sometimes that sport is also emotion. Alonso simply blabbed that out in the heat of the moment. At the post race interviews, he realised what he said and decided to stick to it.

Not everything is done for a rational reasons. Humans aren't robots, as much as we want them to be sometimes.

[Andres125sx]

No conspiracy theory Turbo, just politics. Or you think politcs don´t play a role into F1?

[Vasconia]

I dont support Alonso´s comments and its something I have always disliked about him. But what he was is true and Honda should be more than embarrased. I dond trust Arai and I would like to see him out, because he is changes things every week. A few weeks ago they were going to improve a lot, they had a better PU than Renault. Now he says that engine looses 160 in the straights, COME ON!.

English is not his first language. Of course he is gonna say some shizzle.

This is not an excuse, its about giving details about whats wrong with their PU. My English is far from being good but I cant understand how someone can say that their engine is better than Renault and not far from Ferrari, and only a some days after say that their lack of power is around 160. If he is not able of giving some basic details in English he should use a translator.

[Vasconia]

Guys, please let's not go into conspiracy theories! Many of you forget sometimes that sport is also emotion. Alonso simply blabbed that out in the heat of the moment. At the post race interviews, he realised what he said and decided to stick to it.

Not everything is done for a rational reasons. Humans aren't robots, as much as we want them to be sometimes.

With Alonso you never know. Of course he has a strong character and sometimes he says things without thinking too much but sometimes also he seems to choose carefully when he say something which can be considered controversial.

[Thunder]

Re the Translator for Mr. Arai. It's been up here for discussion a few Times, but it seems it's a cultural thing.

This is what Wazari said on that Topic in the MP4-30 Thread:

Bringing in a translator, especially at public events is somewhat frowned upon by most Japanese companies. It's really a difficult thing to explain but mostly cultural. They almost rather have others mistranslate things rather than have the possibility of one their own possible get something wrong.