2016 McLaren F1 Team - Honda

[BeardedAce]

Congrats to Honda, more competitive at this power circuit than at Monaco

Do you really believe the power unit is the reason they're decent here? Anyone who has an even slightly nuanced view of f1 knew that Mclaren's strength in 2nd and 3rd gear corners this season would make them strong here, chassis wise.They've also stated thatwith the Honda PU their aero developmenthas been more efficiency targeted than in the past(when they could afford to use less efficient df because they didn't have a power deficit). That aero work was always going to pay itself back at tracks like this one (though they admitted their unwillingness to add draggy df hurt them at Monaco.)

Things won't change as long as Honda is Mclaren's exclusive supplier.
But Honda has to produce a better PU. Jenson's PU just let go.

[Sayeman]

Button was using the old used PU, way too much milage.
Wondering why they didn't switch to the newer spec, was it that damaged?

Before everyone starts blaming Honda, i think Alonso could've been in the points today if not for the 8.3 second pitstop.

[diffuser]

I can spell Fuel saving ......

It is what it is. We're not good enough. Pointing fingers isn't gonna help.

Worst part is 12 tokens isn't gonna get us where we need to be.

[avatar]

Did JB have fully old PU, or old PU new turbo in Canada?

Reason for asking: trying to figure out if it was a turbo fail (+ was it old/new).
* sparks flying out of exhaust
* JB first has loss of power, then saw smoke/sparks in the mirror
* Said engine was still running when he pulled off the track + turned off the engine

Admittedly there was a fire lower down - just asking.

[PhillipM]

old PU + new turbo. JB said it was the old PU that failed.

[Thunder]

Getting obliterated on the long straight did really hurt to watch yesterday.... With the Honda Engine still not on par they probably should have gone the Toro Rosso way and build for very low Drag. Well maybe they will go that route for Baku.

And they still need to dramatically improve the Race Pace.

[Far]

Getting obliterated on the long straight did really hurt to watch yesterday.... With the Honda Engine still not on par they probably should have gone the Toro Rosso way and build for very low Drag. Well maybe they will go that route for Baku.

And they still need to dramatically improve the Race Pace.

To Do that low DF they need a toro rosso or red Bull chasis. MC Laren need to up their game because the aero and chassis don't have the token restrictions. Look at Renault and red Bull is just better chassis and better aero.

[Thunder]

I don't think they have a worse chassis than TR. It's just a Setup route they took for Canada that was good in Qualy but cost them in the Race. In the End a more efficient PU would have been enough to score Points i think. Still lots of work to do....

[Andres125sx]

Alonso confirmed they went for a wet setup

http://www.marca.com/motor/formula1/gp- ... b461d.html

Lo peor ha sido el ritmo. No teníamos velocidad en la recta, algo que ya sabíamos. Todos hicieron dos paradas de los que iba alrededor nuestro, así que iban bastante más rápido que nosotros, que con una parada y 56 vueltas con un mismo juego de neumáticos en alguna curva llegabas y te ibas recto porque no tenía más goma
He tenido fines de semana mejores. La salida fue buena, me puse octavo y luego cuando estás el 14 o así esperas que pase algo en la carrera y cuando no pasa nada estás en tierra de nadie. Era un circuito complicado. Y el próximo más, porque es muy rápido
Ha sido una carrera difícil porque no teníamos el ritmo como ya sabíamos. Teníamos una configuración más atractiva si hubiese llovido, que esperábamos que sucediese. Tuvimos un problema en el 'pit stop' que no funcionaron las luces y perdimos varias posiciones y luego cuando me vi el 14 pensé que no pasaría nada y así fue y fue la carrera más aburrida del mundo".

Translation (far from perfect, sorry, my english is what it is)

(Race) pace was the worst. We didn´t have speed in the straight, something we already knew. Everybody around us did 2 stops, so they were much quicker than us, who with 1 stop and 56 laps with same tires at some corners I went straight (long) because there was no more rubber
I´ve got better weekends. The start was good, I earned 8th position and then when you´re 14th or so you´re expecting something to happen and when it doesn´t you´re in no man´s land. It was a difficult track. And next one will be worse, because it´s very fast.
It was a difficult race because we didn´t have the pace, as we knew. We had a setup more attractive if it would have rain, what we expected. We had a problem at the pit stop with the lights and we lost several positions and then, when I was 14th I thought it wouldn´t occur anything as it happened and it was the most boring race in the world

So taking everything into account, 11th on a power track, with wet setup, and a problem at the pitstop is actually much better than I initially tought

[Thunder]

Like i said above Wet Setup makes Sense. To much Downforce, lower Topspeed, more Fuel consumption.....

They had a lower DF Setup including a skinnier Wing tested in one of the FP's but clearly were convinced there would be Rain on Sunday.

[Chicane]

When Mclaren are not able to run anywhere near to the pace the car is capable of on account of fuel saving, this whole talk about Mclaren's chassis development is pointless. The bursts of pace Mclaren drivers are capable of showing shows that there is lot of pace in the car but they are forced to drive well within the potential of the car on account of fuel saving. You could see Alonso getting ahead of Kvyat on the last lap yesterday despite having over 50 lap old worn out tires. If Mclaren drivers were resorting to only as much fuel saving as their rivals then i am confident they would be finishing in points regularly irrespective of the track layout.

Yes Mclaren need to improve the car but that will only show in lap times during race conditions when they are able to drive the car to somewhere close to its potential. Button was running a old ICE which had run four races and hence i am not too perturbed about Button's DNF yesterday. The driveability and reliability is much better this year but the outright power output, fuel efficiency and ERS efficiency needs to improve. It would be interesting to see where Honda will spend the remaining 12 tokens. The car even without any improvements from now on would be a clear top six contender every week if the Honda power unit was at least as good as the Ferrari 2015 power unit in terms of fuel efficiency, and power output. The Renault power unit has clearly overhauled the 2015 Ferrari power unit and looks to have good and efficient ERS.

Next three races have high power effect and going by the power unit cycle [ Alonso has done two races on his current ICE] Silverstone will be the earliers when Honda wil bring their ICE upgrades imho.

[Postmoe]

I don't think they have a worse chassis than TR. It's just a Setup route they took for Canada that was good in Qualy but cost them in the Race. In the End a more efficient PU would have been enough to score Points i think. Still lots of work to do....

Las weeks are giving strong hints towards worst chasis and better engine than TR. Not by a big margin, though.

[lebesset]

nice to see team mates thanking each other for help !
first hamilton thanking rosberg for letting him past at monaco [ yes , I know it was team orders but an acknowledgement doesn't hurt
now alonso thanking button for giving him a tow in Q2 and allowing him to squeeze into Q3 at montreal ...pity button made a small mistake on that lap and missed by a whisper ! both cars in Q3 ! how would that have been !!!

Unfortunatley that wouldn't have happened, Had Button got into top 10 it would have knocked Alonzo out

just checking to see if you are awake =D>
ok , 10th and 11th then .....wasn't if alonso who said 11th is better than 10th ?

[OviJohn]

When Mclaren are not able to run anywhere near to the pace the car is capable of on account of fuel saving, this whole talk about Mclaren's chassis development is pointless. The bursts of pace Mclaren drivers are capable of showing shows that there is lot of pace in the car but they are forced to drive well within the potential of the car on account of fuel saving. You could see Alonso getting ahead of Kvyat on the last lap yesterday despite having over 50 lap old worn out tires. If Mclaren drivers were resorting to only as much fuel saving as their rivals then i am confident they would be finishing in points regularly irrespective of the track layout.

Yes Mclaren need to improve the car but that will only show in lap times during race conditions when they are able to drive the car to somewhere close to its potential. Button was running a old ICE which had run four races and hence i am not too perturbed about Button's DNF yesterday. The driveability and reliability is much better this year but the outright power output, fuel efficiency and ERS efficiency needs to improve. It would be interesting to see where Honda will spend the remaining 12 tokens. The car even without any improvements from now on would be a clear top six contender every week if the Honda power unit was at least as good as the Ferrari 2015 power unit in terms of fuel efficiency, and power output. The Renault power unit has clearly overhauled the 2015 Ferrari power unit and looks to have good and efficient ERS.

Next three races have high power effect and going by the power unit cycle [ Alonso has done two races on his current ICE] Silverstone will be the earliers when Honda wil bring their ICE upgrades imho.

Totally agree.

As further proof (Bolded arguments) heres Bottas vs Alonso last 5 laps and stint summary:



- Both are on the same tyre strategy (Alonsos 5 laps older)
- Both decided to go for "quick lap" at then end; and yet Alonso fastest lap is just 0.369 slower.

As stated by Chicane, the pace is "there" but the PU is not able to sustain it throughout a full race. So all we really need at this stage is efficiency. That alone can allow the team to achieve on merit 7 to 10 on a incident free GP.

[alonsofan]

their car was setup for a wet race