More details about McLaren's technical leadership changes are becoming public as it has now become clear that Toro Rosso's highly valued technical director, James Key, is set to join McLaren in the same role.
You expected Norris to be fighting with Hamilton? I sometimes really don't understand some of your expectations.
Squid wrote: ↑05 Oct 2018, 10:56If anyone thought McLaren's tyre choice for the Japanese GP was weird, it's because it wasn't their choice. They literally forgot to submit the request and were allocated a default set of tyres.
By this point it's not even funny anymore, it's just sad.
Wow... . How in earth is that even possible!Squid wrote: ↑05 Oct 2018, 10:56If anyone thought McLaren's tyre choice for the Japanese GP was weird, it's because it wasn't their choice. They literally forgot to submit the request and were allocated a default set of tyres.
By this point it's not even funny anymore, it's just sad.
Most of our preparation work today was on next year’s project, so a lot of information to gather about the car.
“Since Hungary, we have basically been using Friday sessions to do some tests to ensure that the car for next season works in the right way. This means it’s a little bit more frustrating in terms of finding the best performance this weekend, but it’s good information for the team – and we’ll see tomorrow where we are.
It seems the supersoft tyres is the one they've struggled with the most, at least earlier in the year. Hopefully, they've learnt a thing or two and will perform better in qualifying. But Q2 looks a stretch.M840TR wrote: ↑05 Oct 2018, 12:37Fp2 speed trap. Alonso didn't run the supersofts so we'll see how it pans out in qualy. At least the drag problem is somewhat better.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DouSBwLXkAARmI3.jpg:large
That is. Well. I hope they manage to find a way back during the winter, they sure need it!Squid wrote: ↑05 Oct 2018, 10:56If anyone thought McLaren's tyre choice for the Japanese GP was weird, it's because it wasn't their choice. They literally forgot to submit the request and were allocated a default set of tyres.
By this point it's not even funny anymore, it's just sad.
That was maybe only on the ones with less tread depth like in Barcelona. I'm excited to see how their low drag solutions finally perform. In Monza Alonso had a messy quali session and in Sochi there were penalties.Ground Effect wrote: ↑05 Oct 2018, 13:57It seems the supersoft tyres is the one they've struggled with the most, at least earlier in the year. Hopefully, they've learnt a thing or two and will perform better in qualifying. But Q2 looks a stretch.M840TR wrote: ↑05 Oct 2018, 12:37Fp2 speed trap. Alonso didn't run the supersofts so we'll see how it pans out in qualy. At least the drag problem is somewhat better.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DouSBwLXkAARmI3.jpg:large
I think they also struggled in Bahrain on the supersoft tyres as well. If they get some rain, then maybe they can spring a surprise. Because like Fernando said, they tend to sacrifice preparation for the weekend with them being in 2019 mode.M840TR wrote: ↑05 Oct 2018, 17:01That was maybe only on the ones with less tread depth like in Barcelona. I'm excited to see how their low drag solutions finally perform. In Monza Alonso had a messy quali session and in Sochi there were penalties.Ground Effect wrote: ↑05 Oct 2018, 13:57It seems the supersoft tyres is the one they've struggled with the most, at least earlier in the year. Hopefully, they've learnt a thing or two and will perform better in qualifying. But Q2 looks a stretch.M840TR wrote: ↑05 Oct 2018, 12:37Fp2 speed trap. Alonso didn't run the supersofts so we'll see how it pans out in qualy. At least the drag problem is somewhat better.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DouSBwLXkAARmI3.jpg:large
Oh Nothing.
He will be faster because the team wont be caring just for one driver. Take it however u want it, but Alonso took the majority of team resources. He was the number 1 driver, and Mclaren bet everything on him. If this would not be the case, he would quit much much sooner.Raleigh wrote: ↑05 Oct 2018, 18:02Oh Nothing.
Just a little bitter that McLaren is discarding another young talented driver because they can't just jump in and match a world champion who is established at the team and getting No.1 treatment.
Perez, Magnussen and now Vandoorne. If Alonso wasn't retiring then in 2 years we would be hearing about how Norris can't make the grade and McLaren would have another hopeful to feed into the furnace.
Norris is probably going to do better than Vandoorne, not because he faster but because the caliber of teammate is lower and McLaren won't be a team revolving around Sainz.
For me, the only drivers existing are those who drive for Mclaren. But i have to point out i never liked Montoya and Alonso. My favorite drivers were Hakkinen, Raikkonen and Button.Angel wrote: ↑04 Oct 2018, 02:21I agree with Big Tea!!
They simply appear in your "heart"...
My F1 story:
I started to be a fan of Piquet... well... I think just because I was Portuguese (and Brazilians are like a brother people to us) and Piquet was a name that had a cool sound. I was just a kid, so, maybe these are not great reasons.
But, in fact, he was a great driver and some of the most spectacular stories and overtakes was on him... one of the most amazing overtakes was him on Senna (can't remember the race).
Growing up... Prost, Mansell and Senna none of them convinced me to change from Piquet. Then there was a time when Pedro Lamy appeared on F1, he was a Portuguese pilot, so you may imagine who I was cheering for.
He was a good pilot, but had some share of bad luck. In this bad luck was the disappearing of Ayrton Senna. They were great friends (so it's told) and Senna was trying to help on the F1 adventure.
Ayrton Senna was one of the greatest pilots (no doubt about that), and a bigger man so they say, however, I didn't like the way he drove. Amazingly one driver got a change to replace an imprisoned Bertrand Gachot and impressed everybody. Of course, I'm speaking of Michael Schumacher...
By the way... even not being a fan of Senna, and his driving, truth is no one can deny his speed and his genius on the wheel... and even today I can remember clearly the day he died.
I was practically Schumacher's fan from his F1 debut in that 7up Jordan. Schumacher despite having some very doubtful moves (from a moral point of view) on the end of some seasons... was (from my point of view) one of the most clean pilots in the track... and very fast, of course.
In 2005 and 2006 Tiago Monteiro (another Portuguese driver) appeared in F1... of course I was pushing for him, but even being a good driver (like many other's - before and after) he didn't had enough support to keep or get a seat and continue.
When Schumacher dropped F1 for the first time, I was not a great fan of Alonso, Vettel, nor Hamilton (maybe because Alonso and Vettel were Schumacher's rival and Hamilton reminded too much of Senna) and Massa was starting to shine. And I still think he could have been a star, have he not lost the title in 2008, in that last race in Brazil, and got injured by that spring on the head, in the year after.
But... I think Alonso started growing on me, when Schumacher returned with Mercedes I was cheering for him, he started bad, but in his 3rd year (last one) he had a better year than Rosberg and maybe the level Mercedes reached was the base of his work? Who knows?
When Alonso and McLaren (and Honda) got together... I was officially his fan.
So, in Alonso's case, I was not his fan from the start (and I was never a great McLaren fan also).
I'll probably also need to search for another one to cheer... but, has stated on the beginning, it will grow on me (and probably on you too).
(sorry for the long post)
I've suggested this before, mere speculation and opinion, but I just believe the 2017 rules overhaul, higher downforce cars don't suit his driving style. There were reports last year of him needing to change his driving style for F1, this was mentioned last year. Stoffel appears to be a relatively late starter to Motorsport, maybe it's harder to adapt and worse for him, harder to adapt to a flawed car.proteus wrote: ↑05 Oct 2018, 18:55He will be faster because the team wont be caring just for one driver. Take it however u want it, but Alonso took the majority of team resources. He was the number 1 driver, and Mclaren bet everything on him. If this would not be the case, he would quit much much sooner.Raleigh wrote: ↑05 Oct 2018, 18:02Oh Nothing.
Just a little bitter that McLaren is discarding another young talented driver because they can't just jump in and match a world champion who is established at the team and getting No.1 treatment.
Perez, Magnussen and now Vandoorne. If Alonso wasn't retiring then in 2 years we would be hearing about how Norris can't make the grade and McLaren would have another hopeful to feed into the furnace.
Norris is probably going to do better than Vandoorne, not because he faster but because the caliber of teammate is lower and McLaren won't be a team revolving around Sainz.
Vandoorne took the polite way, he endured trough probably thinking he will get rewarded for his patience, but instead he got one way ticket trough the doors. He only became vocal, since he knew he is out.
I seriously cant believe that a driver who achieved first point for the team in 2016 (in his first outing) is so bad now, that he cant even manage to get to 10th in a car that is capable to climb all the way up to 7th from time to time, not to mention he is almost dead last in qualifying. Something is very wrong here.
