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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.
ScottB wrote: ↑20 Aug 2018, 13:06Ultimately, your 'Alonso' grade driver is valuable in a close fight, so this year, Merc and Ferrari are closely matched, so drivers make a difference. For most of the last few years, Merc held an advantage over the rest that any capable driver would likely have brought home the bacon.
Point being, if Mclaren found themselves with a pace advantage in, say, 2021 (which seems like the earliest realistic date for them to be back at the front) then Sainz or Ocon may well be enough to win. Alonso would be good in a close fight, but then by the early 2020s, who is to say that he would still be quicker than whoever Mclaren have in the car by then? 2 or 3 years older and 2 or 3 years away from F1 driving in very different series, or retired completely by then...
It's entirely probably that, given the troubles on the technical side, with Key not likely to have his feet under the desk in time to have any influence on the 2019 car, that it's going to be the post 2021 formula before Mclaren have the opportunity to mount a real challenge, so I think the 'oh he might come back' chat isn't really much different than when they said the same about Button. It lets Mclaren continue an association with a well known, well liked, very marketable asset, but I really doubt we'll ever see Alonso in an F1 car again.
I'm wondering if Lando could extend with Mclaren and then go on loan at STR. Maybe the FP sessions are also an advert for the benefit Toro Rosso, to give them an opportunity to evaluate him. If this will help in getting James Key in earlier, it would be great. If they can manage a 2 year loan deal, even better, with Ocon doing the same with Mclaren.
Norris will be in 2019 in McLarenGround Effect wrote: ↑20 Aug 2018, 20:14I'm wondering if Lando could extend with Mclaren and then go on loan at STR. Maybe the FP sessions are also an advert for the benefit Toro Rosso, to give them an opportunity to evaluate him. If this will help in getting James Key in earlier, it would be great. If they can manage a 2 year loan deal, even better, with Ocon doing the same with Mclaren.
They said the longest they can hold Key for is 6 months? Whether they get him in Oct or February doesn't make much difference, it's too late for him to get up to speed and have any real impact on the 2019 car. If we were in the month of March or April, 3 months would be huge then.Ground Effect wrote: ↑20 Aug 2018, 20:14I'm wondering if Lando could extend with Mclaren and then go on loan at STR. Maybe the FP sessions are also an advert for the benefit Toro Rosso, to give them an opportunity to evaluate him. If this will help in getting James Key in earlier, it would be great. If they can manage a 2 year loan deal, even better, with Ocon doing the same with Mclaren.
I've always wondered, he could be secretly working on the car now. Can that actually be monitored? He could be contact with Mclaren electronically, sending and receiving correspondence as "Eleanor Rigby"diffuser wrote: ↑20 Aug 2018, 20:29They said the longest they can hold Key for is 6 months? Whether they get him in Oct or February doesn't make much difference, it's too late for him to get up to speed and have any real impact on the 2019 car. If we were in the month of March or April, 3 months would be huge then.Ground Effect wrote: ↑20 Aug 2018, 20:14I'm wondering if Lando could extend with Mclaren and then go on loan at STR. Maybe the FP sessions are also an advert for the benefit Toro Rosso, to give them an opportunity to evaluate him. If this will help in getting James Key in earlier, it would be great. If they can manage a 2 year loan deal, even better, with Ocon doing the same with Mclaren.
The position of TD is more one of managing then designing yourself. To do your job you need to be in-between the engineers, talk to them, see their work, coach/guide/push them. It's very difficult or even impossible to do that from a distance and in secret. All you could do is read and review the work that is already been done over the past few years.Ground Effect wrote: ↑20 Aug 2018, 21:12I've always wondered, he could be secretly working on the car now. Can that actually be monitored? He could be contact with Mclaren electronically, sending and receiving correspondence as "Eleanor Rigby"diffuser wrote: ↑20 Aug 2018, 20:29They said the longest they can hold Key for is 6 months? Whether they get him in Oct or February doesn't make much difference, it's too late for him to get up to speed and have any real impact on the 2019 car. If we were in the month of March or April, 3 months would be huge then.Ground Effect wrote: ↑20 Aug 2018, 20:14
I'm wondering if Lando could extend with Mclaren and then go on loan at STR. Maybe the FP sessions are also an advert for the benefit Toro Rosso, to give them an opportunity to evaluate him. If this will help in getting James Key in earlier, it would be great. If they can manage a 2 year loan deal, even better, with Ocon doing the same with Mclaren.
Schumacher had no motivation to be world champion again and he came after 4 years in completely different cars. Alonso's return talk is for 2020 or 2021 at the most. He'll also be much younger and not have discontinued racing.
Hard to think it wasn't orchestrated by the team to compare him with Vandoorne.
Unless they outlaw VPN use I don't see how they could.Ground Effect wrote: ↑20 Aug 2018, 21:12I've always wondered, he could be secretly working on the car now. Can that actually be monitored? He could be contact with Mclaren electronically, sending and receiving correspondence as "Eleanor Rigby"diffuser wrote: ↑20 Aug 2018, 20:29They said the longest they can hold Key for is 6 months? Whether they get him in Oct or February doesn't make much difference, it's too late for him to get up to speed and have any real impact on the 2019 car. If we were in the month of March or April, 3 months would be huge then.Ground Effect wrote: ↑20 Aug 2018, 20:14
I'm wondering if Lando could extend with Mclaren and then go on loan at STR. Maybe the FP sessions are also an advert for the benefit Toro Rosso, to give them an opportunity to evaluate him. If this will help in getting James Key in earlier, it would be great. If they can manage a 2 year loan deal, even better, with Ocon doing the same with Mclaren.
I'm not sure there is any reason he can not be working on some Mclaren stuff now really.diffuser wrote: ↑21 Aug 2018, 00:03Unless they outlaw VPN use I don't see how they could.Ground Effect wrote: ↑20 Aug 2018, 21:12I've always wondered, he could be secretly working on the car now. Can that actually be monitored? He could be contact with Mclaren electronically, sending and receiving correspondence as "Eleanor Rigby"diffuser wrote: ↑20 Aug 2018, 20:29
They said the longest they can hold Key for is 6 months? Whether they get him in Oct or February doesn't make much difference, it's too late for him to get up to speed and have any real impact on the 2019 car. If we were in the month of March or April, 3 months would be huge then.
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