Forum menu
They (McLaren) could then try and pick up a manufacturer deal with one of the new engine suppliers who are lurking around F1 waiting to see what the new rules are.
Is this likely? I mean how many engine suppliers are really just waiting in the wings to plow vast amounts of money into F1, especially at the point when electric cars are becoming more fashionable.
Is this likely? I mean how many engine suppliers are really just waiting in the wings to plow vast amounts of money into F1, especially at the point when electric cars are becoming more fashionable.
Porsche/Audi/VW (whatever they choose!)
Cosworth
BMW
Aston Martin
Have all expressed an interest.
Porsche are quitting sportscars and Audi already have so the VW group have the budget.
And Formula E is still a niche (and still relatively slow speed) series.
Expressed and interest and being serious are two very different things. Aston Martin, Cosworth & VW/Porsche were all at the meetings, but that doesn't mean they'll commit to anything. Cosworth are the only real likely folk to appear IMO. And anyway the Aston and Porsche are unlikely to commit to McLaren what with them being in competition with them in the road market. Honda and Renault seem to be McLaren's only options for now and the foreseeable future.
A quick Google throws up various links to quash any BMW involvement e.g. Autosport understands Toyota has joined BMW and Ford in not considering a return to F1.
I think Joe Saward or someone reported a few weeks back that McLaren were seriously looking at setting up their own engine program for the new regs.
It's the worst possible time to be stepping away from a works engine deal. If McLaren play it smart, they'll engineer a swap of engine with Toro Rosso, with a contractual clause that will allow them to swap back to Honda for 2019 if Honda sort their shit out next year.
Alonso is a positive for McLaren, but at thirty six it's unrealistic to expect him to be around in 2019. Better to retain his services for an official works Indycar challenge (or even Le Mans) with a Honda engine.
By 2021, with new regs it's not unfeasible that McLaren could partner the likes of Porsche (who built the TAG engines used until the end of 1987) or even build their own power unit.
McLaren - Porsche is the sort of hook up that's no longer possible for them. As direct competitors, how does either company market that they need the other to make things happen?
I think Porsche are on something of a high at the moment [sales wise] so I doubt they'd do anything to potentially affect that.
I used to think "well it's Honda, they are bound to sort the issues out and have an awesome engine any day now". But I've lost faith in that, it just seems as bad now as it was when they first returned. Maybe a little faster but all the comedy grid penalties and breakdowns are just plain embarrassing now.
McLaren can't wait forever, Honda are a bit of a laughing stock really.
Sainz to Renault then (possibly from Malaysia)...
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/sainz-renault-switch-str-mclaren-honda-951146/
One interesting consequence of this is that Red Bull and McLaren will be running the same engines next year- which will certainly test how good McLaren's chasssis really is as well as hopefully provide some good Alonso/Verstappen/Ricciardo match ups on track! 🙂
Shame for Sainz that, in a way..I would much rather have seen him get Kimi's seat at Ferrari.
So that's the end of Palmer then ?
Shame for Sainz that, in a way..I would much rather have seen him get Kimi's seat at Ferrari.
It's good for him that he's out of the Red Bull system - at least he's now free to go where he wants in future rather than wait for a space in the Red Bull team.
It's all speculation and rumour at the moment, no formal announcements have been made... but yeah, looks like Palmer's career is going the same way as his dad's.
Always worth remembering that Zac Brown (of McLaren) is also pulling the strings at Motorsport.com so their sources should be quite reliable on the whole McRenault story.
Though as this involves Alonso it's now guaranteed that Honda will deliver a massive step in winter testing.
So that's the end of Palmer then ?
He's been a dead man walking for months
Shame for Sainz that, in a way..I would much rather have seen him get Kimi's seat at Ferrari.
Same! Although the problem with Ferrari is that they do seem to love a fairly rigid driver hierachy, and with Vettel there until 2020 it does queer the pitch a little for any prospective Raikkonen replacements..
Always worth remembering that Zac Brown (of McLaren) is also pulling the strings atMotorsport.com so their sources should be quite reliable on the whole McRenault story.
But also could very much be Zac Brown putting out a story to try and force through the deal they want! 😉
So guess that means Kubica isn't coming back to Renault then. 🙁
So guess that means Kubica isn't coming back to Renault then.
Not to Renault but Toro Rosso are going to need a replacement for Sainz until the end of the season. Does Kubica have a Superlicence?
shermer75 - Member
Not to Renault but Toro Rosso are going to need a replacement for Sainz until the end of the season. Does Kubica have a Superlicence?
Not sure but he's done the mileage and has shown "outstanding ability in a single seater" so I'd guess even if he hasn't it'd be a formality as this point.
I would have thought though that Gasly will take the seat at TR. Guess they [i]could [/i]be ditching Kvyat at the same time and Kubica could fill that seat but it seems unlikely given TR will want some stability for the development work.
Of course, Gasly! Duh!! Lol
Kubica won't go to Torro Rosso - it's not what they exist for.
Unfortunately, I think Renault was his only chance due to their history.
I'm pretty sure Kvyat has already been re-signed for next year.
Evil smurf - sorry, Massa may be dropped for Kubica.
Massa apparently wants to play in formula E ( where he may win something or be competitive )
I'm pretty sure Kvyat has already been re-signed for next year.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!
[url= https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/kvyat-new-toro-rosso-contract-928978/ ]Kvyat set for new contract[/url]
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!
+1,000,000!
There's no room for sulkly faces like his in F1. 😀
A bit more background from Mark Hughes...
http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/f1/williams-alonso-or-kubica
To be fair that article was written a couple of months ago and things may have changed since- as evidenced by the fact that it seems to be suggesting that Sainz was going to be renewing his Toro Rosso contract also. I'd be surprised to see Kvyat next year, but it won't be the first time a seemingly less than impressive driver gets a contract extention!
Kvyat might bring with him lots of Russian money, so he could well end up with a seat.
Shermer I think [url= https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/vandoorne-singapore-honda-engine-penalty-951799/?s=1 ]this story [/url]is a prime example of one planted by Brown to suit his own agenda.
Mark Hughes report on Kubica...
"His performance in the Hungaroring test in the current Renault, whilst good, still left question marks about his fitness level, evident in an inconsistency during the long runs. His ultimate speed, [b]on the other hand,[/b] was considered highly impressive.
They don't have to bring his injury into it!!
[url= http://www.planetf1.com/news/kubica-asks-for-release-from-renault-deal/ ]Bobby K[/url] has asked Renault to end his short term deal with them so he can go [s]to Williams[/s] looking for other opportunities.
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mclaren-honda-end-engine-partnership-952183/
Further confirmation
Would love to see Alonso's face if they sort the problems and it turns out to be a good engine next year
Would love to see Alonso's face if they sort the problems and it turns out to be a good engine next year
They have had 3 shots recently and all have been a total failure. The last time they were in F1 the Honda engine was nothing to write home about either. I just don't see it happening, they seem very entrenched in the way they want to make it happen and its just not working at all.
You have to bear in mind the other engine manufacturers had a 4 year head start though.
It's like the V4(8) motorbike engine saga again, or when.they kept insisting they'd never make a diesel car engine.
You have to bear in mind the other engine manufacturers had a 4 year head start though.
Granted but then none of them were as poor as the Honda has been.
I think Honda as a whole are a company stuck in a real mess. There was a great article on them I found a few days ago.
Would love to see Alonso's face if they sort the problems and it turns out to be a good engine next year
He'd probably say something like "well done but I wasn't for risking another year of my limited career"
It's good for him that he's out of the Red Bull system - at least he's now free to go where he wants in future rather than wait for a space in the Red Bull team.
Sainz is still under contract to Red Bull for some years. In 2018 he's officially "on loan" to Renault and I read something that suggests that if the Renault engine in 2018 isn't so good and Honda turn it around, you may see one or both of Ricciardo and Verstappen going back to Torro Rosso with Sainz going to Red Bull with whoever else they have around (Gasly for example).
atlaz - Member
Sainz is still under contract to Red Bull for some years. In 2018 he's officially "on loan" to Renault and I read something that suggests that if the Renault engine in 2018 isn't so good and Honda turn it around, you may see one or both of Ricciardo and Verstappen going back to Torro Rosso with Sainz going to Red Bull with whoever else they have around (Gasly for example).
I would have thought they'd just swap the engine over to the main RB team? Or even add it as a second team for Honda to double the testing time they get.
That's the other issue Honda (and Ferrari in years previous) have had, data from only two cars, compare to Mercedes and Renault with 6 cars worth of data each.
Yep - they'd just swap the engine to main Red Bull team if it was any good!
Another rumour is that Red Bull will pull the plug completely at the end of 2020 (they are contracted till then). But they've threatened this for years.
That article about Porsche is just word salad. Total conjecture and no facts. They pulled out of LMP1 for reasons and those reasons still exist. Much more likely they will enter Formula E, especially given where the combustion engine is going now.
I read something that suggests that if the Renault engine in 2018 isn't so good and Honda turn it around, you may see one or both of Ricciardo and Verstappen going back to Torro Rosso with Sainz going to Red Bull with whoever else they have around (Gasly for example).
As above, doesn't make any sense whatsoever. If Honda make a leap forward in the TR, RB would take it and become a de facto works outfit. They wouldn't turn their entire operational hierarchy on its head.