2017 Mclaren F1 Team - Honda

[DiogoBrand]

i criticize honda hard all this time ..but for me after long time looks like make a small step ...the car last time is 0.4 maybe 0.5sec faster and something on this gains is from honda...and this small step have huge effect on lap times...ok the team have new wing and suspension set up work ..but all the gains is not only from there ...for the first time in this 3 years i see mclaren gain ground from leaders and show progress from last years ...

Why should we give Honda credit for making the car less slow if they're the ones holding it back in the first place?

I think renault as Honda are pretty close right now, today there is the possibility as a Mclaren Honda finish in front of Redbull if things are not going tits up as Verstapen is having problems with engine

Trust me, I really wanted Honda to succeed, but their qualifying power being close to Renault doesn't mean much at this point. Honda is still way back on race pace, and apart from the mexican firework show, Renault is still far ahead in reliability. You don't see any Renault car using even close to 12 units of anything this season.
It's like the people at McLaren said: There's no doubt Honda will become competitive, it's just that McLaren can't affort to wait anymore.

[godlameroso]

Because if they got their act together they could win together, it's all moot at this point, would have been nice. You can't assume Honda will keep being bad forever, if they get their MGU-H working they way they want there's not telling where they could be.

[RonDennis]

Pffff was a hard one to watch, good speed in S2, but the gap cars pull on the straights (even with DRS enabled) is still amazing. They can't overtake any car at the moment.

[Chicane]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8KVGfTrrcQ

Alonso's post race interview.

[Joseki]

[media]https://twitter.com/hlawiczka/status/929765234776125442[/media]

[NathanOlder]

Whats 14mph between friends

[RonDennis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8KVGfTrrcQ

Alonso's post race interview.

He seems to be getting happier by the day.

[Restomaniac]

Whats 14mph between friends

Now stick a Renault with only 1/2 that speed loss in that McLaren. McLaren will be with Red Bull in 2018. It's going to add to the top end mix nicely.

[NathanOlder]

I agree that it will put Mclaren a little further up the grid, potentially all a Renault would have done today was get Alonso in front of Massa.

I still think Honda are making good progress now. I cant wait for next year. Sooooo many questions will be answered.
If Honda really are that bad, Toro Rosso will be way behind Sauber ?

[Restomaniac]

Yep it will.
Alonso will wring its neck so let's see.

[Phil]

Whats 14mph between friends

Now stick a Renault with only 1/2 that speed loss in that McLaren. McLaren will be with Red Bull in 2018. It's going to add to the top end mix nicely.

It’s not a plug and play engine. Different engine = different cooling requirements = different aero (efficiency)...

[Restomaniac]

Whats 14mph between friends

Now stick a Renault with only 1/2 that speed loss in that McLaren. McLaren will be with Red Bull in 2018. It's going to add to the top end mix nicely.

It’s not a plug and play engine. Different engine = different cooling requirements = different aero (efficiency)...

I didn't say it was.

Point being that McLaren clearly know what they are doing in the current rules. The Renault engine cannot be SO different that it requires a complete redesign.

[Phil]

I’d argue its different enough to not assume they will be as optimized as RedBull. That engine is small and McLaren optimzed their chassis tightly around it. That same “recepy” wont work with a different engine IMO.

[bill shoe]

Yes, Honda are somewhat competitive at the moment. They always have been late in the season. Can a team afford to have a powerplant farce in the first several races of every damn year, where the subsequent payoff is "not too far behind everyone else" in the last few races? McLaren decided no, and it's hard to argue with them.

[Restomaniac]

I’d argue its different enough to not assume they will be as optimized as RedBull. That engine is small and McLaren optimzed their chassis tightly around it. That same “recepy” wont work with a different engine IMO.

The Red Bull hasn't exactly got a fat arse itself.