Mclaren Mercedes 2014

[Kiril Varbanov]

I believe JB is on a 2 year contract.

2 years for JB and multi(21) for Alonso.
https://twitter.com/ScarbsF1/status/543031466683539456 On a related note, I see some journalists edited their predictions for MAG vs. BUT today... #StayClassy

[Mesteño]

[Kingshark]

McLaren are now the factory/works team of a huge manufacturer and have a real world class driver behind the wheel. There's no excuses to why they should fail in 2015.

[SidSidney]

Some people here mentioned something about Marussia I think..

https://twitter.com/Jamesallenonf1/stat ... 0164294656

Race seat for Magnussen with Honda powered junior team? I can easily see that. Honda would stump up an engine package, there will be 4-5 teams clamouring for that deal.

Nobody with a Merc PU (Force India) or semi-decent results (Williams) will give that up, so that leaves just Ferrari and Renault engined cars that at are not bound to Red Bull or Ferrari: Sauber, Lotus and Caterham.

• Lotus... Best candidate in terms of results and location. But would Boullier be for or against Lotus? At least he knows the team inside and out. Who would they drop? Grosjean would have to go, Maldonado is a clown but he has a lot of money behind him. No need for a Frenchie if you have Japanese engines.
  
  Caterham/1 Malaysia... are they viable, even if someone gives them an engine package? That whole crowdfunding thing hurt them, they looked unprofessional, something Ron hates more than anything else. I can't see it.
  
  Sauber... I just can't see it. The mentality fits if Peter Sauber is there (met him on a flight to Zurich last year, just after the Spanish GP, had a good old chat about Group C), but I just can't see it with Monisha. They showed poor judgement with Ericsson and Nasr, but they could drop both like hot potatoes if the power package was FoC. Maybe they are also too tight with Ferrari?

Lotus. With Maldonado and Magnussen (classic pairing, the rich duffer funding the quick pauper). Tier 2 works engine plus Maldonado money = competitive package.

PS. Also, Lotus Honda has some heritage value - Ayrton, Monaco 87... Japanese companies love that stuff.

[PlatinumZealot]

https://twitter.com/ScarbsF1/status/543015241295355904

Aww... poor Kev-Kev. I feel sorry for him. He deserves to be a main driver but unfortunately for him Button deserves it more. A year of testing or loan over to Caterham should be good for him. Ron said he wanted to help out the back marker teams financially this should be a good way to do it. As touched on before the driving styles of Button and Alonso are more similar than Button to Hamilton so we should her less whinging from Button, and a happy Button is as fast as the best of them.

On the future of McLaren. I have to say it is looking very bright. Two world Champions in the seat like at Ferrari. the 2015 season is gonna be a thrilling one of Renault and Honda are close to Merc.

[turbof1]

Damn, mclaren orchestrated everything of that press conference. The outer ones with ties and black suits are the bosses, the ones inside with silver shiny suits, no ties and beards are the 2015 drivers and the most undressed one, almost to say they stripped me of everything, stands in the middle. They even intentionally didn't put a car behind him.

That Alonso trimmed his beard is probably a contractual compromise.

[WaikeCU]

Put KMag in a Honda powered, Mclaren bought Dallara chassis and unleash him at Indy 500.

[Avocado]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4kile9IIAAusk1.jpg

Sometimes a picture says a thousand words. =D> Simply beautiful.

[dren]

2 years for JB, that's great!

[XRayF1]

• Lotus... Best candidate in terms of results and location. But would Boullier be for or against Lotus? At least he knows the team inside and out. Who would they drop? Grosjean would have to go, Maldonado is a clown but he has a lot of money behind him. No need for a Frenchie if you have Japanese engines.

Lotus. With Maldonado and Magnussen (classic pairing, the rich duffer funding the quick pauper). Tier 2 works engine plus Maldonado money = competitive package.

PS. Also, Lotus Honda has some heritage value - Ayrton, Monaco 87... Japanese companies love that stuff.

Hmm, Lotus doing a Honda stunt?
Do not think so.

For 2 reasons:
1) Lotus has just signed (or at least announced) the Merc PU deal for the next 3 years, if my memory serves me right.
I do not think it likely that Lotus will change that as they know for certain that the Merc PU is currently the most
powerful on the grid. Why change that and risk having another year like the last?
2) As mentioned, Lotus was far below their capabilities in 2014, heavily due to their aerodynamics, but also due to
Renault's PU. They simply cannot afford to produce another year like 2014, they will therefore go for a lowest risk
approach, eliminating all 'problematic' (as in unproven) parameters, including the engine.
In my POV, Lotus will bring a very conservative car for Australia, and adding anything else fancy in Barcelona in order to
regain confidence.

Simply put, Lotus has much to loose in 2015, they will stick to the known points.
Honda will certainly make a good and even remarkable engine in the long run, but it would be poor Lotus management decision to go for Honda in 2015.

[WaikeCU]

I find it odd that we are all cheering that Jenson finally got the ride. I remember we were screaming it was so disrespectful towards the drivers that Mclaren haven't made their announcement and kept on delaying the news.

Now we're all happy that we get the Alonso-Button lineup, but what about KMag? Yes, he becomes the third driver, but anything but a race seat is a downgrade imo. If Mclaren hadn't delayed the news that much KMag might have sorted out his plans for next season with either a F1 seat somewhere else. I'm really clueless what he's going to do. We all know being the third driver doesn't mean a lot other than a few appearances on Fridays. Since Mclaren aren't partners anymore with Mercedes-Benz, that means that he won't get a seat either at a Mercedes-Benz DTM team.

[ringo]

Best driver pairing on the grid?

It's a spicy debate..

Both these men will be the best in terms of development direction for sure. Alonso will drive Button's preferred setup.

Both are mature racers and I don't expect any crashes or much mistakes during a race weekend. So you can expect maximum points scoring each race.
Against Hamilton and Rosberg it's hard to say which is the better pairing. This McLaren Honda team could make for a very interesting championship if it is that Honda can get on Mercedes Level.

[F1 addicted]

Button and Alnso likes understeery car, i guess they both would gel well together in terms of setup
Just like Kimi and Vettel IMO

Wat? How about button's endless complains about understeer over the radio literally every session and every race over and over?
Alonso likes understeer, yes. He also likes oversteer just as much.

Button always complains. He complained in 2013 about too much oversteer, he likes a balenced car.

[KingHamilton01]

Button might just get the car he has been waiting for this time?

[SidSidney]

1) Lotus has just signed (or at least announced) the Merc PU deal for the next 3 years, if my memory serves me right.
I do not think it likely that Lotus will change that as they know for certain that the Merc PU is currently the most
powerful on the grid. Why change that and risk having another year like the last?

Aha - you are right, Lotus has signed up to Merc power already, so that is definitely out. So Caterham or Lotus?