Italian Grand Prix 2015, Monza - Race 12/19
- Thread starter Shimmy
- Start date
Yes, but I expect he'll want to keep one non-finish in reserve. Realistically, he'll be going for every win he can.
Man of Honour
The relevant part. Doesn't matter if he was 200 points ahead with 50 remaining, he'd still try to win every race.
Soldato
I am sure Alonso is sick he moved from Ferrari what ever he says on TV. I and guess Button would love to jump ship!
Hamilton made the best move in F1 when he jumped from McLaren, as did Vettal when he went to Ferrari!
Hamilton wouldn't be Hamilton if he didn't try to go for every win. I feel he will go all out to win the next if only to match Senna.
Soldato
The latter - 3 more years in F1.
I feel (slightly) sorry for Button. Apart from that one year with Brawn, he's never had top performing machinery. He's a good driver when given a good car, but so much of his career has been blighted by poor cars.
Although Button can console himself with the big money, home in Monaco, model wife, dream lifestyle, etc, drivers at that level just want to win, and he's not been able to do much of that.
To be an ex-champion coming to the end of your career and going out with a whimper rather than a flourish is disappointing. More so when you're with a historical team like McLaren who have got things so wrong, it's actually an embarrassment.
Although Button can console himself with the big money, home in Monaco, model wife, dream lifestyle, etc, drivers at that level just want to win, and he's not been able to do much of that.
To be an ex-champion coming to the end of your career and going out with a whimper rather than a flourish is disappointing. More so when you're with a historical team like McLaren who have got things so wrong, it's actually an embarrassment.
Soldato
Its a pity he doesn't have the chance to move to a more competitive team. But, having said that McLaren being who they are may just produce the right package but it is going to take some time as they are the 'pits' at the moment!
His move to McLaren was a good call. Until McLaren dropped the ball for him that is.
I'd say his issue is actually the opposite to moving on. Staying put and not jumping ship has screwed him more than moving (those awful years at Honda with the Earth Dreams disaster, and this year, clinging onto the McLaren seat with everything he had to then be screwed over).
I'd say his issue is actually the opposite to moving on. Staying put and not jumping ship has screwed him more than moving (those awful years at Honda with the Earth Dreams disaster, and this year, clinging onto the McLaren seat with everything he had to then be screwed over).
Indeed, but neither Button or Alonso are stupid. To have clung on for dear life, passing up multiple other opportunities (Button), and bailed on a team he'd made home and said he would retire with (Alonso), the McLaren Honda sales pitch must have been pretty dam good. They both thought there was something coming that was really worth being a part of.
McLaren/Honda have ballsed this up for their drivers, rather than the drivers making the big mistake.
McLaren/Honda have ballsed this up for their drivers, rather than the drivers making the big mistake.
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I think Ron has some role in this all as well. He still seems to think that McLaren are a top team but they appear to be a team on the decline at the moment. Unless Honda come up with something brilliant next season there's a danger they'll 'do a Williams' and be in a terminal decline with falling points scores and revenue because of it for a good few years.
I think they already are. They have been going backwards since about 2011, haven't had a title sponsor for 2 years, and look stuck with an engine that shows no sign of improving.
There's also the risk that Honda pull themselves out through an attempt to protect their pride, which would leave McLaren right up **** creek.
There's also the risk that Honda pull themselves out through an attempt to protect their pride, which would leave McLaren right up **** creek.
Soldato
Yeah McLaren don't seem to have really gotten it right for a number of years now, when compared to their past at least.
Soldato
I think the risk of Honda pulling out now is even smaller than before. I know that there's a precedent with Toyota, but the loss of face and reputational damage that pulling out after such an extraordinary failure to date would take many years to repair.
The opposite could be argued, that this is now so bad that it should be a catalyst for even more determination to succeed and win the championship. Who knows?
The McLaren decline does look a lot like Williams in the past. I imagine that there's some brand contagion to their road cars too - they don't have sufficient old pedigree that Ferrari benefit from.
Although there's still talk of a huge journey and long term partnership I'm not surprised that the differences of opinion between McLaren and Honda are now coming right out in public. Scapegoats are needed, and Ron doesn't want to be one.
The opposite could be argued, that this is now so bad that it should be a catalyst for even more determination to succeed and win the championship. Who knows?
The McLaren decline does look a lot like Williams in the past. I imagine that there's some brand contagion to their road cars too - they don't have sufficient old pedigree that Ferrari benefit from.
Although there's still talk of a huge journey and long term partnership I'm not surprised that the differences of opinion between McLaren and Honda are now coming right out in public. Scapegoats are needed, and Ron doesn't want to be one.
Soldato
The difference with Williams is that they always had a low budget relative to their results, even at the height of their success, so recovery was never going to be quick or easy.
I've no idea how McLaren haven't melted from a lack of sponsors yet. It's a huge company, yet their cars have been relatively bare for a few years now, but at no point have they looked desperate for sponsors. You have to think at some point that has to change, but for now I wouldn't be worried about the team in general... just that wax lump behind the driver.
So for all those years Hamilton had an adequate Mclaren he wasn't a top driver and Vettel ended up at Red Bull because he was the best? Come off it there is a huge amount of luck involved. Hamiltons options out of Mclaren were pretty limited at the time, Rosberg wasn't in huge demand either.
Mercedes was worth the gamble as Mclaren were going nowhere and Lewis had few other options.