Spanish Grand Prix 2015, Catalunya - Race 5/19

drunkenmaster · 10 May 2015 at 23:09

smr said:
i think q3 might be possible from brazil onwards. I expect maybe the first points will come when we do the last fly aways... japan onwards.

and? Getting points isn't a problem, Marussia got a point, it's not a sign of anything.

The only reason people think 10th is a goal is because of how far back Mclaren currently are but that is completely missing the point. They moved to Honda to attempt to get ahead of their competitors of the last few years. Moving ahead of their current competition at the back of the field isn't and wasn't their goal. Their goal was to compete for wins with a new engine as a works team with more control on the engine and the car design as a result.

Anything short of genuinely competing for podium places is failing miserably the goals they themselves told everyone they had. Aiming to push for being competitive at the end of the season has becoming telling everyone it took Merc 3 years to build.

All of which I have zero problem with, I was bringing up that fact long before the start of the season. I said while it was possible Honda could hit it out of the park, chances are a rushed engine and a entirely new design philosophy would require a couple of years to hone into a workable competitive car. Again fine, but Mclaren, and Mclaren fans shouldn't have been pushing the quite frankly daft idea they'd be competitive this year.

The single issue I think with being a works team is that in the first steps of any new regulations the works team will have a noticeable advantage. The engine hasn't changed hugely from last year to this in terms of size, shape, major features. If Mclaren today had the Merc engine and poured all that money into the improved chassis, and had only been spending time fixing and updating the chassis they would and could be competing for podiums and wins today.

Williams aren't because they have a tiny budget compared to Merc, same goes for Lotus and FI are even worse on budget. Mclaren were more competitive than Mercedes as both were using Merc engines from 2010-2013.... the idea they have to be a works team was ridiculous to begin with and now they have a crap engine, are years behind. Honestly it was nuts.

smr · 10 May 2015 at 23:55

That was actually a joke as well... haha. sorry that you had to reply with a dissertation.

ZG002 · 11 May 2015 at 00:04

Tbh, I think he just enjoys writing them! Nothing to be sorry for

drunkenmaster · 11 May 2015 at 00:42

smr said:
That was actually a joke as well... haha. sorry that you had to reply with a dissertation.

Says something a bit silly, gets called on it, suddenly "they'll qualify in Q3 and get some points at the end of the season"..... becomes a joke. NO deflection there, now I read it again, your comment was truly hilarious.

A lot of Mclaren fans lately seem to have forgotten the actual goal and suddenly think a couple of points would make for a great season or something.

MrKnifey · 11 May 2015 at 06:36

smr back tracks when he gets called on something, he done the same with me on the last page...

FrankJH · 11 May 2015 at 07:00

MrKnifey said:
Its the way you always write things and im far from a Lewis fanboi anyways.

As regards to McLaren, they should be getting into Q3 by this part of the season to have ANY hope next season. I just cant see them becoming any more than a mid pack team next season while Merc and Ferrari clean up

Absolute bs

Its got nothing to do with q3 just yet. If they arent challenging for Q3 by the beginning of the 2nd half of the season, and solidly in q3 by the ladt quarter of the season then they may well have too much to do, but its very early to start saying bs like that in relation to next season

Race pace was always going to be an issue from everything Ive heard even prior to yesterday. Even taking allowances for Alnsos late 1st stop he was running 11th or so before everyone started stopping in front of him. JB had a major mechanical? issue from lap 1 so wasnt representative to start with. Monaco isnt likely to prove anything either way

deuse · 11 May 2015 at 08:34

FrankJH said:
Absolute bs

Its got nothing to do with q3 just yet. If they arent challenging for Q3 by the beginning of the 2nd half of the season, and solidly in q3 by the ladt quarter of the season then they may well have too much to do, but its very early to start saying bs like that in relation to next season

Race pace was always going to be an issue from everything Ive heard even prior to yesterday. Even taking allowances for Alnsos late 1st stop he was running 11th or so before everyone started stopping in front of him. JB had a major mechanical? issue from lap 1 so wasnt representative to start with. Monaco isnt likely to prove anything either way

Even Button admits McLaren won't score a point this season. I can't see them doing anything till 2017.

Skeeter · 11 May 2015 at 08:40

Neither Alonso or Button will stick around that long. What a rubbish way to end their careers

IPBA · 11 May 2015 at 08:46

Did Honda let both cars run at 100% power yesterday? If so considering the type of track Barcelona is, it looks like McLaren have built a bad car in terms of aero?

this_is_gav · 11 May 2015 at 09:51

IPBA said:
Did Honda let both cars run at 100% power yesterday? If so considering the type of track Barcelona is, it looks like McLaren have built a bad car in terms of aero?

I thought they looked relatively competitive down the straights yesterday. Alonso was going much stronger than Button when he retired and Button was struggling massively with his rears, and they were saying in Melbourne that traction is expected to be one of the strengths of the car when the software has matured.

Keep in mind they missed the majority of the running in Barcelona in the winter, when the other teams totted up 1000s of miles, so that will have played a part in some degree too.

leaskovski · 11 May 2015 at 09:56

Instantly thought of the forums when Hamilton came on the radio and said... "I can't get close".

But why, Lewie, why can't you just drive faster?

Edit:

And WTF happened to the Ferrari upgrades that were mean't to make them closer to Merc. Bah, I was looking forward to some closer racing.

gord · 11 May 2015 at 10:31

Is there a test on now?

Shimmy · 11 May 2015 at 10:54

gord said:
Is there a test on now?

Yup, next to no coverage though.

smr · 11 May 2015 at 11:08

Thought it started tomorrow :confused:

Shimmy · 11 May 2015 at 11:34

smr said:
Thought it started tomorrow

Yeah it does, I took now to mean the next couple days.

gord · 11 May 2015 at 11:51

Shimmy said:
Yup, next to no coverage though.

Cheers. No autosport coverage then? I usually have their text thing on the go at work.

smr · 11 May 2015 at 12:28

Shimmy said:
Yeah it does, I took now to mean the next couple days.

ah ok

Shimmy · 11 May 2015 at 12:32

Alonso's own visor tear off caused his rear brake failure.

Wow.

JeditOjanen · 11 May 2015 at 12:39

leaskovski said:
Instantly thought of the forums when Hamilton came on the radio and said... "I can't get close".

But why, Lewie, why can't you just drive faster?

Hamilton and Rosberg are in equivalent machinery. If something happens that puts Rosberg way up ahead of him, then there's only so much that he can do to pull the gap back.

smr · 11 May 2015 at 12:44

Shimmy said:
Alonso's own visor tear off caused his rear brake failure.

Wow.

Yep and he reckons he was on for P9 or P10... so if that's teh case then that would have been a definitive improvement from Australia - Malaysia - China - Bahrain...