Kewee
Race Winner
Never!!!!!
McLaren Duet 2015
- Thread starter olegg
- Start date
I voted yesterday evening...
The correct combination, I thought it would be the best way of getting it right...
Kewee
Race Winner
No idea at all Mephistopheles.....a pretty good guess I reckon though. 
Don't know about you but I haven't looked forward to a season more than this for a long time. Obviously we need to see McLaren/Honda put a decent car under their drivers to give Alonso and Button a competitive year, that may take a season but as I said 2016 should be sensational but 2015 should be pretty bloody good also. 
Don't know about you but I haven't looked forward to a season more than this for a long time. Obviously we need to see McLaren/Honda put a decent car under their drivers to give Alonso and Button a competitive year, that may take a season but as I said 2016 should be sensational but 2015 should be pretty bloody good also. Well I bloody hope you are right...
Kewee
Race Winner
Hey Mephistopheles ..... we're thinking alike, well almost. You know I'm an Alonso fan, I'm also a Button fan and I'm bloody sure of something else, Honda and McLaren have an enormous amount of very advanced technology. McLaren don't participate in F1 to come second and Honda have been absolutely clear, they haven't re-entered F1 to come second, in fact they have said they expect to win GP's in 2015. Keep the faith Mephistopheles, McLaren will provide the car, Honda will provide the engine and Alonso and Button are both mature experienced teammates who are hungry for success and will work brilliantly together. Anyone who's a fan is in for a real treat during the next two or three years, maybe even more. Those who think Alonso will become dissatisfied and leave if they don't succeed in 2015 are failing to recognised his loyalty. He's just spent five years with a team who failed to provide him with a decent car.....I think proved just how loyal and committed he can be.
What other options did Alonso have over the last 5 years? Red Bull? Unlikely. McLaren, not until the dust had settled on 07, Mercedes? Well until recently they were worse than Ferrari.
He was on a great wage, in a race winning car and racing for one of the biggest if not the biggest name in motorsport. Must have been a tough call. Half way through his first winless season he engineers a move to McLaren.
McLaren's performance levels have been dipping year on year and Honda have no track record as an owner or engine supplier of being quick out of the box.
There is nothing to suggest (yet) how the team will perform next year. Of course the presence of Alonso within the team will lift the results. He is a far far better driver than KMag and to be honest, Button, but will that be enough to see a top step this season? Who knows.
If Mercedes are the car to beat once again this year and IF Alonso has a peformance clause in his contract and IF Rosberg leaves Mercedes, what odds on Alonso staying at McLaren?
There are a huge number of "If's" between now and then.
He was on a great wage, in a race winning car and racing for one of the biggest if not the biggest name in motorsport. Must have been a tough call. Half way through his first winless season he engineers a move to McLaren.
McLaren's performance levels have been dipping year on year and Honda have no track record as an owner or engine supplier of being quick out of the box.
There is nothing to suggest (yet) how the team will perform next year. Of course the presence of Alonso within the team will lift the results. He is a far far better driver than KMag and to be honest, Button, but will that be enough to see a top step this season? Who knows.
If Mercedes are the car to beat once again this year and IF Alonso has a peformance clause in his contract and IF Rosberg leaves Mercedes, what odds on Alonso staying at McLaren?
There are a huge number of "If's" between now and then.
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Kewee
Race Winner
Just a few points cider_and_toast. Ferrari had told Alonso they weren't expecting to produce a competitive car until 2017. Alonso couldn't wait until his mid thirties on a hope they might get it right.
Second point. Honda have built many engines that have been quick out of the box. Their results with McLaren and Senna is just one example of many that attests to that. They have stated they expect wins this coming season.
Third point. Alonso going to Mercedes was a story hatched in the dreams of a journalist who should have known better frankly, a story that had no foundation at all. Anyone who has taken the time to listen to the Alonso interview and also to Ron Dennis in the same interview, will realise the level of commitment both parties have to the team and to one another.
Alonso has already stated that wins may take a while to come. He is expecting to have to work hard and also be patient, traits he has shown for five years at Ferrari. In saying that he clearly expects McLaren/Honda to put a winning car under him sooner than Ferrari were going to be able to.
I don't think Alonso has many if's at all in his future and I don't think he feels as though he needs any. We should all remember Alonso has spent a significant amount of time with McLaren and also time at the Honda factory during this last year and will have a far greater understanding the teams abilities to base his expectations on than we could ever have.
Second point. Honda have built many engines that have been quick out of the box. Their results with McLaren and Senna is just one example of many that attests to that. They have stated they expect wins this coming season.
Third point. Alonso going to Mercedes was a story hatched in the dreams of a journalist who should have known better frankly, a story that had no foundation at all. Anyone who has taken the time to listen to the Alonso interview and also to Ron Dennis in the same interview, will realise the level of commitment both parties have to the team and to one another.
Alonso has already stated that wins may take a while to come. He is expecting to have to work hard and also be patient, traits he has shown for five years at Ferrari. In saying that he clearly expects McLaren/Honda to put a winning car under him sooner than Ferrari were going to be able to.
I don't think Alonso has many if's at all in his future and I don't think he feels as though he needs any. We should all remember Alonso has spent a significant amount of time with McLaren and also time at the Honda factory during this last year and will have a far greater understanding the teams abilities to base his expectations on than we could ever have.
Il_leone
World Champion
I think the combination of Alonso and Button plus HOnda and Mclaren should make more progress the major upheavals he would have gone through at Ferrari with the sacking of everyone left right and centre including two team principal changes and you got a lacklustre and carefree Raikkonen
Incubus
Champion Elect
---------------------------------------------
I have to say this is something we have absolutely no way of knowing. Any team saying they were not interested in signing Alonso, or for the matter of that any other driver means absolutely zilch.
Teams keep their cards pretty close to their chest. When a rumour based on some degree of truth emerges it means teams have failed to ensure all of their employees keep confidential negotiations confidential.
olegg
Race Winner
"Fernando Alonso: First of all, I want to say that the coloring of my first card, which I raced in three years, was an exact copy of the coloring machines McLaren-Honda at the time. When last year announced the revival of the partnership, such an option for me already was attractive. "
Strange if a return to McLaren Fernando did not find a child's dream
Now I understand why, in 2007, he did not stay there.
Strange if a return to McLaren Fernando did not find a child's dream
Now I understand why, in 2007, he did not stay there.
Incubus there's a difference between a team wanting Alonso and Alonso wanting a team.
You are right, we know nothing about either over the last 5 years. I was speculating in general what options he may have had. It was personal opinion. I was just pointing out to Kewee that Alonso my not have been the true red loyal to the last driver but may just not have had a better option.
I'm not sure if you confirmed my point or missed the point I was trying to make.
You are right, we know nothing about either over the last 5 years. I was speculating in general what options he may have had. It was personal opinion. I was just pointing out to Kewee that Alonso my not have been the true red loyal to the last driver but may just not have had a better option.
I'm not sure if you confirmed my point or missed the point I was trying to make.
Incubus
Champion Elect
No cider_and_toast it wasn't meant to be an answer to your answer to Kewee , it was just a general observation.
We do know from off-the-cuff conversations by team principals over the years that they talk to other drivers all the time, not necessarily because they're thinking of dropping their drivers but simply because they have to cover their rears at all times, sort of covering all angles.
I mean even Ron dennis this year at around the time of the Russian GP absolutely denied he had signed Alonso, even though we now know he probably had already done precisely for quite a while.
We do know from off-the-cuff conversations by team principals over the years that they talk to other drivers all the time, not necessarily because they're thinking of dropping their drivers but simply because they have to cover their rears at all times, sort of covering all angles.
I mean even Ron dennis this year at around the time of the Russian GP absolutely denied he had signed Alonso, even though we now know he probably had already done precisely for quite a while.
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Lewywo4
Race Winner
I'm glad to see that the Honda engine features a turbo split between the front and rear of the engine, like that of the 2014 Mercedes power plant. This feature could help Mclaren Honda be alot more competitive than predictions. I would think that Alonso was aware of this technical innovatoin that Mclaren would have, which played a role in his decision to leave Ferrari for Mclaren. Good move on the part of Mclaren to retain Button, who clearly showed last season, especially towards the end of the season that Jenson could still perform, even though he was kept in a state of limbo until a few days ago.
Lewywo4
Race Winner
cider_and_toast.....I believe that ToTo Wolff is a part of Valtteri Bottas management team, and he would be his first choice instead of Alonso, if Rosberg was ever to Leave Mercedes.
Yeah. I think you're right on fhat one. Bottas could be right up there if he pushes on from last year.
Il_leone
World Champion
cider_and_toast Lewywo4 I will add that Mercedes board do expect 1 German driver in the team unless Toto can really get Niki Lauda to convince them to go for Bottas if there is a fall out over Rosberg which I don't foresee unless he really does a double cross
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