The McLaren-Honda alliance has endured two difficult seasons, and must start delivering in 2017. But is it up to it?
This surely cannot be allowed to go on much longer. McLaren is meant to be a top Formula 1 team, a perpetual championship challenger, a winning force – not a mediocre midfielder operating on a big team’s budget.
For an outfit that is statistically ranked as F1’s second most successful ever, behind only Enzo Ferrari’s great Maranello empire, McLaren’s recent record is utterly abysmal.
Its current winless run stretches back four seasons and 78 races. That is worse than its post-Ayrton Senna malaise of 1994-96, and comfortably outstrips the barren spell of 1978- 1981 (53 races) that marked McLaren’s pre-Ron Dennis nadir.
How long can the lands of its Woking headquarters endure such drought before they become scorched forever? Formula 1 expects better than this from McLaren. McLaren expects better than this from itself. Something has got to give – and soon.
McLaren has already taken several steps to address this slump: making significant changes to its technical personnel and working culture, swapping customer Mercedes engines for a works Honda partnership, signing a double world champion driver in Fernando Alonso, and more recently pushing through its boardroom a new broom that has swept power away from Dennis’s hands.
McLaren has changed a lot during the past four years, but so far that change has not added up to success on track.
Honda is McLaren’s big gamble that is yet to pay off. There was much fanfare when this great alliance reformed ahead of the 2015 season, with talk of its proud winning history and daring ‘size zero’ innovations – tiny components that were meant to deliver big performance.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 02,2017 من Autosport.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 02,2017 من Autosport.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
The Shock Of The New
If the spectacle of Lewis Hamilton carving his way to the world title seems familiar, much is changing off-track in the new Liberty era.
Vettel Proves Ferrari Is Back
FORMULA 1'S NEW ERA IS ALL ABOUT BIGGER CARS, WIDER TYRES, MORE downforce, and greater performance than ever before. But this category remains one defined by small margins, and ultimately it was minor details that meant Ferrari rather than Mercedes went home victorious from the first grand prix of 2017.
Nigel Roebuck
A genuine threat to mercedes.
Dan Gurney 1931-2018
Dan Gurney 1931-2018
How Kubica's F1 Racing Dream Was Put On Hold
How Kubica’s F1 Racing Dream Was Put On Hold
Halo It's Here
Like it or loathe it, the halo safety structure is a fixture for Formula 1 in 2018. Here’s how it’s set to affect the cars.
Rosenqvist's 10-Step Guide To Beating Buemi
The Swede turned the tables on Formula E’s top dog, beating the reigning champion and taking the lead in the title chase.
Ferrari's Finest
A selection of the Italian marque's racing machinery provided a compelling centrepiece to Autosport International 2018.
Richards' Latest Task
The Prodrive boss andnewMSA chairman assessed the challenges and opportunities facing British motorsport in 2018.
Newey F1's Aero Artist On Its New Aero Era
The Red Bull design guru can see some interesting elements in the new rulebook.