FEBRUARY 6, 2018 Lando Norris prepared to leave McLaren Lando Norris says he is prepared to leave McLaren if the British team has no place for him within a year or so. This year, McLaren will line up with an unchanged driver pairing of Fernando Alonso alongside Stoffel Vandoorne. But youngster Norris, the new reigning F3 champion, steps up into the reserve role for 2018. About his future, he said: "You could say it depends on what he (Alonso) does. "So we'll have to wait to see what Fernando wants to do because I think they (McLaren) are also happy with Vandoorne," Norris, 18, is quoted by Marca sports newspaper. The young Briton will combine his McLaren role with Formula 2 this year. "I can develop a lot and definitely improve as a driver in 2018," Norris said. "Obviously my goal is to be at McLaren but if I cannot get a place here, then I'll have to look for other opportunities. "If they tell me there will be no place for three years then it's obvious that I'll have to go somewhere else, but if it's only a year, I think I'll continue with McLaren," he added.
He's a bit impatient and understandbly. But F1 is not a place where opportunities abound. Showing a bit of faith and loyalty with Mclaren wont hurt. Getting good results in F2 will keep him noticed by others.
I think everyone had high expectations but Vandoorne wasn't that impressive last season. If he doesn't improve significantly Lando Norris' chance will come sooner than later.
+1 and why I said Norris should drive and be a touch patient. Vdoorne must show strongly with the better PU now!
FEBRUARY 7, 2018 McLaren happier heading into 2018 Jo Ramirez says he senses a very different McLaren as the British team prepares for 2018. McLaren's long-time former team coordinator told Spanish radio Cadena Cope that dumping Honda means the team now "sees light at the end of the tunnel". "They're much happier," said Mexican Ramirez. "They are working very well with Renault engineers because the European people are more open. "I see them enjoying the moment and doing everything with a lot of passion because they know that at the end of the tunnel they will get results again," he added. He said the fact that Red Bull has done well with the Renault engine will both put pressure on and motivate McLaren. "They have done enough podiums and victories with this engine that they will have to do the same, because if we listen to what Renault and Prost tell us, the engine will at the level of the Mercedes of last year," he said. "Maybe they will even make an incredible engine while Mercedes suffers. I don't know, but there is hope," Ramirez continued. He also backed Fernando Alonso's decision to split F1 with sports cars this year, saying the Spaniard must have "a crazy desire to sit in the car". "(Zak) Brown is helping him because it's what Fernando wants to do. In the past we saw F1 drivers racing every weekend in other categories, so in my opinion the more time you spend in a racing car, the better."
FEBRUARY 9, 2018 McLaren hopes to influence Renault engine McLaren's aerodynamics boss has tipped the British team to have a successful relationship with Renault. This week, Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul warned that, as a customer, McLaren will not be able to influence the development direction of the engine for now. But Peter Prodromou knows what life as a Renault customer is like, having been a leading player at Red Bull in the Sebastian Vettel era. "The relationship was very positive and extremely fruitful," he is quoted by Spain's AS newspaper. "And part of the success was not only attributed to Milton Keynes but also Viry," he explained. "For instance, the diffuser is something we worked on very closely together. I hope we can replicate that relationship at McLaren now," said Prodromou. "It's different of course and we are customers. "But over time I think we can work closely and forge strong relationships in which we can influence some of the work they do, and we'll get the additional benefits that come from a relationship with a manufacturer," he added.
FEBRUARY 13, 2018 Alonso has faith in Renault engine Fernando Alonso says he has "total" confidence that he will win in 2018. After three bad years with Honda power, McLaren is now switching to customer Renault engines. Spaniard Alonso won his titles with works Renault power over a decade ago, and so he said the French marque will be able to fix its reliability problems of late 2017. "Total. Total," he said again when asked by Spain's AS newspaper how much confidence he has. "I believe there are three engine manufacturers now at a very high level, and of the three, Mercedes has dominated in this era. "But if you have to trust someone, you trust Renault, who in the last ten or 12 years has won six or seven times," Alonso added. "Renault is an engine of guarantees and always has been," he said. Alonso will uniquely split his time between F1 and the world endurance championship this year, declaring that between his duties, "I will win" in 2018. Asked if he can win in F1, Alonso answered: "I don't know. We'll see. "But I said I am going to win this year and I will." Alonso drove an all-orange McLaren entry in the Indy 500 last year, and now there is speculation the British team will field a similar livery in F1. "I haven't seen the colours but if it is orange like in Indy it will be perfect," he said. "But it's also perfect if a sponsor comes and paints it whatever colour at the last moment. "What is really certain is that expectations are much better than we had in the last three winters. The atmosphere in the factory is much more positive," said Alonso.
''Vandoorne wasn't impressive''.........well neither were McL. !...........give him a chance ! Put Vettel in a pile of junk, and it still isn't going anywhere. Looking forward to McL. mixing it with the leaders this year.......although throughout 2017, the best racing was all mid-field.
MARCH 5, 2018 McLaren's Honda decision hasty says Villadelprat Former F1 engineer Joan Villadelprat wonders if McLaren was right to have dumped Honda. Already last week, when Honda's new works partner Toro Rosso topped the mileage charts in Barcelona, driver Brendon Hartley said McLaren's decision may have been a "mistake". And now, Spanish former F1 engineer Villadelprat also doubts the wisdom of McLaren's Honda axe. "I already had reservations last year and I still do," he told Marca. "I thought it was a hasty change and that they would miss all the advantages. As a customer you always have limitations, especially it seems when you are with Renault. "I think French pride will drive them to very much want to beat them (McLaren)," said Villadelprat, who worked for McLaren, Ferrari, Benetton and Prost. He continued: "I think the McLaren is a very developed car aerodynamically, but as the year progresses, Renault will move ahead. "They are not investing all of that money from Paris without their own ambitions." Villadelprat said all McLaren and Fernando Alonso can realistically hope for, therefore, is fourth place behind F1's existing top three teams. "I do not doubt that Fernando will do podiums, but further than that I think will be very difficult," he added. And he thinks that with a more reliable and powerful Honda engine, Toro Rosso could be a surprise of 2018. "I do not rule out that they will be together with Renault and McLaren. I know very well that they fit perfectly with Honda and they want the project to work, as does Red Bull. "I'm sure they (Red Bull) will take that engine in 2019 and will help in every way to develop it. Honda's potential is enormous if someone helps them to channel it," Villadelprat added.
If McHonda was not dead last with the unreliable Honda engine, imagine where Toro Rosso will be with what looks to be a solid, if not bulletproof engine this year.
Oh boy, I was rooting for them, but it looks like McLaren will eat their words... Vandoorne today still in the garage, and ToroHonda is kickin ass!
..Must be from the amazing chassis james Key built, or the superfast drivers they have!!! lolololololo
I really question why Alonso is doing 2 racing series in the same year. IMO, that's not taking his job at McLaren seriously. But then Zak Brown has bent over for Alonso so many times its just par for the course now. We expect it. Next we expect Alonso to be selling stuff at concession stands at every Spanish Football match.
Three series actually, if you consider Daytona as IMSA and LeMans and as WEC. What next, WRC and Indy redux? He seems to be on a rampage to prove he's the GOAT, and obviously frustrated by lack of results caused by his own poor choices.
I think Alonso knows he cannot be F1 world champion again. So he's trying to make his legacy elsewhere. But that means he really isn't fully committed to helping McLaren. His adventure at Indy last year got to his ego. He was again the superstar everyone paid attention to. The knock against Alonso has always been he's not a team player and always in it for himself. I think this season pretty much will prove that. That started with his antics at McLaren, his involvement in SpyGate, and his controversial time at Ferrari. Alonso will go down as a great driver who constantly made poor career decisions.
Still debugging their design https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mclaren-cooling-fix-burned-bodywork-1012054/
Alonso isn't even close to GOAT. Every where he goes becomes a mess... But,.. it is GO Away Time for Alonso. So in that way he's a GOAT. But that would ruin the fun of watching him get passed by driver's and teams he views as unworthy of his greatness. I personally think McLaren will regret ditching Honda. To go from being a Factory Team for Honda and become a customer team for Renault, competing with RedBull and a Factory Team is not the route to Championships. McLaren should have bided it's time,... wait for the next formula,... and worked to succeed with Honda.
