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^^ you guys gotta realize this is obviously Honda's first year so they are where the existing teams (except MBZ) were last year at the same time and ahead of where Renault were. Chill, it'll be all good.
In F1, if you're not cheating, you're not trying. I have heard it suggested that MBZ worked out their issues "outside of scheduled testing". Those running F1 have been known to look the other way in certain circumstances with the view that "all teams are equal, but some teams are more equal than others". Conspiracy theorists postulate that F1 was tired of the Red Bull domination beginning to hurt TV ratings and so "arrangements were made with MBZ" to end the domination. In classic F1 fashion, the solution may have been worse than the original problem.
Alternatively, MBZ may have simply used their global reach and power and thrown huge gobs of money at their F1 program to end up where they are today.
My hope is that the clever folks at Honda have a new technology on top of the tight P/U packaging that will give them the edge once the bugs are worked out. Remember that it was a Honda engineer that came up with the double diffuser that allowed Brawn to dominate with little or no mid season upgrades. If that hasn't happened, throw many millions at Bernie and test all you want (tongue firmly planted in cheek).
Can't wait for Melbourne and mostly the later part of the season.
The Alonso rumors have been quashed by McLaren who say the telemetry data doesn't support anything but a mistake by Alonso in part caused by the heavy, gusty winds. Alonso was applying maximum braking force AND downshifting AFTER losing control which completely diffuses any "he passed out before the accident" nonsense rumors (not judging F-C, just the rumors). The medical treatment Alonso received was standard procedure for any injury involving a bump to the head/suspicion of concussion.
Add my name to the list of those who are disappointed with the McLaren/Honda so far but I am still very optimistic that they've built a race winner or at very least a very competitive car once the reliability issues are worked out. We could possibly see McLaren/Honda treat the Australian Grand Prix as three more days of testing as they START to introduce their true race package and not the launch configuration they are working out the bugs with. I'm hoping Prodomou has some secret something special to show us in Melbourne and Honda unleashes a monster power unit.
Of course the team would say that their telemetry indicated that Alonso applied the brakes and downshifted. Conspiracy theories all over!
No worries, Brian Williams will report on what really happened. After all, he was in the cockpit with Alonso.
^^LOL
I wonder if they waited to see if Alonso's concussion left him with any recollection of the accident before announcing the telemetry data. Just kidding.
The Alonso rumors have been quashed by McLaren who say the telemetry data doesn't support anything but a mistake by Alonso in part caused by the heavy, gusty winds. Alonso was applying maximum braking force AND downshifting AFTER losing control which completely diffuses any "he passed out before the accident" nonsense rumors (not judging F-C, just the rumors). The medical treatment Alonso received was standard procedure for any injury involving a bump to the head/suspicion of concussion.
Add my name to the list of those who are disappointed with the McLaren/Honda so far but I am still very optimistic that they've built a race winner or at very least a very competitive car once the reliability issues are worked out. We could possibly see McLaren/Honda treat the Australian Grand Prix as three more days of testing as they START to introduce their true race package and not the launch configuration they are working out the bugs with. I'm hoping Prodomou has some secret something special to show us in Melbourne and Honda unleashes a monster power unit.
Didn't know Prodomou until this post, intersting world of the technical F1 people behind the scenes.
Car not reliable.
Car not fast.
Still not sure why Alonso crashed and why he has a loss of memory.
Now they don't know if Alonso will be ready by Melbourne.
Maybe he's trying to forget that he signed a contract with McLaren??? Kidding.
I believe normal post-concussion protocol is plenty of rest especially if he is still experiencing headaches or other symptoms. The last thing his brain needs right now is to experience high g-forces repeated during testing (although that would appear to be less of a concern given the current state of the McLaren testing program).
I'm still clinging to the hope that Honda sorts this all out and starts to rise to the top by the Grand Prix of China mid-April. In a 20 race season, it wouldn't be catastrophic if Honda/McLaren used the first couple of races "testing" and tuning rather than pushing 100% for immediate max performance.
McLaren will get things sorted out, ppl need to calm down.
I am not surprised that it might be possible for Alonso to miss Melbourne. It's only two weeks away. Recovery can be a long and slow process. I've had three concussions and know all too well how slow recovery can be. It's not something you want to rush back from, and driving an F1 car is extremely mentally and physically taxing. Not a good combination if someone is still suffering symptoms. Concentration is reduced/poor, and physical activity makes the symptoms way worse. If he has symptoms (and they dont go away over night), the last place he should be is in an F1 car. The risk to himself and others is too high.
That sound we all hear are Honda executives and McLaren executives collectively breathing a huge sigh of relief. Pounding out 100 laps is a small step towards where they want to be, but it sure beats spending another day in the garage. Hopefully the momentum keeps going for the rest of the test so we can START to see hints of their "real pace".
The Merc garage are getting a bit smug for my liking (not surprising considering their current dominant position), so I'm hoping more than ever that somebody knocks them off their perch and I would especially love a big "H" on the car doing the knocking.
In F1, if you're not cheating, you're not trying. I have heard it suggested that MBZ worked out their issues "outside of scheduled testing". Those running F1 have been known to look the other way in certain circumstances with the view that "all teams are equal, but some teams are more equal than others". Conspiracy theorists postulate that F1 was tired of the Red Bull domination beginning to hurt TV ratings and so "arrangements were made with MBZ" to end the domination. In classic F1 fashion, the solution may have been worse than the original problem.
Alternatively, MBZ may have simply used their global reach and power and thrown huge gobs of money at their F1 program to end up where they are today.
My hope is that the clever folks at Honda have a new technology on top of the tight P/U packaging that will give them the edge once the bugs are worked out. Remember that it was a Honda engineer that came up with the double diffuser that allowed Brawn to dominate with little or no mid season upgrades. If that hasn't happened, throw many millions at Bernie and test all you want (tongue firmly planted in cheek).
Can't wait for Melbourne and mostly the later part of the season.
It's not cheating, it's creative interpretation of the FIA rules.
Some of MBZ success is getting Aldo Costa from Ferrari in 2011 who previously worked under Rory Brawn.
^^ me too but ain't gonna happen any time soon. Rosberg ended up nearly 3 seconds clear of Jensen's fastest time, both set on the soft tire.
I agree, but here are some reasons for my optimism:
Considering that the Honda MGU-K is currently being held together with duct tape and chewing gum until the new seal can be redesigned, their times are not far off the other teams trying to catch the Mercs. Once Honda fixes the seal and can crank the power unit "up to 11", only then can we judge their pace.
The straight line speed of the Honda/McLaren was WAY down as a result of the engine settings necessitated by the MGU-K seal issue and I am hopeful that the "size zero" tight design philosophy will result in a slippery final race trim and speed trap numbers at or near the top of the grid.
Button and Magnussen both made comments that "there is much more to come" suggesting the testing woes have left McLaren behind BUT the underlying speed of the car is there once the power unit is performing at max power and they catch up with their aero work.
The next month or so should tell us whether my blind optimism is warranted.
^^It certainly begs the question of whether his doctors would have cleared him to race if the McLaren/Honda topped the time sheets at the last test???? I don't blame him for being cautious with his brain following a concussion, but I just wonder if what he perceives to be the likely outcome of the Melbourne race for McLaren played a part in his decision?
What I find worrisome is that they still don't know why Alonso blacked out. Or maybe they are refusing to say. It certainly feeds the conspiracy theories.
he smacked his head in a 130 mph crash-of course he blacked out.
Nope. That's in kph. Meaning he hit the wall at "only" about 80mph. You normally don't expect an F1 driver to have a concussion at 80mph, especially since the car only glanced the wall, and the car only had minimal damage. Somebody is hiding something.
Fernando Alonso's most striking symptom after crashing in Barcelona eleven days ago was a total loss of memory.
The Spanish daily El Pais claims that when the 33-year-old regained consciousness, he thought it was 1995.
"I'm Fernando," he told doctors, "I race karts and I want to be a formula one driver."
The newspaper said Alonso took a week to recover his memories of the past 20 years, including his Minardi debut in 2001, his two titles with Renault and his switch from Ferrari to McLaren-Honda for 2015.
McLaren, however, claims every medical test and scan has subsequently shown Alonso to be completely injury and symptom free, although doctors have sidelined him for Australia for fear of the potentially fatal 'second impact syndrome'.
This has raised eyebrows within the medical community.
"Invoking this hypothesis to justify him not racing next weekend makes no sense in this case," said Barcelona neurologist Dr Rafael Blesa.
"They (McLaren) claim all checks show no injury, meaning that the brain is just as it was before the accident. In that case, the first impact would have no effect in the event of a second," he explained.
What a cluster&(#$ of a situation over at Sauber this past week/weekend.
McLaren-Honda have a lot of work to do, but for reliability sake they turned down the engine power. Wonder what the pace would be with it turned up. Should be interesting to see how their development goes throughout the season.
Ferrari seems to have shown a good pace improvement. If true about them turning down the power I think once Mclaren gets things straightened out they will be good.
A shame about K-Mag's car. The kid gets what is probably his only GP this season, and the engine blows for the race starts.
Just needed ONE more car to drop out for Button / McHonda to get a point. At least he brought it home...and not blow his first engine. Supposedly the 58 race laps is the biggest single-chunk of track time for the car. Wonder how much power they had to turn down to make that happen.
LOL @ Hamilton's star-struck reaction when the Governator got on the podium.
02-23-2015, 04:41 PM
amusing but aluminum foil in aisle 10
Didn't know Prodomou until this post, intersting world of the technical F1 people behind the scenes.
McLaren will get things sorted out, ppl need to calm down.
Williams at the top
