Respected insiders are not expecting McLaren-Honda to shine in 2015. With the Japanese engine maker Honda returning to the sport this year to revive its iconic collaboration with the British team, it has notably struggled so far simply to run its compact and complex turbo V6.
McLaren-Honda managed to secure arguably F1's best driver - Fernando Alonso - to spearhead the project, but not everyone agrees that even the Spaniard can be a silver bullet. "Fernando is a driver who could have taken five world titles, but he has made some bad decisions with teams," Livio Oricchio, a veteran Brazilian correspondent, is quoted by the Spanish daily AS.
"In 2007 he left a team at the top to go halfway down the grid, and now he's back with a team where he knows he will have to wait to win. That's his fault," he argued. Oricchio added: "I do think they (McLaren-Honda) have all the potential, especially with Alonso, but this year I think they cannot win. In 2016, probably yes."
Sharing that view is another of F1's top journalists, the Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt. He said: "Fernando is the best, but of course he also needs a good car. McLaren will give it to him, along with Honda, but not this year. Mercedes is still at a much higher level, then there's Ferrari and Williams and Red Bull. McLaren? Their time will be 2016," Schmidt added. (GMM)
Insiders doubt if McLaren-Honda will shine in 2015
- Published on 06 Feb 2015 14:11
-
0
- By: Rob Veenstra
.
Trending news
-
Steiner's stark warning to Russell: top team days could be overGeorge Russell faces intense scrutiny after being told by Guenther Steiner that he must improve immediately or risk e...
25 Aug 2026 15:09 -
Why Alonso rates Verstappen above Schumacher as his greatest rivalFernando Alonso has named Max Verstappen the best competitor he has ever faced on track, placing the Red Bull driver ...
25 Aug 2026 14:08 -
Why Toto Wolff believes Max Verstappen's new Red Bull contract ends the 2025 silly seasonToto Wolff believes the driver market has effectively closed after Max Verstappen committed his future to Red Bull Ra...
25 Aug 2026 12:56 -
Why Wolff isn't worried about Norris repeating Verstappen's comebackToto Wolff has played down the threat posed by Lando Norris's closing title deficit, pointing to Max Verstappen&#...
25 Aug 2026 11:55 -
Can Hadjar return at Monza despite hand injury?Isack Hadjar appeared in the Zandvoort paddock on Sunday with his left hand injury downplayed, prompting Red Bull to ...
25 Aug 2026 10:53
Dutch Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Dutch Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
Test calendar
Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
-
Jan 26
I. Hadjar
- 1:18.159
-
-
-
Jan 27
M. Verstappen
- 1:19.578
-
-
-
Jan 28
A. Antonelli
- 1:17.362
-
-
-
Jan 29
G. Russell
- 1:16.445
-
-
-
Jan 30
L. Hamilton
- 1:16.348
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 11
L. Norris
- 1:34.669
-
-
-
Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
-
-
-
Feb 13
A. Antonelli
- 1:33.669
-
-
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
-
Feb 18
G. Russell
- 1:33.459
-
-
Feb 19
A. Antonelli
- 1:32.803
-
-
Feb 20
C. Leclerc
- 1:31.992
-
-
World Championship standings 2026
Pos
Driver
Team
Points
Pos
Team
Points
Related news
Give your opinion!
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
-
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Driver profile
- Team Aston Martin
- Points 631
- Podiums 9
- Grand Prix 204
- Country ES
- Date of b. Jul 29 1981 (45)
- Place of b. Oviedo, ES
- Weight 68 kg
- Length 1.71 m
- 188,072 comments on Aston Martin
78 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Fernando Alonso
Team profile
- Team name Williams
- Base Grove, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
- Jacques Villeneuve 1
- Logan Sargeant 2
- Ayrton Senna 2
- Jacques Villeneuve 3
- Nicholas Latifi 6
- Jacques Villeneuve 6
- Nico Rosberg 7
- Nico Hülkenberg 10
- Nico Rosberg 10
- Jenson Button 10
- Pastor Maldonado 12
- Pastor Maldonado 16
- Nico Rosberg 16
- Nico Rosberg 16
- Valtteri Bottas 17
- Lance Stroll 18
- Pastor Maldonado 18
- Felipe Massa 19
- Alexander Albon 23
- Sergey Sirotkin 35
- Nyck de Vries 45
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- George Russell 63
- Valtteri Bottas 77
- Robert Kubica 88
- 161,828 comments on Williams
- 39 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about Williams
Replies (0)
Login to reply