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Fernando Alonso believes that the motorsport world will see the true pace and potential of McLaren in 2018. The Woking team will be powered by French manufacturer Renault next year, who also supply engines to the works Renault team and Red Bull.
During the Singapore Grand Prix weekend two weeks ago, McLaren announced its divorce from Honda, its current engine supplier. The fallen partnership re-formed in 2015, but Honda failed to produce a competitive engine over the following three seasons. However, now that the team will have a more powerful unit next year, Alonso thinks that the results will improve drastically.
McLaren Announces Spectacular Driver Change
"Next year will be a good test," Alonso told Sky F1. "The same engine as Red Bull will be the truth to see whether the chassis is good or not. "For the last three years we have been the only team with the Honda engine so it's been hard to compare. But the engineers do simulations on everything and we believe we have a good car."
Fergal Walsh
Grand Prix of Belgium
C. Sainz jr
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Replies (7)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Knowing your luck Alonso, that wont happen.
mcbhargav
Posts: 1,332
Its 500 Employees of McLaren vs Alonso's luck.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Alonso has had worse odds before. ;)
krommenaas
Posts: 155
Wouldn't it be great though to see Ricciardo, Verstappen, Alonso and Vandoorne fight with more or less equal weapons! And Hulk and Sainz will probably be close too. If the Renault engine can make a big step, they would all mix it up with the Ferrari's and Mercedesses even. We can dream can't we? :)
talktohenry
Posts: 362
Interesting to see if they will be quicker than RB, I suspect - Yes, and this will well piss off RB.
Barron
Posts: 625
Unfortunately McLaren hasn't had a good chassis in years and yes, that includes Padddy Lowe & Tim Goss. Frankly, their recent cars have been sheds. Now it's time for Peter Prodoumo to properly show the skills learned alongside the mighty Newey. Alonso feels it's a good chassis but until they can power it properly they will never know. It might still be a shed. After all, look what's happened to Williams with the most powerful engine on the grid - they're going backwards, and they seem to be placing a lot of faith in Lowe, who we know is a decent shed designer. Why did Merc let him go with no gardening leave I ask you?
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
That was certainly the case up until 2016. This year, Im not sure. It looks very competent, but Im not sure that says anything about their 2018 form, just like Renault's and Honda's respective abysmal forms this season likely says little about their 2018 capabilities. Two things are certain: McLaren are two weeks behind schedule already, and they have far less money to spend on the next season's chassis now.