Motors Bit-Tech F1 2017 thread - Season Complete

His appearance at Indy 500 could result in a cameo in Cars 4.

 

Doubt it'll be Jenson unfortunately. more likely to be the test driver as they will know the car which round Monaco is more important. Sure it would be a PR boon for them but I'd venture they would do better with someone who knows the car.

 

I dont see how the car has changed all that much since last year.. Plus, Button is an ambassador for them, lives in Monaco, and has previously won there... and the fact he is pretty universally supported.

He'd be the best option for most if not all teams if you needed a driver to parachute in for that race.

 

My prediction is Button races in Monaco, finishes third, and gets disqualified for speeding.

 

Jenson: Monaco baby, YEAH!!!!

 

I expect JB to drive, he's been keeping ultra fit during his 'time off' and Monaco is not a place for a driver to debut.

Alternatively Honda could demand Nobuharu Matsushita gets a go, but probably not at Monaco. Fernando is clearly driving in IDGAF mode this year, I bet if he does well at Indy he won't be back in the MCL32 in 2017.

 

I agree, Jenson has been in enough cars and through enough regulation changes to get up to speed well within time... And that's without factoring in the fact he could be in the simulator right now.

The real story will be whether he stays in the car for the rest of the season and Alonso finally takes that sabbatical he's been threatening for a while. Gardening leave, anyone?

 

I seriously doubt Alonso will see out this season. I reckon he told them that this was their last chance to get their sh!t together. He has been loudly critical of Honda since pre season testing began.

 

Well, Alonso HAS stated that, since it's unlikely he'll get the 8 WDC's he needs to be the best, he IS chasing the triple crown.
Depending on how Indy goes for him, I see him in WEC next year.

As for his repalcement in Monaco - Maybe Button, but I think more likely: Rossi. That would mean a one-for-one swap for Andretti, and good exposure for both sports. Also - he has raced F1 before, as we all know.

 

As the team's lead driver, I think it should be expected that Alonso is critical of Honda, he is regarded as one of the most complete drivers up and down the grid. Even Button had a few digs at Honda in the latter part of last season.

 

Last year they seemed to have more patience and Honda did go into the season with some progress. This season the token system was removed yet Honda have went backwards in both reliability and performance. They're possibly behind last years Ferrari engine which Renault were able to pretty much match by season end.

Honda were held back by their way of working, initial design idea, token system preventing radical change and the size zero McLaren. Despite these issues being removed to an extent, From my point of view, Honda don't seem to have a plan B, but appear rather slow behind the scenes. By that I mean, they saw their engine direction wasn't going to work and yet didn't overhaul it as quick as they should of or have a separate branch working in parallel ready to jump at the end of the season. They had a year of unrestricted development for the new engine formula yet again that year seemed to account for nothing. I still think that is the case that they are slower or unwilling to develop as quick as other manufacturers.

Vandoorne certainly hasn't held back with the comments in China about Honda and I wonder how much Honda is seen as Dennis's project? Red Bull lit a fire under Renault, This could be McLarens attempt to do the same to Honda. The difference tho appears to be Renault were at least embarrassed by being one of the worse engines and determined to put it right. I don't see that in Honda

 

Called it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/39589767

 

That's the long and short of it.

Mercedes have engines and gearboxes attached to dynos all the time. They got around the testing ban and they ignored the token system, the tokens only applied to things you actually fitted during the season after all.

Honda on the other hand have apparently been testing things on a single cylinder mock up. They weren't even running this year's V6 properly until after Christmas last year. They clearly aren't taking the job seriously enough to ever climb out of their last place position. They had the worst of the V8 engines and the least reliable V10s too.


http://www.planetf1.com/news/honda-thought-2017-engine-would-be-too-easy/

 

I don't think there was really any other true alternative, it had to be Button but have a pat on the back anyway

I seem to recall them having some success with the Mugen-Honda V10, it did win a couple of races (Panis/Ligier 96 at Monaco and Hill/Jordan 98 at Spa, admittedly both races had high attrition rates!

 

The Mugen Hondas were made entirely by Mugen, Honda paid to to have their name on the block and access to tech they developed. Honda dumped on Mugen in 1999 by taking all the tech Mugen developed and starting their own in house engine manufacturing.

The Honda V10 from 2000-2005 never won a race, the V8 won once, hardly a sparkling history.

 

Hardly an announcement, is it?

 

Congratulations - no one else could have predicted McLaren's contracted reserve driver would fill in for Alonso.

 

I thought it was Mugen that prepared the Honda engines?

Breaking News: Alonso to miss more races

 

Didn't Honda have one of the most powerful engines and finish 2bd in the championship? I think in 04 or 05. It was Buttons first season and he refused to go back to Williams for the next?
From memory they also seemed strong the season before they ran that earthworks nonsense. I'm certain that was in 06. Maybe I'm getting both seasons muddled

 

04 - BAR Honda finished 2nd behind Ferrari. Largely thanks to Button getting it on the Podium several times.