RBR To use Honda engines for 2019 and 2020 seasons! This will be interesting, considering how viscous they were to Renault a couple of years back... Also, might finally give McLaren a chance to finish ahead of them in the constructors championship (provided Renault make a step forward). EDIT: Also, "Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Honda" is an utterly ridiculous name for a team.
They won't be a works team either I wonder how this will affect Daniel's decision on where he goes at the end of the year? ignoring the works badge, how does he feel about Honda really moving forward and challenging Mercedes and Ferrari.
So Red Bull are paying full asking price for the units, then? That's going to make it all the more likely that Horner and Marko will start bashing them as soon as an engine goes pop at an inconvenient time!
In return they can save some money though as with both Red Bull teams using the same engine they can share more parts (cooling etc) between the teams.
Someone else's stats for how McLaren and Torro Rosso's engine switches have impacted results: Gasly's 4th place was a genuine outlier, not a mark of progress. Both Torro Rosso drivers are heading the engine component usage charts too. If Renault do make a step forward with the engine for next year, the upper mid-field battle between the works team, McLaren and RBR could be more exciting than the inevitable Ferrari VS Mercedes fight.
The RBR and Mclaren Battle is Renault do make a step is the battle i want to see the most, I would love so much to see RBR go to honda and have more issues and for Mclaren to do well with the Renault power unit. See how long before RBR are openly blaming honda for all the issues
The Honda move is no surprise, RB practically had to beg to get Renault engines for 2018, for 2019 Renault were never going to supply them. I think Ricciardo's mind was made up after Baku. Whilst the actual crash was both of them getting it wrong the fact that RB had let Verstappen drive like a plonker for 50 laps and done nothing about it showed where their priorities lie. I still think he will be driving a Merc next year even if both sides have denied it.
https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclaren-offer-ricciardo-20m-a-year-deal-report/ If the big two don't make an offer I can see Ricc taking this simply because it's fourty(!) times his base pay at Red Bull.
not only that, but I also hazard a guess that he's aware his career with RBR is not going to go super far. So may as well switch to the devil you don't know for the money
Alonso-Ricciardo will be properly potent combo for McLaren. If this happens, my jimmies will be well and truly rustled.
I would love to see that as well. in a competitive car. would be a great dynamic to see and i would expect some quality racing
My assumption is that it will be Ricciardo-Vandoorne, Nando's got his eyes on the Brickyard. But yes, Eyebrows and the Grinning Assasin in one team would be a superb line up. No excuses if Mclaren don't build a great car, but then that never stopped them when it was Hamilton and Button, or Alonso and Button, or Kimi and DC either.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/136898/ferrari-ready-to-replace-raikkonen-with-leclerc So looks like Kimi might be going at the end of the season... interesting
My feeling is that Alonso is, right now, holding McLaren hostage a bit. If they make the right sounds, he'll stay. If not, he'll go. If he goes, McLaren loses an on-car sponsor in the form of Kimoa as well. Either way, I feel he's gone after next season. I am hoping for Ricciardo and Lando Norris at McLaren next year. That will mean RBR will run Gasly/Verstappen. Ferrari will be with Leclerc/Vettel Sauber will pull in Giovinazzi for the replacement - italian, Ferrari Development driver -that's pretty much a perfect tryout in an Alfa branded car. I also reckon there is a chance of Romain losing his seat. Yes, there is bad luck involved in his performance this year, but, quite frankly, KMags seems to be doing a better job, more quietly.
I reckon Alonso wage and his eyes on Indy will mean McLaren won't keep him. unless he goes for a sabbatical. If Riccardo goes he at least gets to be team leader if Alonso goes and if Alonso is there, a new challenge. It also speaks volumes about his thoughts on Honda. I can't see Stoffle being there next season. Unless Alonso goes and Riccardo doest come, I think McLaren will have Lando in the seat next season pairing Riccardo/Alonso I can see Haas remaining loyal to Kmags and Grosjean. They have thus far and both have been unimpressive the last few seasons. I wonder what happens to Sainz. He seems to be about to fall through the cracks especially since Gasley has impressed. Givonazzi is interesting. The team really talk him up due to the work he's done behind the scenes. For someone not currently racing he's making headlines which is interesting. I wonder if he could sneak ahead of Leclerc
Depends if he can get on terms with Hulkenberg, aside from his annual Baku crash Hulk has been pretty unstoppable in that Renault. Sainz needs to be beating him some of the time, although it does serve as a reminder that Hul is actually pretty freaking fast even if he hasn't managed a podium finish.