zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
McLaren-Honda Is A Hot Mess And Alonso Is Still F1's Unhappiest Man
McLaren-Honda Is A Hot Mess And Alonso Is Still F1's Unhappiest Man-October 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:25

The fallout at McLaren-Honda from last week’s Formula One continues to be ugly. Honda’s already parting ways with one of its engine consultants, and McLaren team manager Eric Boullier confirmed that star driver Fernando Alonso isn’t happy yet again.

2017 was supposed to be the year McLaren rose back to the top, but engine woes have prevented that so far. Eric Boullier confirmed to La Gazzetto della Sport (as translated on ) that everybody at the team is doubting Honda’s ability to deliver:

We are all disappointed by these first tests, because we could not do what we wanted. I do not know if Honda can give us the guarantees we ask for. But we absolutely need to see significant progress.

Guess who would probably rather be somewhere else during these tests? That’s right: Fernando Alonso. Boullier continued:

After six months everybody said it would be a tragedy with [Alonso], a mess, but in the third year he is still here. Of course he is not happy, because he wants to fight to win. It is up to us to bring McLaren to the level it deserves.

Boullier also says he’s been keeping Alonso calm and engaged with the team by being honest about their situation—after all, no one at the team is happy about it. Not getting Alonso’s hopes up is all the team can do.

Of course, Alonso being unhappy was such a theme that it over the past few years. We just want him to be happy. Why can’t he be happy?

So, is Honda doing anything about this? Well, they just let engine consultant Gilles Simon go, reports —a news item that seems mundane until you read that McLaren had hoped for more outside consultants with experience on other teams to be involved with Honda’s power unit, and Honda had always pushed back against the idea. I’m sure this is just one more point of contention between the two entities.

Simon had previously worked on Michael Schumacher’s ultra-dominant engines at Ferrari, and is now on a six-month gardening leave before he’s expected to land at another team. He started working with Honda in 2013.

Even more damning is the fact that Honda still hasn’t released a reason why their engine failed on the second day of testing. A Honda spokesman told Motorsport.com:

It is still under investigation but it [work] is also proceeding day by day. We need some more runs in the test, with some changes in the power unit, to clarify the root cause.

Uh, guys? It will have been a week after that engine failed tomorrow. Y’all are going to need to work faster on stuff like this if you expect not to suck by the time the season starts.

Brace yourselves, everyone. The #PlacesAlonsoWouldRatherBe memes are going to come back in full force.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
In another unsurprising example of motorsport’s inhospitable mindset toward hiring competent women, the Racing team has announced a new partnership with Ava Rose, a literal , who will... engage with fans? Share knowledge about technology? “Navigate the cutting edge of innovation to create positive change” (whatever that means)? I...
Oct 20, 2024
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
Name a car from the early 1960s built by a famed racing driver with curvy, lightweight aluminum bodywork, a big American engine, and a reputation for being unruly and fast as all hell. Your first thought was probably the famed Shelby Cobra, did you know there was a who...
Oct 20, 2024
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Fellow nerds, get ready to open your wallets, because I’ve found what may be the greatest store of all time. With designs from Formula 1 teams like , you’re sure to find something that fits your particular nostalgic niche. I’d like to introduce you to Racing Retro. I first...
Oct 20, 2024
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
If you follow racing in the U.S., you probably already know about the . Most of the episodes are too much of a distraction to put on as background noise while you work, but a couple of recent entries in his series have been working incredibly well for me....
Oct 20, 2024
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
The partially North Carolina-based squad has determined that after , it needs to mix things up a little. The team’s firebrand has been following an abysmal 2023 season which saw the team score just four points-paying finishes. The team’s , where scored a fourth-place finish, but that season too...
Oct 20, 2024
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
If you listen to Formula 1 or local officials from Las Vegas and Clark County, you’d probably think November’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix was a success. Some sources estimated that the city of Las Vegas made over $1 billion in revenue from the event — but there were...
Oct 20, 2024
Copyright 2023-2024 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved