Poll: who will be ahead in 2018, McLaren-Renault or STR-Honda

[zeph]

Thread title says it all. While logic dictates McLaren-Renault should be ahead, Fernando Alonso's luck indicates Honda will make good and turn STR into a championship contender.

Place your bets now. Winners will get honor and bragging rights. No cash taken or given.

[NathanOlder]

Honda power all the way! Shame their driver line up will be poor.

If they freakishly turn up with the best power unit, Kvyat will be champion! How bad will that be.

[JonoNic]

I think you should allow for head and heart decisions. Head says Mclaren and heart says Honda

[atis]

Alonso's bad timing issue indicates STR Honda to be ahead!

[FrukostScones]

this is just a little "how biased am I test".

TR has no chance. I am pro Honda (once owned an CA Aerodeck ). and am neutral to TR.. slightly anti-McLaren but hey: McLaren is the answer.

[techman]

if TR had good drivers, i will back TR honda. i hope pierre gasly is given a drive, he will need experience like most rookie to get to speed in F1. Pascal werhlien is an awesome replacement

[NL_Fer]

Given the fact that current Renault can put a car on the first row and McLaren can beat a Torro Rosso with that same Renault. I believe it is McLaren for podiums and Torro Rosso in Q1. At worst McLaren is 5th and Torro Rosso 7th (don't forget Renault Team)

[Shrieker]

Shouldn t the poll be Red Bull vs McLaren 2018 ?

[Sevach]

Logic says Mclaren, even if Honda makes a step we can't expect their engine to be Mercedes powerful/efficient next year.

And Mclaren has a much better chassis than STR, STR will have more money teaming up with Honda... but it still takes time to address this.

[aran.vtec]

heart says Honda, But you have to go with McLaren.

but something else to consider is part of Mclarens good chassis the lighter under powered honda engine?

[Jolle]

Should be McLaren with ease. The bigger question is, compared to the other two Renault powered teams, where McLaren is going to end up. My "feel" (while the car isn't even build yet ) is going to be on par, or slightly ahead with the works team but still a good way behind the RedBulls.

[wesley123]

I place my bets on Toro Rosso.

Honda got all the blame of the last 3 years for McLarens misfortunes, but you can't really ignore how much they sucked in 2014, with Mercedes engine, which was relatively much, much better than the rest of the engines compared to now when Ferrari is much closer.
Or how much they sucked in 2013. They have taken a downturn since 2009, where they were pretty much only competitive because of neat tricks like the F-duct or coanda exhaust.

And they now replace their Honda engine with an engine that is only slightly less worse. I don't see McLAren being competitive in 2018.

[iotar__]

I thought this was about Renault vs McLaren and was about to type a long rant ? This one makes little sense.

I place my bets on Toro Rosso.

Honda got all the blame of the last 3 years for McLarens misfortunes, but you can't really ignore how much they sucked in 2014, with Mercedes engine, which was relatively much, much better than the rest of the engines compared to now when Ferrari is much closer.
Or how much they sucked in 2013. They have taken a downturn since 2009, where they were pretty much only competitive because of neat tricks like the F-duct or coanda exhaust.

And they now replace their Honda engine with an engine that is only slightly less worse. I don't see McLAren being competitive in 2018.

- Bridge of McLaren winning it all every year transferred to Toro Rosso even without Alonso

- Slightly is not the right word.

- Being competitive is not the same as beating late replacement, small team that will have trouble with coping with all Honda problems. Team/car that wasn't performing that well this season despite pre-season hype based on the looks that resembled Merc

- let's get back here in 10 months and laugh at internet voting points system.

[wesley123]

- Bridge of McLaren winning it all every year transferred to Toro Rosso even without Alonso

What?

- Slightly is not the right word.

Actually it is, the main deficit the Honda has is reliability, and thus by extension, the power because they have to detune the engine. And compared to the start of the season, this has been improved quite a bit.

- Being competitive is not the same as beating late replacement, small team that will have trouble with coping with all Honda problems.
Team/car that wasn't performing that well this season despite pre-season hype based on the looks that resembled Merc

Implying that Honda's problem are a certainty and are impossible to ever fix, of course. Also, this small team will benefit significantly of the resources Honda brings.

I'm not sure what pre-season hype you are talking about, afaik TR is exactly where people expecting them to be. Currently they are in 6th place, but 5th is very well within reach.

- let's get back here in 10 months and laugh at internet voting points system.

By then everyone has already forgotten this poll ever was a thing.

[WaikeCU]

I think Mclaren-Renault will be a good combo. Mclaren have everything that is needed to become great again. Renault is a big engine manufacturer, the engine is inferior to Ferrari and Mercedes, but I'm sure they can battle the RB's and be 3rd best. I think having Bouillier around maybe is benefit to working with Renault together. Also Renault is based in Europe unlike Honda. We still have to witness Peter Prodromou's full potential, which can't be seen with car that is so far down on power and so unreliable.