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

[OneAlex]

McLaren-Renault, but only because they have the stronger driver line-up so will be better placed to maximise on points positions.

[Webber2011]

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

Nailed it

I voted STR for this very reason with my heart, and it was a huge argument with my head

[tok-tokkie]

To me McLaren is following in Williams footsteps. It is to be a Renault customer team. It will be confined to the mid-field customer teams. May start as the best of the mid field. Becoming a customer team has excluded them from being constructor champions and thus a bad decision. Only hope is if FIA can force engine parity.

Toro Rosso will become the Honda works team. And that is just the prelude before Red Bull becomes the Honda works team. Next year Toro Rosso will have both Honda & Red Bull on their side.

[Manoah2u]

Mclaren will beat Toro Rosso without effort. Their chassis is fantastic, and how could it not, they have much more to spend and much more knowledge to put in their car so it'll technically be better in every way, then Mclaren has ALONSO as a driver with VanDoorne. Toro rosso has Gasly and Hartley. Both as talented and promising as the bark of a tree. the final wildcard is the engine. If Honda takes on where they left last year, then TR is gonna be seriously far to the back. The Renault engine is a good stable engine and will bring Mclaren towards the front of the midfield atleast, perhaps even a fight against RB. TR has no chance.

UNLESS for some reason the Honda engine is going to be absolute mad props crazy strong and fast, which i'm sure won't be the case. If it is, they'll dance around everybody.

[Webber2011]

Mclaren will beat Toro Rosso without effort. Their chassis is fantastic, and how could it not, they have much more to spend and much more knowledge to put in their car so it'll technically be better in every way, then Mclaren has ALONSO as a driver with VanDoorne. Toro rosso has Gasly and Hartley. Both as talented and promising as the bark of a tree. the final wildcard is the engine. If Honda takes on where they left last year, then TR is gonna be seriously far to the back. The Renault engine is a good stable engine and will bring Mclaren towards the front of the midfield atleast, perhaps even a fight against RB. TR has no chance.

UNLESS for some reason the Honda engine is going to be absolute mad props crazy strong and fast, which i'm sure won't be the case. If it is, they'll dance around everybody.

The bit I bolded gives me a bit of a laugh

This season just passed Renault engines were a hell of a long way from "stable"

[mclaren111]

To me McLaren is following in Williams footsteps. It is to be a Renault customer team. It will be confined to the mid-field customer teams. May start as the best of the mid field. Becoming a customer team has excluded them from being constructor champions and thus a bad decision. Only hope is if FIA can force engine parity.

Toro Rosso will become the Honda works team. And that is just the prelude before Red Bull becomes the Honda works team. Next year Toro Rosso will have both Honda & Red Bull on their side.

Renault is interim solution (3 years). With new 2021 PU rules who knows what PU they will use. Cosworth have been mentioned. Zak Brown is apparently a shareholder.

[HondaRaceReplica]

To me McLaren is following in Williams footsteps. It is to be a Renault customer team. It will be confined to the mid-field customer teams. May start as the best of the mid field. Becoming a customer team has excluded them from being constructor champions and thus a bad decision. Only hope is if FIA can force engine parity.

Toro Rosso will become the Honda works team. And that is just the prelude before Red Bull becomes the Honda works team. Next year Toro Rosso will have both Honda & Red Bull on their side.

Yes please

[RedNEO]

To me McLaren is following in Williams footsteps. It is to be a Renault customer team. It will be confined to the mid-field customer teams. May start as the best of the mid field. Becoming a customer team has excluded them from being constructor champions and thus a bad decision. Only hope is if FIA can force engine parity.

Toro Rosso will become the Honda works team. And that is just the prelude before Red Bull becomes the Honda works team. Next year Toro Rosso will have both Honda & Red Bull on their side.

Two Redbull teams with Honda engines for 2019 is a interesting notion. Could be a new record for grid penalties in a season.

[RonDennis]

You must be delusional to think that Toro Rosso has a chance. They won't even have a chance with Mercedes power.

Toro Rosso has significantly less money, less staff, worse drivers, worse staff and worse facilities than McLaren.

[f1316]

To me McLaren is following in Williams footsteps. It is to be a Renault customer team. It will be confined to the mid-field customer teams. May start as the best of the mid field. Becoming a customer team has excluded them from being constructor champions and thus a bad decision. Only hope is if FIA can force engine parity.

Toro Rosso will become the Honda works team. And that is just the prelude before Red Bull becomes the Honda works team. Next year Toro Rosso will have both Honda & Red Bull on their side.

I think there’s a reason why Mercedes wouldn’t supply mclaren (or Red Bull) but are happy with Williams.

It’s a different proposition given the budget and strength of the chassis - much more like Red Bull than Williams.

For the poll, I really don’t think there’s any question - mclaren will be fighting for podiums, at least at some stage of the season; I believe TR will be the new backmarkeds, back to their Minardi days.

[diffuser]

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.

It was a completely different crew in 2013 that included Paddy Lowe. In 2014 the kitchen cupboards were bare after many of the people moved to Merc. It was a rebuilding year for McLaren. Really 2015, was the first full year of the present structure/personnel.

We'll see what next year will bring.

[Zynerji]

You must be delusional to think that Toro Rosso has a chance. They won't even have a chance with Mercedes power.

Toro Rosso has significantly less money, less staff, worse drivers, worse staff and worse facilities than McLaren.

From those that I have spoken to that work in F1, they rate STR as the best place to work because of their team culture.

That attracts top talent at discounted prices. I have always thought they were a great underdog team with very likable personalities.

[RonDennis]

You must be delusional to think that Toro Rosso has a chance. They won't even have a chance with Mercedes power.

Toro Rosso has significantly less money, less staff, worse drivers, worse staff and worse facilities than McLaren.

From those that I have spoken to that work in F1, they rate STR as the best place to work because of their team culture.

That attracts top talent at discounted prices. I have always thought they were a great underdog team with very likable personalities.

I'm not saying they aren't a nice team, but considering their resources McLaren should be miles ahead of them, even with Red Bull support.

[diffuser]

To me McLaren is following in Williams footsteps. It is to be a Renault customer team. It will be confined to the mid-field customer teams. May start as the best of the mid field. Becoming a customer team has excluded them from being constructor champions and thus a bad decision. Only hope is if FIA can force engine parity.

Toro Rosso will become the Honda works team. And that is just the prelude before Red Bull becomes the Honda works team. Next year Toro Rosso will have both Honda & Red Bull on their side.

Two Redbull teams with Honda engines for 2019 is a interesting notion. Could be a new record for grid penalties in a season.

That's not true ...they've changed the rules

[godlameroso]

Toro Rosso won't be better than a midfield team unless Honda makes a monster, and start pumping in cash to develop the chassis. We'll see what happens towards the end of the year, if Honda decides to power the red bull cars.