the EDGE wrote: ↑01 Mar 2018, 16:24
PhillipM wrote: ↑01 Mar 2018, 16:20
dren wrote: ↑01 Mar 2018, 16:16
Had the decision been made at the end of the year, I think Mclaren might have stuck with Honda. It seems they made their mind up this time last year. Can't blame them.
I can't help but think the same thing, if the Honda had been where it was at the end of the year a few months earlier, they would - and should - have kept it. But the decision was already made by then and it was just waiting on paperwork.
wow... a grown-up conversation about the subject... it can be done
Honda made lots of promises last year that turned out not to be true. I think they did their hardest to convince McLaren, but in the end the call had to be made and Honda just run out of time to deliver. Looks like they've made solid progress this year for sure, but its to early to see if thats on the power front as well as the reliability front
I think the decision was made to ditch Honda for any of the other three manufacturers before the season had even begun but after the two test sessions. McLaren probably set almost impossible targets for improvements during the season that Honda had to hit if McLaren were to abandon their plans to drop them knowing they wouldn't, and they didn't.
From a sporting point of view it might have made sense to make the decision later in the season but from a financial point of view and also in terms of negotiations with third parties knowing clearly that McLaren would not be racing with Honda PUs from 2018 as early as possible was better. Woking made sure they were financially covered in the short term to take the hit from losing Honda's significant funding by going back to their shareholders for more money. That would have been the single most important step in finding a new manufacturer for their PUs.
We know that McLaren were openly chasing Mercedes customer units early in the season, they were certainly doing everything possible through the whole year to secure another supply. I think Renault were the least favoured option, they were certainly the third out of three manufacturers McLaren spoke to regarding a supply.
From Honda's point of view I think the split was worthwhile. If they do a good job with STR they can get a tieup with RBR which is a superior team all round than McLaren giving them a better shot at the title. For McLaren it depends on them securing a very generous sponsorship package which so far they have completely failed to do. A lot also depends on Renault improving significantly and being equal to Mercedes or Ferrari customer units, otherwise regardless of how good the chassis is they may well end up fighting off challenges from the likes of FI and Williams with inferior chassis but with a customer Merc more than making up for that deficit, just as RBR has had to do on occasion.