McLaren could leave Honda at the end of the season. After McLaren Honda’s last breakdown at the Formula 1 Italian GP, it seems that the the British team and the Japanese engine supplier are parting ways. Despite some progress in 2016, this year has been everything but good for the the boys at Surrey. Due to newer regulations and more powerful engines, Honda’s hard work and sleepless nights went down the drain. Regardless of Ross Brown’s desire to keep McLaren around the sport, McLaren is only thinking about 2018. Renault, seems to be the one in charge of powering the beaten up team. It will not be easy for The Rotten Orange to swap engines for the upcoming season, there is a catch… A big one.
Unexpected Turn
It is a tricky chicane. All F1 engine manufacturers can only supply three teams each. French manufacturer Renault, has no vacancies. They not only power their own team but they also stuck their engines at the back of Scuderia Toro Rosso and the mighty Red Bull (Branded as Aston TAG Heuer due to sponsorship reasons). So, how will McLaren be able to fit a Renault power unit in his car for next year? This Motorsport Miracle could happen thanks a Trade, between the Surrey lads and Toro Rosso. In order for McLaren to get a hold of fresh French power units, they must persuade Scuderia Toro Rosso into switching from Renault to Honda. Only that will free a spot for McLaren. It is highly unlikely that they will stop powering Red Bull, furthermore, it is impossible that they stop supporting their own team.
You Can Only Go Up From Here
That old saying also applies for the oldest team at the Formula 1 grid. After plenty of blown engines, lack of straight line speed and, the pace of an dying snail, McLaren has hit rock bottom. They have descended way down by the hand of faulty Honda Engines. Yes, they will not be the fastest out there with Renault. They will still struggle quite a bit. They will most certainly be given a second level of priority, being Red Bull the team who gets the most powerful units. It is also possible that they enter in a leveled playing field with the Renault team cars. If the latter comes true, McLaren will still battle Sunday after Sunday with backmarkers such as the Swiss team Sauber and, the All-American team: Haas F1. This move will also affect both of their drivers:
Stoffel Vandoorme:
If the engine swap is completed, the Belgian youngster will have a lot on his plate. Not only will he have a new engine on his car, he will also have more power than ever before. If Vandoorme is able to adjust to the French power, he can very well be a solid second driver. Thanks to the unreliability of Honda, he has not been able to show his full potential. Renault will make him show his real colors.
Fernando Alonso:
The Spanish driver by way of Asturias will be more than happy with the change. A former champion twice with Renault (2005,2006) before for leaving for his first stint at McLaren. He is more tan conscious of the power this Renault power units can bring to the table. More importantly, for a driver of his caliber, competitiveness is key. The Engine Trade is crucial to keep a frustrated driver such as Alonso not only happy, but also, for multiple years,
It will be a long road towards seeing McLaren at the podium again, but at least they will not break down in the process.
A Future They Can Not Control
When the McLaren Honda partnership was announced back in 2015, fans had high hopes. Mos of them thought they would see the rebirth of a legend, a mighty McLaren powered by Honda, just like Ayrton Senna’s. Unfortunately, instead of an updated version of the successful past, McLaren got an awful year. The 2016 season was not such a big improvement and 2017 has been a monumental step backwards. With a past for the history books and a miserable present from 2015 until today, there is only one thing to do. McLaren must look for a brighter future. Sadly, that future is not under their control. Their destiny and future performances are in the hands of Red Bull’s developmental team: Toro Rosso. Still, anything can happen. Either they say yes and ignite a long term English comeback or, they can also choose not to leave Renault and leave the not-so Clockwork Orange to rotten at the bottom of the grid. Desperate times require desperate measures.