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Honda – McLaren partnership
The start of the 2015 season for McLaren Formula 1 team cannot come quick enough. With only two podiums places to show off this season and with only two races to go, the relatively inconsistent form of the MP4-29 has seen the team fighting with its former technical partners, Sahara Force India, for fifth position in the championship.
McLaren’s last race win came in the year 2012, this and the decline in form of McLaren team in the recent years has prompted McLaren Group’s Chairman and CEO, Ron Dennis to take some big decisions for the 2015 season.
The departure of Marcin Budkowski, the head of the aero department, and the capture of the highly rated aerodynamicist, Peter Prodromou from the Red Bull camp for 2015 season, acted as an essential need, rather than a want. However, the biggest change, and possibly the biggest challenge, McLaren are going to face in 2015 is the departure of Mercedes power units from the back of their cars.
Thankfully this gap will be filled by the Japanese manufacturers Honda, and with that the very successful McLaren-Honda partnership from the late 1980s will be renewed. The jury is still out on how the Honda engines are going to perform next year, but the team can remain optimistic about it because of Honda’s experience and knowledge as an engine supplier.
With major changes planned in the aero and engine department, McLaren are also looking to get the best available drivers on the market. The silly season of Formula 1 has already started; with current world champion Sebastian Vettel shockingly announcing at eve of the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix that he will leave his beloved Red Bull Racing team at the end of the campaign. Though it is not confirmed by any parties involved, but Vettel is all set to join Scuderia Ferrari and replace double world champion Fernando Alonso.
Dennis – Alonso rift
Alonso, who came close twice to the ultimate prize back in 2010 and 2012, was getting frustrated at the Italian squad after 5 years of no championship taste, and because of this he may have decided to look for a new challenge. Potentially this created a huge opportunity for McLaren to rope in a world class driver for McLaren 2015 seat, but it’s easier said than done in the possible Alonso to McLaren transfer.
As we all know, Alonso has already driven for the British squad, back in 2007 and in their first and only season together; we saw many ups and downs in their relationship, which ultimately resulted in Alonso leaving McLaren prematurely at the end of the year.
The main problem between Dennis and Alonso began when Alonso, who was under the impression that he will get the number one status within the team when required, was not given any preference against, then teammate Lewis Hamilton. However, the main catalyst might have been the famous Formula 1 spy-gate espionage affair of 2007. Never the less, Alonso won 4 races that year and was 3rd in an extremely close fought championship.
However, the relation between Ron Dennis and Fernando Alonso after the 2007 season was never friendly; this was imminent when Alonso’s replacement for 2008 season, Heikki Kovalainen, overtook Alonso, who had re-joined Renault for 2008, at the opening round of the season. This was much to the claps and cheers on the pitwall from Ron Dennis. It is a well-known fact in the paddock that Alonso blames Dennis for all the troubles both had to face in 2007.
Since then, both of them have moved on, with McLaren’s incapability to win a championship since 2008 and Alonso’s failure to capture a title since 2006, you can say old wounds have healed. Both, Ron and Fernando, are trying to find solace in each other. It will be very interesting to see the relationship of Ron and Fernando if they are back in the same team again.
Options for McLaren
Another option for one of McLaren’s 2015 driving seat is Romain Grosjean; the Frenchman has built up a good reputation in the last two years after his problematic full debut season in 2012. He has an option in his Lotus team contract for 2015, but he made it clear that he will move on if he gets a drive in a top team. Grosjean is known in the paddock as the “man with the biggest smile” and his results in the second half of the last season has him cement his stance as a solid and a formidable driver.
Grosjean also enjoys a good working relationship with McLaren’s current Racing Director, Eric Boullier. This is because of the fact that Boullier was Grosjean’s team boss for two years at Lotus and was also his manager at Gravity Motorsports. Grosjean has had a horrid 2014 season thanks to Lotus Team’s poor car performance, but still has outpaced his grand prix winning teammate, Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado. Grosjean has brought home all the 8 points which the Lotus team has managed this season till now. He might the dark horse for one of the 2015 McLaren driver’s seat.
It is also a possibility that, the McLaren 2015 driver seats may not change the capable hands of Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen. Button this season has been pretty consistent in terms of points scoring. He has been bagging the much-needed points at regular intervals, 94 in total till the Russian Grand Prix. Whilst Kevin has also shown promise by matching his world champion teammate at various points of the season, though his erratic race craft has been a talking point of the paddock. However, Magnussen might be a contender for “rookie of the season” award thanks his good haul of 49 points and because of his stellar driving performance in Australia and Russia.
The fact that Button’s age will be 35 years next January might be a reason why McLaren and Ron are skeptical to sign him again. However, Button’s experience and skills cannot go unnoticed; He being a world champion is an asset to any team. On the other hand Magnussen, a product of McLaren Young Driver Development Program, will be banking on the fact that McLaren might be looking for a young fierce charger again next year.
Decisions that Ron could take
If Ron opts for continuity it may not be the world’s worst decision, if they have a solid car under their wings that is. Although Honda’s V6 turbo engine capability is still a mystery, but still the early signs look encouraging for McLaren thanks to the arrival of Prodromou and also because of the fact that development of the 2015 car has started earlier than expected. Knowing Ron Dennis, he is a person who will always go for best drivers available in the market, for example; Senna-Prost, Heikkinen-Coulthard, Coulthard-Raikkonen, Raikkonen-Montoya, Hamilton-Alonso and Hamilton-Button.
He is never apprehensive about intra-team rivalry. In fact, he wants his drivers to push each other, this creates a possibility of even an Alonso-Button pairing next year. If this happens, then this surely will be one of the most exciting 2015 driver line-up apart from the possible Vettel-Raikkonen partnership. With McLaren still without a title sponsor, it is very essential that they start producing results and race wins on the track.
With former partners Mercedes taking the game to a whole new level this season, it has become even more essential for McLaren, and of course Honda to deliver next year. Whomever Ron signs, or re-signs, the MP4-30 has to be up to the high McLaren standards, because the next year maybe a make or break year for Ron and McLaren.
