download

#930 2015 Japanese Grand Prix

2023-01-14 00:00

Array() no author 82025

#2015, Fulvio Conti, Translated by Aurora Asia Martignon,

#930 2015 Japanese Grand Prix

The success of Singapore has restored confidence to Ferrari and brought Mercedes back to earth, but Sebastian Vettel remains cautious. Despite experts

fotor-20231113225739.jpeg

The success in Singapore has restored Ferrari's confidence and brought Mercedes back down to earth, but Sebastian Vettel remains cautious. Despite the fact that the experts are favouring the Maranello car on the Suzuka circuit, where the Japanese Grand Prix will be held on 27 September 2015, he doesn't want to hear any talk of challenging for the title.

 

"We have to be confident but realistic. Mercedes are still the favourites. Suzuka is a completely different track and we hope to repeat our success there, but we also have to keep our feet on the ground. It was a big surprise to see Mercedes struggling, and I don't expect it to happen here; that would be an equally big surprise. But if there's a chance, we have to take it. The weather could bring a lot of surprises and it will be a challenging weekend".

 

Vettel has won four times at Suzuka and it's where he celebrated the 2011 world title with Red Bull:

 

"It's a driver's circuit and everyone loves it. It's an old school track and it's a lot of fun. If you want to know what a F1 car can do, the first sector sums it up perfectly. I think it's the best track in the world".

 

Ferrari have exceeded their own expectations this year:

 

"If you look at the results so far, we've had an excellent car on all tracks and all types of circuits. We have been competitive on city circuits like Singapore and Monaco, but also in Malaysia. We probably lost a bit of competitiveness at the Silverstone weekend. But we were never too far from the top, so we can be quite confident, but we also have to be realistic. We've learnt a lot along the way and we hope to be a bit stronger here. But the favourites must remain the Mercedes drivers".

 

After pole position in Singapore, Vettel sang Toto Cutugno's L’italiano on the radio in his excitement. The video went viral:

 

"It wasn't my first time, I think it was after Malaysia. But I'm not a good singer, so it's better to stop now because everyone has heard it... Maybe Lewis (Hamilton) is better than me".

 

The German driver joked with Jenson Button at the Suzuka press conference. Jenson Button doesn't dispel any doubts about his future:

 

"No driver is happy if he is not fighting for victory or finishing at the front. I don't like finishing 14th or 10th, but there are many other things in your favour, like seeing a future, the chance to return to joy. There are many possibilities for what can happen next year, but at the moment I can't say anything else. Of course I'll be happy next year".

 

But it's not yet time to make any announcements:

 

"I can't say anything different from what I said at the last race, you have to wait a bit. We are discussing, there are good talks between me and the team. McLaren-Honda is on home soil and we are hoping for a good weekend. The weather can change the cards and that's what we need to be competitive; we hope to get a good result".

 

However, the Briton is unlikely to follow in the footsteps of Nico Hulkenberg, who enjoyed a triumph at the 24 Hours of Le Mans earlier this year while splitting his time between Formula 1 and endurance racing.

fotor-20231113225916.jpeg

"I never thought about doing both. Weekends to race elsewhere are limited and sometimes it's nice to have a weekend off from racing. I don't think it would work".

 

Valtteri Bottas was in a very different mood, finishing fifth in Singapore despite an inauspicious weekend for Williams.

 

"It was the most challenging of the remaining tracks on the calendar for us. Now I'm happy to be here, we think we can be more competitive. It's a great track for the riders and we expect a good result".

 

Confident for the Japanese Grand Prix, the Finn is already looking ahead to 2016:

 

"We will develop the car in the long term, we are already doing it with some tests that are more focused on the future than on this season. We are looking ahead, although we want to have some good races to gain some positions; it would be nice to get closer to Ferrari".

 

Sergio Perez will continue to drive for Force India in 2016. The team itself has confirmed that Nico Hulkenberg, the Mexican driver who grew up with Sauber and joined the team last year after a spell at McLaren, will also be driving next season. Force India owner Vijay Mallya said:

 

"He has done an excellent job for us; when we give him a competitive car, we know what he can do. He also has a great attitude, never gives up, a spirit that fits well with this team".

 

It's raining all the time in Suzuka, which adds to the melancholy. The sadness of finding a cursed track for Jules Bianchi, the driver who crashed his dreams into a crane a year ago, only to die in July. It is impossible not to remember him. Hamilton, Rosberg and Vettel will all be racing for a friend who is no longer with us. Philippe, Bianchi's father, can no longer watch since my son's death. Vettel doesn't want to deceive the fans, but you can tell he's very hopeful when he says: "If they stutter again, you have to seize the opportunity. After all, this is a circuit where he won four times with Red Bull, and he dreams of taking Ferrari to victory, something he has been waiting for since 2004.

 

"Suzuka is for real drivers. You need speed, aerodynamics and brakes".

 

Tyres, too, which drove Hamilton mad in Singapore. The Englishman doesn't want to lend credence to the conspiracy theory that Pirelli (which reaffirms its impartiality) is ready to favour Ferrari.

 

"Only technical problems. I have confidence, we will be back to greatness soon. Vettel is a serious threat; I know I can't always win. But I remain optimistic".

 

To put the game over sign back on the world championship, a phrase that Button doesn't want to use for his career. The English press had anticipated his retirement, but he took his time.

 

"I am negotiating the extension with McLaren. Everything could go well".

fotor-20231113225952.jpeg

On Friday 25th September 2015, in the first practice, Carlos Sainz Jr. set the fastest time of 1'49.434 in wet conditions, about half a second ahead of second placed Daniil Kvyat. Eight drivers opted not to set a time due to complaints of aquaplaning in the later part of the session. For the first fifty minutes of the session, most of the drivers did only installation laps. While the first timed laps were done on full wet tyres, the two Williams cars were the first to go out on intermediate tyres. Nico Rosberg ran with the unit he used briefly at the Italian Grand Prix before it was changed due to a coolant leak. For the rest of the weekend he switched back to the one he used at the previous race in Singapore. Jolyon Palmer again took over from Romain Grosjean for Lotus, but did not set a timed lap. Although the rain had stopped by the start of the second session, the track was still damp and all the drivers started on intermediate tyres. Daniil Kvyat eventually set the fastest time of 1'48.277, just 0.023s ahead of Nico Rosberg, with Lewis Hamilton in third, half a second down on Kvyat. Sebastian Vettel was fifth fastest and set the most timed laps of the session with nineteen. Sainz Jr, who was fastest in the first practice, heard some strange noises coming from his power unit but ended up seventh fastest. Felipe Massa was the only Williams driver to run as Valtteri Bottas saved his wet tyres. After more than half an hour, more rain fell and a number of drivers went out to get more mileage out of the full wet tyres. Among them was Fernando Alonso, who had to wait forty minutes for his run due to an unspecified power unit problem. At the end of the sessions, Sebastian Vettel tried to assess the situation.

 

"At certain moments it was raining heavily, especially towards the end. The weather improved, so I stayed out to try and find a rhythm, although you cannot compare because the conditions changed quickly, there were different tyres and different times for everyone. It wasn't the best day to draw conclusions. No promises can be made, but what I can tell the fans is that we will give it our all. Every Sunday is a new opportunity and we'll do our best to put ourselves in the best position for the race and then we'll see. Looking at the championship, we are not the favourites, not even for this race. We have to keep our feet on the ground".

 

Kimi Raikkonen shares the same sentiment.

 

"Today the track conditions were a bit tricky because of the bad weather. It was a shame for everyone, but for us it's just another day. We did a few laps and tried to learn something. Now we have to wait for tomorrow and see what the weather will be like, which is unpredictable here. We will try to do our job and make the most of it".

 

Turn 7 is still there, a menacing reminder of Jules Bianchi. Today, however, it is less intimidating, thanks to a new drainage system designed to limit aquaplaning, and a truck by the track that is no longer there, replaced by an external crane that will never invade the escape route to remove a car. But it won't be turn 7 that decides the renewed battle between Mercedes and Ferrari, between Hamilton, still confused (by what happened in Singapore) and certain of an immediate comeback, and Vettel, the dreamer, hoping for a new miracle after his triumph on the equatorial frontier. As always in Japan, the climate and weather conditions will play a key role in making the race unpredictable. It has been raining for days in Suzuka, sometimes heavily, as it did during the two free practice sessions, which were useless because they required extremely wet set-ups and tyres, a situation that the teams have ruled out for the race. At a circuit where pole position is less crucial because of the overtaking opportunities, the ability to react to rain makes all the difference and allows for any comeback. Sebastian Vettel is counting on the unpredictability of the weather to make any Grand Prix strategy difficult. He knows that in Japan, because of the characteristics of the track, he doesn't have the same advantage as in Singapore. He knows that at Suzuka, a fast track similar to Silverstone or Spa, where Ferrari struggled (England) or chased Mercedes (Belgium), he risks having to follow the hierarchies of the resurgent Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. It's normal that he doesn't want a fair fight, but rather a whirlwind of emotions. The German driver excels in the rain:

fotor-2023111322597.jpeg

"My first career victory came in the rain, with Toro Rosso in Monza".

 

Courage and skill are not lacking, although Hamilton is also formidable on a slippery track. But water deceives, and it's better to take away certainties from those who, despite the setback in Singapore, have shown through their words that they have plenty. Hamilton has always laughed off threats:

 

"The team has never let me down. In Malaysia, Ferrari were great, and the next race in China, we were watching with binoculars".

 

History could be repeating itself, but perhaps Hamilton is more nervous than he lets on. He was the one who reacted the worst to Friday's waste:

 

"Three hours wasted, tests that were useless, we'll have to start from scratch".

 

While Vettel, calmly, said:

 

"We learned something, it could be useful".

 

Even Rosberg has consoled himself by testing. Lauda, Senna, Prost and Schumacher all lost world championships in Japan. Hamilton has always said he wants to emulate them all. But not this time. On Saturday, 26 September 2015, the third session will take place in dry conditions. The two Mercedes drivers, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, set the fastest times, with Rosberg around three-tenths of a second quicker than Hamilton. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was third, half a second down on Rosberg's 1:33.995. Kvyat in the other Red Bull did not have a good session, finishing eleventh fastest after running wide in both the Spoon and Degner corners. Behind Ricciardo, the Williams cars lead the two Ferrari drivers in a session where the drivers do a lot of laps to make up for the limited running on Friday. A few hours later, the first part of qualifying (Q1) is disrupted towards the end when Max Verstappen's Toro Rosso comes to a halt in the hairpin, preventing a number of drivers from improving their lap times. Marcus Ericsson, whose first qualifying lap was affected by a spin, is one of the drivers affected and retires in 17th place. Jenson Button also failed to make it into Q2. While his second run is also affected by Verstappen, he loses time on his first run due to a communication failure regarding his engine mode. Felipe Nasr's second Sauber and both Manor Marussia cars are also eliminated. 

 

As in Q1, the two Mercedes cars set the fastest times in Q2. With Verstappen unable to continue, only four of the cars in contention will be retired. They are Hülkenberg, Sainz's second Toro Rosso, Pastor Maldonado and Fernando Alonso, who says his lap was probably the best he has ever done at the circuit. The top ten drivers battle it out for pole position in Q3 and once again it is the two Mercedes drivers who set the fastest times, with Rosberg beating team-mate Hamilton by just 0.076 seconds. Valtteri Bottas puts his Williams in third, while Massa loses fourth on the grid to Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari after making a mistake towards the end of the lap. Behind Massa, Kimi Raikkonen was sixth with what he described as an average lap. The positions remained unchanged as the drivers were prevented from setting better lap times when Daniil Kvyat crashed into the barriers at turn ten, bringing out the red flag. He had hit the grass and overcorrected, and his car overturned on impact, but Kvyat was unharmed. With only 36 seconds of the session remaining after the red flag, it is impossible to set any new fast laps. Lewis Hamilton was disappointed as he was a tenth and a half quicker than his team-mate on his second fast lap when the red flag came out. 

fotor-20231113225754.jpeg

We're back to the classic scenario where the Mercedes is untouchable for everyone: the battle for pole position was indeed a very private affair between Rosberg and Hamilton. In the end, Rosberg won by a hair's breadth after a good battle that lasted all day. In the morning, Rosberg had been fastest, but Hamilton was always close. Unfortunately, the final duel didn't take place because poor Hamilton couldn't set the fastest lap due to a nasty incident involving Kvyat. The Red Bull driver crashed into the barriers and the officials abruptly stopped the official tests. As a result, Bottas secured second place, followed by Vettel, with Raikkonen only sixth.

 

"Today, maybe we could have finished third".

 

Raikkonen explained as soon as he got out of the car. And it's clear that Ferrari have never been able to compete on equal terms with Mercedes. In reality, the disappointment about the interruption of the session was not expressed by many, because Kvyat's accident was truly impressive and shocked everyone: his Red Bull hit the barriers with unprecedented force, overturned, lost its wheels and then lay like a wreck on the grass. Fortunately, the driver was unhurt, but the fear was great. Certainly, from what was understood before the interruption, Hamilton could have snatched pole position from Rosberg (he was quicker on many parts of the track), and Vettel, for his part, could have aspired to third place.

 

"We can be reasonably satisfied with these tests, but tomorrow it will be difficult to be in the race with the Mercedes. In fact, we have to be careful with the Red Bulls and the Williams, who are doing really well here".

 

The Mercedes drivers don't hide their satisfaction. Nico Rosberg said at the end of qualifying:

 

"It's a great day for us; in Singapore it went very badly, but we came back strong, as we should. We're the quickest and that's important".

 

And there's only a hint of bitterness in the words of Lewis Hamilton about missing out on pole:

 

"I lost pole on the first lap because I made a mistake in turn 11, which is crucial, but this year has been fantastic in terms of pole positions and I can't complain. The car felt great this weekend; I don't know exactly what the differences are compared to the last race, but it's certainly going better".

 

Four tokens to dream. To end this season of rebirth on a high note and plan for the next one, which will (hopefully) see them return to the top of the world. Ferrari's strategy after Japan is clear: they will fight Mercedes with all their might for as long as the arithmetic allows them to maintain the coveted desire for the championship, with the dual objective of aiming for the miracle or, as a subordinate objective, to achieve as many triumphs as possible, exhilarating pages like Singapore to demonstrate that the hunt for the top has really begun. The engine will be developed with the remaining four tokens, an advantage that Mercedes does not have, having exhausted theirs in Monza. Continuous growth will be sought, in Russia, the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi, in the belief that this will not only build an image but also be useful for next year's car, a machine that represents a legacy and does not have to face new rules. The dream, considered utopian by the fans at the beginning of 2015, was to win four races; going beyond that could show that the desired step forward has been even longer, and that with a few more months of hard work, Mercedes can truly be within reach. An attack in which Ferrari firmly believes, as evidenced by their attitude to Red Bull, who are currently without an engine for the future. It may not have the Mercedes, and it's likely that the power unit will come from Maranello, but it wouldn't be surprising if the agreement is reached in November, reducing the time available to build a car around it. Again, a tactic to win a Championship.

fotor-20231113225425.jpeg

Meanwhile, on Sunday 27 September 2015, at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton overtakes team-mate Nico Rosberg, who has less power available due to a temperature problem. Rosberg loses a further two positions to Vettel and Bottas as he enters Turn Two to avoid a collision with Hamilton. Further back, Daniel Ricciardo and Felipe Massa made contact, resulting in punctures for both drivers, while Sergio Pérez was also forced to pit with a puncture. Hamilton leads Vettel by 1.6 seconds after the first lap and increases his advantage over the next few laps. Alonso, who moved up at the start, loses ninth place to Sainz on the fourth lap. Meanwhile, Rosberg tries to pass Bottas for third, but is told to hold back as his engine is overheating. On the eighth lap, Daniil Kvyat moves up to 15th position, having started from the pit lane. On lap nine, Fernando Alonso is the first to enter the pits for a scheduled stop. On the eleventh lap, Rosberg is told to resume his attempts to overtake Bottas, who makes his first pit stop and rejoins the race in sixth place. Sebastian Vettel is the next of the front runners to pit on lap 13, with team-mate Kimi Räikkönen following a lap later. Rosberg pitted on lap 15 and came out behind Bottas, whom he overtook two laps later. Meanwhile, Hamilton enters the pit lane on lap 16 for a tyre change. On lap 18, Hamilton leads Vettel by 8.1 seconds, with Rosberg a further 3.8 seconds behind. Max Verstappen enters the points with a pass on Fernando Alonso in turn one on lap 26. Two laps later, his Toro Rosso team-mate Sainz damaged his front wing when he hit a bollard on his way into the pitlane, forcing him to change his front wing. 

 

In the second round of pit stops, Raikkonen manages to get ahead of Bottas, who pits at the same time as Nico Rosberg on lap 29. Two laps later, Vettel pitted and came out behind Rosberg, who took second place, about ten seconds behind Hamilton, who pitted on lap 32. Bottas is briefly challenged by Romain Grosjean's Lotus, but Grosjean goes off the track on lap 33, while Will Stevens receives a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. On lap 43, Marcus Ericsson passes Pérez for 12th and two laps later, Verstappen passes his team-mate Sainz for ninth. Pérez loses another position to Kvyat on lap 45. A lap later, Stevens spun while battling for position with Alexander Rossi, who finished ahead of his more experienced team-mate for the second race in a row. On lap 49, Kvyat also moved ahead of Ericsson to take 13th place. With two laps to go, Felipe Nasr retired for the first time in the race, although he would have finished last, four laps behind the winner. Lewis Hamilton took a comfortable victory, finishing 18.9 seconds ahead of Rosberg. Game over. Lewis Hamilton has no intention of keeping this championship open, and in a strange, sunny, uneventful race in Suzuka, he proved it by taking a few metres off his cheeky team-mate Nico Rosberg, who had snatched pole from him on Saturday, and dominating undisturbed until the finish line. The game ended immediately, with the Englishman next to Nico Rosberg, he on the inside, his rival on the outside, cleverly pushing him onto the grass. Lauda, the Mercedes president, absolved him:

 

"Normal racing action, two aggressive drivers, the more determined one prevails".

 

Hamilton emerged victorious on a perfect Sunday in which he equalled his idol Ayrton Senna with 41 career victories. In a Grand Prix in which his tyres once again worked wonderfully, with the addition of his politically correct touch that he enjoys when things are going well.

 

"I am very happy because the team has done a fantastic job. A nice double, I had a nice start. A special race for me because I loved watching Ayrton drive and this moment doesn't even seem real. It was important for us to get back to the front because Ferrari have been fast in the last few races. We concentrated to the maximum and today the car was great to drive".

 

In Singapore there was talk of Ferrari being the favourites, of a conspiracy, and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff didn't deny it outright, almost suggesting that he believed it too. The ecumenical Hamilton brings everyone back into line:

 

"I understand how Vettel must have felt in Singapore: the same feelings I had here. Wonderful, fast, balanced car and tyres that make you feel happy".

fotor-2023111322543.jpeg

Happy like someone who knows he has the championship back in his hands, also because in Japan he understood another important thing: Ferrari, despite the satisfaction of Sebastian Vettel's third place and Kimi Raikkonen's fourth, have improved a lot. On the same track, they went from over half a minute down at Silverstone to 20 seconds down at Suzuka, but they are still inferior to Mercedes. Hamilton will soon equal Senna's three world titles, perhaps in two races, at the United States Grand Prix (there would be a theoretical first match ball, but in two races he needs 27 more points than Nico Rosberg), or more likely in three races in Mexico, when he needs only 2 more points than his team-mate in three races. Nico Rosberg, on the other hand, is devastated.

 

"Everything is going in the wrong direction. I was on pole, I should have won, but instead I had a bad start and Hamilton fooled me. Now it's Russia: the last chance".

 

Sebastian Vettel, on the other hand, was clear in his analysis:

 

"I could have done more, but Rosberg surprised me with that monstrous lap coming out of the pits".

 

He apologised on the radio for not being able to defend second place, but the team knows that the car was inferior in Japan. It's pointless to think about a different strategy, too little information about the tyres, given the rain on Friday: stopping earlier and extending the final stint would have been a blind gamble. With Raikkonen (fourth, overtaking Bottas) the gamble worked, but as Maurizio Arrivabene admits:

 

"With Williams it's easier. It doesn't have Rosberg's magic button: he turns the crank and it goes like a rocket. A very satisfying result? No, it's another podium on a very difficult track. The very satisfying races are the ones like Singapore; here we were able to react well after Friday and Saturday morning. I think it's a deserved podium. Was I expecting less? Actually, I expected less given the characteristics of this track, so let's say that if you don't win it's not good, but in this case it's okay".

 

Who knows if Ferrari will be able to do it one day, confirming its policy of not giving up until the end and using the four development tokens. To finish this season on a high, however it happens (Sochi is tricky, Abu Dhabi could be the fourth triumph of 2015) and prepare for next year's assault. The entire Mercedes team celebrated, including Mercedes president Niki Lauda and team boss Toto Wolff. Justified euphoria after Lewis Hamilton's overwhelming triumph in Japan, but less composed than usual, as if the former Austrian great had feared something. President Lauda, relieved to have beaten Ferrari again?

 

"Relieved not because I beat Vettel, but because I found my Mercedes again. Singapore gave us a bit of a scare, it was a worrying setback. To see at Suzuka that we're back to where we were before, the strongest, cheers us up, reassures us".

 

Doesn't he admit that Ferrari scared you? He once said that in Maranello they only know how to make spaghetti...

 

"Enough with that joke. Ferrari have grown a lot this season, they have done a great job, they are a serious and formidable opponent. They did very well in Singapore, to the point where we had some doubts. Suzuka removed those doubts and brought us back to reality. And that's the most important thing for us. On certain circuits, almost all of them, we are still the best".

 

But with two drivers who don't like each other. At Suzuka, Hamilton and Rosberg collided at the start, with the Englishman pushing Nico onto the grass and he didn't take it too well.

fotor-20231113225354.jpeg

"It was a normal part of the race with two aggressive drivers at the start. I didn't see anything unfair. Hamilton was better, showed more determination and was right. Within the rules".

 

The championship is in its hottest phase. Are you worried about possible self-destructive clashes?

 

"No worries. We had a bad collision at Spa last year and then nothing happened. We didn't like that episode, we called the drivers, but we're talking about August 2014, how much time has passed?"

 

Do you rule out that it could happen again?

 

"Absolutely. They are two very professional riders, they love the challenge, they want to win, but they know they are racing for a team. No premonitions, just the belief that we can still win a lot in these last races".

 

Is Hamilton unbeatable?

 

"Given his advantage and the fact that he drives the best car, I would say yes. Surprises are always possible, but he is 48 points ahead of Rosberg. You can attack him in a single race, but in the championship he is unassailable".

 

Is it fair to say that you are close to winning the Championship?

 

"It was never taken away from him, he even won it last season. But at team level it's nice to think that if he doesn't make it, it's up to his team-mate".

 

Red Bull would like to think so. Will you give them engines after the break with Renault, who yesterday bought 65% of Lotus, freeing it from the grip of creditors?

 

"Impossible, the negotiations ended a long time ago. They had the wrong approach and the Mercedes team didn't like it. The doors are closed. Let them go to Maranello, we're not interested".

 

But this race will be remembered for Fernando Alonso's insults to Honda, broadcast around the world, in Suzuka, their home circuit. To the point of causing a scandal among the Japanese public. Perhaps Alonso didn't do it on purpose, having been betrayed by the competitive trance, or perhaps he did, tired of the problems with the Honda engine and looking for a spectacular confrontation to say goodbye. Either way, the slap in the face of the world was violent. Alonso shouted over the radio after another overtaking manoeuvre:

 

"I've got a GP2 engine".

 

In other words, a second-rate engine, the series below the noble F1. A violent message to the pits in a particular context, Suzuka, the home of Honda, which owns the track. It's as if someone had insulted Ferrari in Maranello, perhaps in front of the Drake's house. A breach of respect that causes embarrassment for the team and resentment in Tokyo and the surrounding area. Dennis, the McLaren boss, tried to limit the damage.

fotor-20231113225413.jpeg

"I don't share his outburst, I don't forgive him. But I understand that a driver at 300 km/h is not always clear-headed; the unfortunate phrase can be justified. But it's certainly not constructive at a time when the project is growing. Honda has returned to F1 to win, and is making every effort to close the gap. Certain things are not said on the radio, they are discussed behind closed doors. What I will do with him".

 

It's likely that McLaren will issue a severe reprimand. So much so, that later in the evening, Alonso tried to repair the damage.

 

"The group battle is stressful, a few words can slip over the radio, but they should remain private".

 

He adds:

 

"I have three years left on my contract with McLaren; my career will end here. I hope to win everything. It is the only thing that can beat Mercedes in the future".

 

The fact remains that this outburst comes at a time of crisis for the nobleman. Economically, it is in the midst of a collapse, to the point that Neale, the team principal, says:

 

"The parent company is supporting us, but this crisis in results cannot go on indefinitely".

 

The figures speak for themselves: last year, McLaren received 44.000.000 euros for finishing fifth, this year they will receive 21,000,000 euros for finishing ninth. Alonso has a three-year contract worth 32.000.000 euros per season, and Jenson Button has an option to stay on in 2016 for 12.000.000 euros, having been paid 6.000.000 euros this year. The team would have let him go and opted for Kevin Magnussen at 500.000 euros, but the divorce option has expired, forcing Ron Dennis to declare:

 

"Alonso and Button will be next year's drivers".

 

The team has lost sponsors such as Vodafone and Hugo Boss, and will say goodbye to Santander and Johnnie Walker at the end of the season. An immediate redemption is urgent, but the next power unit remains uncertain. The problem is the smaller supercharger: instead of enlarging it to the dimensions of Mercedes and Ferrari, the Japanese tried to increase the speed to generate more heat and release more energy. Now it has less power, charges less and doesn't last a lap, with a straight line deficit of 120 HP. Ferrari and Mercedes have reached 110.000 RPM, McLaren would need 130. Honda is optimistic, others less so. And perhaps even Alonso, who is rumoured to be dreaming of joining Red Bull. That is, if the Austrians (who will lose 60 million euros to Total and Infiniti with the divorce from Renault) can find a decent engine. Mercedes is difficult, Ferrari more likely.


instagram
twitter
youtube
whatsapp
tiktok
spotify

©​ 2024 Osservatore Sportivo

Team

Contact us

Info

Create Website with flazio.com | Free and Easy Website Builder