Fernando Alonso assures that the situation is under control at McLaren-Honda, whose first races of the 2015 Formula 1 season turned out to be quite difficult.
The return of engine manufacturer Honda has not been unproblematic. The Japanese power unit was voluntarily curbed right from the first Grand Prix of the season, in Australia, in order to ensure its reliability. Even if the Malaysian GP also ended a full lap behind the winner for McLaren, progress has been undeniably constant. After running within the second third of the field in China, the team participated in the second round of qualifying in Bahrain last weekend.
Jenson Button recently said that the car itself “gives you confidence.” When Honda manages to further exploit its new V6 turbo hybrid, points will be within reach. “We are all united. We are all grown up and committed to this project”, declared Alonso on the official Formula 1 website. “Nobody is panicking in this tough moment.” A huge step forward to come soon The Spanish double World Champion believes that McLaren's progress will be even more visible at the next race, which happens to be his home GP. “I predict that in Barcelona we will see the first huge step”, he said. “And also the power effect is low in Monaco, so we should also have a good race there. My prediction is that the next three races will be very interesting for us. “The steps that we've made since Melbourne all point in the right direction. (...) I am optimistic, even if I am aware of the fact that still a lot needs to be done.”
Indeed, some major technical issues must be resolved. In Bahrain, Button did not participate in qualifying or the race. But it is clear that a very precise working plan is in place, and it should eventually bear fruit. Eric Boullier, McLaren's Racing Director, believes that his team might be able to fight for the title from the 2017 championship onwards. “We can become competitive this year. We will be regularly competitive next year. I think that before the end of next year, we will be there”, he told the New York Times. Boullier pointed out that Honda's power unit made its debut a year after those of Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault: “We just have to catch up, and we need just a little bit of time.” “The car itself is not yet a winning car, but it soon will be. Our engine partner will also gain in maturity, and we know we will grow in strength. McLaren is back, no worries.”
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