McLaren-Honda

The BBC has yet again proven their insight to the future is precise and accurate when it comes to delivering breaking news about Formula 1. Way back in March of this year, the BBC F1 team revealed that McLaren were in talks with their former engine partners Honda about securing a new deal for a supply of engines.

McLaren have been supplied by Mercedes since 1995 and have won the constructors championship just once. They could have had two if it wasn't for the spy-gate scandal in 2007.

McLaren-Honda will always be remembered for the period of domination the pair held over the sport during 1988 until 1992, a period where they won four constructors titles. 1988 was a particular stand out season where Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost won every race bar one for the Woking team.

With statistics in hand, it's easy to see why they have elected to go back to the Japanese manufacturers, but let's not forget Honda's chequered history in Formula 1. From 1964-1968 they won only two races before electing to pull out of the sport. They would continue to supply engines to teams but they entered a factory team from 2006-2008. Success would prove very minimal again with Jenson Button winning only one race. Then just as easy as a click of the fingers, they pulled the plug on Formula 1 yet again, leaving Button and his team mate Rubens Barrichello without a drive for the following season. Fortunately for them, Ross Brawn put money into the team and would go on to complete a fairy tale story in 2009.

It definitely seems that Honda should stick to making engines and engines alone, but F1 has moved on leaps and bounds from the late 80s/early 90s. There is so much more affecting cars now than engines, look at the mess Pirelli has got the sport in.

The deal is for 2015, which means for the first season of the brand new 1.6 litre turbocharged V6 engines in 2014, McLaren will have to run whatever Mercedes gives them.

Renault 2014 Engine.

What happens though if things don't go as planned, what if McLaren do become the new Williams (an article you must read by my friend over at Let's Talk F1) and become a former shadow of themselves? They are very happy to end any relationship with F1 if things don't go their way. It's a very big risk and as this season has shown, big risks do not pay off for McLaren.

One of the other worries I have is that they want to keep on Jenson Button for this new era. I've had some issues with Jenson's attitude this season but setting them aside for the moment, by the time this deal comes I reckon there will be plenty of thriving talent from other drivers. Paul di Resta, the Toro Rosso boys, even Jules Bianchi in the Marussia looks good. If they are hell bent on making this an entirely new era then I say ditch Jenson. He's a great driver and a phenomenal talent, but there isn't another title fight in him. His luck unfortunately ran out with Lewis Hamilton as his team mate, and Adrian Newey gifting Red Bull with title wins for three years. 

Don't get me wrong, he's made his own mistakes but the point I am trying to make is that a fresh perspective in driving should be accompanied by fresh driver line up. 

In my eyes, the move is too risky. I've said it many times before but 2014 will be a lottery in terms of who will be on top. I'm going with Renault because they seem to be the only engine manufacturer who have made progress, and with them looking to supply less teams in 2014, the demand will be fierce. 

I personally would have shelved the idea of bringing in a new deal with Honda. History looks good but it has also been brief and not looking great in the long term. Stability is what McLaren need, I fear with Honda they may not get it.

Still Unacceptable

My love letter to the Sebastian Vettel fans 

"Every Vettel fan is still so far up their arse with lies they can practically taste their brain."

After I cooled down from the weekend's events and taken a step back to look at my previous blog, I've come to the conclusion: that I'm still right and every Vettel fan is still so far up their arse with lies they can practically taste their brain. The fact that you're stilll defending this event that has put the sport in an awful light shows you're an absolute joke of a supporter.

The response to the situation has been absolutely staggering. The drivers are appalled, the media are surprisingly one sided, commentators are disgusted, one even wants Vettel banned! The response I got to my blog as overwhelming and Twitter was fuming too, I'd personally like to thank all those who got in touch. The fact that you're as passionate about this as I am, and that you're willing to be as open and as honest about it as I am is absolutely amazing. It really goes to show how many real fans there still are. Don't get me wrong, there's still the odd arsehole on Twitter and Instagram who cannot admit that they are wrong, or see the issue here, and it's these arseholes I'm aiming today's blow at.

Any 'fan' who has supported Vettel are quite keen on giving what I like to call; a politicians answer. This means in their messed up head, they think they've answered the question when in reality they have completely avoided it. So from now on, any Vettel 'fan' will now be called a patient, as you must have suffered some severe trauma to still miss the big picture.

Guys, it's nothing to do with getting points, or having the hunger. I'm not pro team orders or against them. It barely has anything to do with racing, it has to do with ETHICS. In the working world, if your boss tells you to do something, you bloody well do it. It's a case of them saying "jump" and you saying "how high?" But Vettel thought himself above his team principle Christian Horner, and thought he knew best.

So you can put away your silly points about wanting it more, or that Mark Webber was too slow, Sebastian was told to stay behind by his authority, and he didn't.

The point that really irritates me about the patients, is one of their favourite people to quote. Bare this in mind, I love Ayrton Senna. He is the greatest driver in the history of Formula 1, and I don't appreciate his name being used, but these patients are low enough like their idol Vettel to drag his name through the dirt. If you're not familiar with the famous Senna quote, here it is:

"And you [Jackie Stewart] know a lot about racing. And you should know that by being a racing driver, you are under risks all the time. By being a racing driver means you are racing with other people. And if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you're no longer a racing driver, because we are competing. We are competing to win, and the main motivation to all of us is to compete for victory; it's not to come 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th"

Senna lived his life by this, and his career, which has inspired a lot of drivers including Vettel obviously. It brought the Brazilian lots of success, 41 race wins and 3 world championships, so I can see why it's a great quote to use in an argument, and let's be honest, it instilled him as a legend forever.

Here comes the controversial point and the one the Vettel patients are missing. Alain Prost, Senna's rival for years lived by a completely different philosophy. He believed that if you only need so many points or a certain finish, then that's all that you need to do. He's a smart, well educated man, nicknamed 'The Professor' for a reason. You could say this makes him the polar opposite to Senna.

Now, do you want to know why his philosophy is better than Senna's, and why in the argument's case it renders Senna's quote moot? Because Prost was more successful than Senna. It's not a matter of talent (Senna was far more talented and the better driver), it's a matter of statistics and unless you are severely brain damaged and in the case of the hardcore Vettel fans, a total brain dead rabbit, you'll know statistics are a huge part of F1. Prost won 51 races and 4 world championships, all of which came before Senna's death. Not that I hope anyone would use that as an excuse.

I can see why pushing the limit is attractive, it gets results. But Prost's way, adopted by drivers like Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, gets the results more fairly. The only reason Vettel has won more championships is because of his car. 

The other point I absoutely adored was the whole "it has nothing to do with the car" or "Newey has nothing to do with it." It made me realise just how desperately pathetic some Vettel patients are and instead of arguing with you, I'm going to pity you. Because like your driver, you are a lost cause and a waste of my time.

Vettel and Webber have never had the same car. They've never had the same backing or resources. There's very simply the Red Bull corner, and the Webber corner. There is a car designed for Mark Webber, then there is the car designed to win the championship, all because of Adrian Newey. Vettel has nothing to do with it, if the roles were reversed, Webber would be a triple world champion, and maybe I'd be supporting the German. This should hopefully answer why Webber hasn't been champion yet. Not because of his (perceived) lack of ability, but because he has been oppressed by his team. Anybody denying this should really get themselves checked out for criminal levels of insanity.

The other arguments that have surfaced from the rats are the fact that Vettel is in it for himself, and the team are lucky to have him. When I challenged one, he tried to tell me that if Vettel was still in a Toro Rosso, he would still be a triple world champion. Well, I'll let you guess among yourselves what my response was.

The big issue with these people, is that you cannot cure stupidity. Vettel patients will always defend their boy because they cannot see beyond the bigger picture. The pity I have for you guys is astronomical, but I have no time for idiots.