McLaren-Honda still can’t climb back up the slope
Despite the improvements made to the Honda engine, McLaren delivered another disappointing qualifying session, more than a second behind the Saubers. Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso will even start from the last row after being handed 105 grid penalties for various engine changes!
The Spa-Francorchamps circuit and its long straights clearly do not suit the two McLaren cars and their Honda engines, which still suffer from a noticeable power deficit. Yet, the Japanese engine manufacturer came to Wallonia with updates following the use of three development tokens. For Yasuhisa Arai, Honda’s director of motorsport, this Saturday was another disappointing day, during which the updates did not translate into results.
Fernando Alonso will start last this Sunday. Beaten by Jenson Button and significantly outpaced by the rest of the field (excluding Manor), he was expecting to suffer here anyway: « We knew it was going to be a tough weekend. Spa is the longest circuit on the calendar, with very long straights, and we know we have a top speed deficit, so we strategically decided to take penalties this weekend (…) To really enjoy the race, we will need something exciting, like rain for example. On a dry track, we will be in trouble. »
Jenson Button only had the satisfaction of having beaten his teammate this Saturday. He seemed to have enjoyed himself in Q1: « With my lap today, I had the same sensations as during my pole position lap three years ago. I really enjoyed driving the car this afternoon. (…) Gaining a few positions tomorrow won’t be easy, and we still have a long way to go before being competitive, but at least the feeling in the car is positive. »
