For McLaren, is there light at the end of the qualifying tunnel?
Like many teams, McLaren is still struggling to establish its true level of competitiveness in the hierarchy. It was a memorable day for Jenson Button, who avoided the worst by brushing against a piece of steel from... a manhole cover!
The most alarming moment of these two sessions was indeed due to Jenson Button. While following Rosberg’s Mercedes at the end of FP1, the experienced Brit picked up a piece of a manhole cover located at the exit of the first corner, near the Sainte-Dévote climb. Fortunately, the 2009 world champion avoided any injury and only ended up with a broken wing.
« Normally, the safety standards are correct here but this kind of incident is something we don’t want to see anymore. I was lucky that the manhole cover didn’t fly off onto my head! »
Regarding the settings, neither Jenson Button nor Fernando Alonso felt completely satisfied with the balance of their cars.
Jenson Button FP1: 1:17.920 → P15 (26 laps);
FP2: 1:16.325 → P10 (43 laps)
« The morning session was difficult for me, we struggled to find the grip. We really started to make progress this afternoon » he told reporters.
« It was truly an exhausting day with that manhole cover that broke my front wing, my suspension, and part of my floor. The mechanics did a fantastic job getting the car back in running order for the second session. We still have a long way to go before qualifying, but I’m happy with our competitiveness. »
A competitiveness that still needs improvement. While the team believes that this circuit is one of the most suited to the profile of the MP4/21, only Button managed to get into the Top 10.
There is a big gap with the cars at the top of the ranking, but we will do our best in qualifying, hoping to be even more competitive!
Fernando Alonso – FP1: 1:17.838 → P13 (27 laps);
FP2: 1:16.723 → P12 (46 laps)
A little further back, the double Spanish world champion also struggled with his settings. He does not lose hope:
« We know that this circuit represents a great opportunity for us, so we expected to be a bit more competitive in both sessions. But we have to stay calm, it’s only Thursday and there is a lot of potential to unlock in our car for Saturday. »
« The balance of our car wasn’t ideal: I felt a lot of understeering so there is definitely room for improvement in the standings. The moment of truth will be Saturday: I’m sure we’ll reach our goal. »
With a modest eighth place in the constructors’ standings, it’s high time for the Woking team to elevate their season. For Ron Dennis, the matter is clear: McLaren will be the first team to dethrone Mercedes, nothing less!
The performance must be on point this Monaco weekend as the McLaren team is simply celebrating its 50th anniversary.
For you. Fans like no other. #ThisIsMcLaren #BelieveInMcLaren @Richard_Mille https://t.co/hA7f2RlCOn — McLaren (@McLarenF1) 26 mai 2016
« I firmly believe that McLaren will be the next world champion team after Mercedes. » he indicated to the BBC microphone.
The competition is fierce, but I have every hope in the technical skills of our team as well as those of the engine manufacturer Honda. »
In the meantime, according to Yusuke Hasegawa, the progress of the Honda engine combined with the aerodynamic quality of the McLaren will lead the team to a very good result.
As such, Honda revealed that Fernando Alonso’s power unit has undergone some improvements. However, it was also specified that none of the remaining 14 development tokens have been used. These changes are primarily aimed at improving the reliability of the Spanish driver’s engine.
