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[racechick]

I would be wary about writing McLaren off. People said Mercedes had no chance this year. And they all seem to have disappeared into the woodwork.

McLaren have had bad years before, and bounced back*. It'll be even easier this time with Ross Brawn onboard......

*admittedly not as bad as the one they had this year, but still.

I wouldn't write any of them off with all the changes coming.

Marussia for WDC 2014!

Well one or two maybe.

[CookinFlat6]

Maybe Button knows something we dont

Button: We are definitely title contenders next year, but It’s not going to be easy

Jenson Button endured the kind of season at McLaren which must have conjured up memories of his days of frustration at Honda, but despite this the 2009 World Champion is confident that in 2014 the team will enjoy a reversal of fortunes.

Shortly after finishing fourth in Brazil, Button and his team’s best result of the year, he declared to English media, “We are definitely title contenders next year. So are Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.If you look at 2010, with two races to go I was out of the championship but Lewis was still in it. In 2011, we got beaten by one person in a Red Bull, so we were very close to the top. So it’s definitely there. It’s not going to be easy, of course.”

A questionable prediction from Button who in January this year said of the McLaren MP4-28, “This year’s car is the best we’ve ever made – I know the engineers have left absolutely no stone unturned in wringing every ounce of performance from every available area.”

A month later he said, “In terms of the car itself – the MP4-28 – it’s very good. We have had a few issues which have set us back a little bit, but I feel that the car in Melbourne will be strong.”

At the season opener in Australia Button qualified tenth and finished ninth – it did not get any better thereafter as McLaren endured their worst season since 1980, a year in which they also failed to score a podium finish.

[Hammer278]

[NHcheese]

Anythings possible, who knows.

[CookinFlat6]

Anythings possible, although I would have more confidence if this talk came AFTER some winter testing or even after the team had a chance to try the car in the real world.
Sounds like these guys are talking for the sponsors which is fair enough, but after getting the same prediction so wrong last year its brave to be making the same ones even before the winter development is done

My biggest concern is the feedback. Buttons feedback didnt help last winter, it didnt help during 2013, in fact he confirmed that in Brazil when they didnt work on setup in practice the car didnt get worse. Which means his feedback in free practice has been the problem.

"I think the last four or five races we have flattered to deceive as it were," he said.

"I have sensed we did make progress.

"We were racing Ferrari and Lotus and Mercedes, but we didn't quite nail it.

"You can see we had similar pace, which is ironic given that the car hasn't touched the wind tunnel for about four months and we were not doing anything [to improve it]."

Errmm, thats because your PEERLESS developer has had chance to add FEEDBACK

[1Lemon]

RUUUUMMMMMOORRRSSSS

Sony are McLaren's new title sponsor, I can't wait to see that livery!

Edit:http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=708535222489913&set=a.274049039271869.77184.273451355998304&type=1&theater

[What's Burning?]

Gaaad daaamit, rumors stay in the silly season!

[CookinFlat6]

Hmmn, not too many electronics giants as title sponsors in F1 so far

By Americo Teixeira Jr. - The McLaren Formula 1 team will be sponsored by Sony Corporation in 2014. The Japanese giant enters the team led by Martin Whitmarsh to replace Britain's Vodafone, "Title Sponsor" between 2007 and 2013.

Power in sectors such as electronics, computers, software, mobile, media and entertainment, Sony inaugurates new phase in Nipponese team who have their cars again driven by Honda engines in 2015.

Note 1 : The agreement was denied by spokesmen for Sony in Japan, a company that was questioned before publication. In response, the team was adamant: " There is no such fact . " (29.11.2013)

Also Sony just announced an unexpected big quarterly loss last week when things had looked on the up. I wouldnt hold my breath on this one, although the car mockup looks good and sharp - like the old efficient McLaren and its MTC and Ron

[What's Burning?]

I wish Mercedes had the McLaren chrome livery. They took the star driver... why stop there?

[CookinFlat6]

Once McLaren give up the Merc engine I'm sure Merc will want to be the silver arrows again and we will see the chrome and silver move from Mac to Merc. Must be a real catch 22 for McLaren, technically speaking they should be praying that the Merc engine is crap as they will be competing against a few teams with it in 2015

[1Lemon]

Sony are Japanese, as are Honda, maybe a link there; also the PS4 just released (Which is why they posted a loss as they sold less PS3s)

[Hammer278]

Wow...a company in a high risk/cyclical industry with so much cash to spare in F1? No matter how big you are, it's a risky industry to be playing in so respect to Sony if they indeed have the confidence and muscle to enter F1.

I fondly remember my precious Sony walkman during high school. Good times.

[CookinFlat6]

Sony are Japanese, as are Honda, maybe a link there; also the PS4 just released (Which is why they posted a loss as they sold less PS3s)

You would think someone at Sony had considered that possibility so it wouldnt come as a shock and cause them to revise their whole 2013 forecasts.

Also Honda are arriving in 2015, wouldnt the Japanese Sony want to wait till 2015 to join if that was the reason they were joining

finally, that Button FB page is fake, the clue is that there is no yellow amphibious poultry icon anywhere to be seen

This is the real JB page, no mention of Sony
https://www.facebook.com/JensonButtonOf ... ge?fref=ts

[CookinFlat6]

Well well well, JB gives us hints of whats to come from pit to car radio in 2014. Get in there early Button!

Jenson Button expects the regulation changes next season will be a positive thing for the fans, but says the drivers will have a tougher time than at present.
The Briton has been driving the MP4-29 in McLaren's simulator to get a feel for what things will be like next year. His initial feelings are that the cars will be far harder to drive because of the increased torque from the new turbo-charged V6 engines and the decreased downforce thanks to the positioning of the exhausts.
"It's about getting an understanding of the power unit and how we are going to put the power down, because it's not going to be easy," he explained.
"I don't think any of us are used to having torque. I've raced for 14 years in F1 and I've never had torque so it's going to be a new experience."
Whilst he's not expecting the simulator to give a truly accurate feel for what the car will be like, he's certain he and his rivals will have a tougher time keeping the car in a straight-line as they power out of the corner.
"I think it will be easier in reality but we're going to find it tough," he added. "In high speed corners you're off power for so long and you just can't get the power down. You're waiting the whole time. It's not like now with so much downforce and so little torque that you can just floor it and even if you run a bit wide you just understeer off the circuit.
"But with the 2014 car if you floor it in a corner like Turn 3 at Barcelona, you don't just drive off, you immediately lose the rear because there is so much torque. It's not a balance issue, you have torque and we've never had that before."
He believes the fans will be the real winners as they enjoy closer racing "similar to GP2", but says the driver's won't be having as much fun.
"I don't think it will be more exciting to drive. We are going to be fighting for grip the whole time, so I don't think that will make it more exciting.
"The racing will still be exciting, but I think it will be more close and there will be more fighting. There is already lot anyway but the way the cars will be, with less downforce, harder tyres and more torque, you'll get close racing a bit like GP2 because it will be so much easier to make a mistake."

No Button, other drivers are fine with oversteer and torque steer, its you that doesnt do oversteer.

'now with so much downforce and so little torque that you can just floor it and even if you run a bit wide you just understeer off the circuit'

thats the clue, Button prefers understeering round the track rather than having to deal with rear end instability, and thats in an era of planted rears due to exhaust blowing.

How much fun is he going to have with grip when smooth power delivery out of corners will only be possible once the car is in a straight line? Non - he will become 10x slower unless he learns to step on it and tame the rear whilst still in the corner

Guys like Lewis, Kimi, Webber (hmmmn) Bottas are gonna absolutely shine in these conditions

[spankyham]

I wish Mercedes had the McLaren chrome livery. They took the star driver... why stop there?

They can use it now if they want to