McLAREN
Well, it can’t be any worse than last year, can it? McLaren will be relieved to be starting a new season after the nightmare that was 2015, with Honda able to make major changes to its power unit which were not possible to implement during last season.
The lap times in pre-season testing should be largely ignored where McLaren is concerned, as it is the reliability which will have the biggest impact on the team’s fortunes. One day of lost running aside, McLaren was able to complete significant running which means it can start the year in race mode. The knock-on effect is a reliable car allows the team to deliver a much stronger development programme than in 2015.
Honda has not found a magic bullet but has addressed the major weaknesses which will should result in a clear step towards the midfield. With the likes of Force India and Toro Rosso expected to start strongly, McLaren could be just on the fringes of the fight behind the leading teams but - along with Renault - will be eyeing points.
Silbermann's view
Oh dear, oh dear! Disaster movies don’t seem to be as popular as they used to be, but if someone wanted to make one about motor sport, then last year’s McLaren-Honda team could have provided most of the cast for a real blockbuster. It’s got to get better, it will get better, but it’s hard to see podiums featuring too often on the Woking horizon this year. They’ll have to do something quickly to retain the interest of Messrs. Alonso and Button, a criminal waste of talent at the moment. There’s a new boss at Honda, but I don’t see that making much difference, as strong leadership is not the Japanese company’s forte.
