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Jo Ramirez: "McLaren much happier heading into 2018"

Published on 07 Feb 2018 11:56
6
By: Rob Veenstra

Jo Ramirez says he senses a very different McLaren as the British team prepares for 2018. McLaren's long-time former team coordinator told Spanish radio Cadena Cope that dumping Honda means the team now "sees light at the end of the tunnel".

"They're much happier," said Mexican Ramirez. "They are working very well with Renault engineers because the European people are more open. I see them enjoying the moment and doing everything with a lot of passion because they know that at the end of the tunnel they will get results again," he added.

He said the fact that Red Bull has done well with the Renault engine will both put pressure on and motivate McLaren.

"They have done enough podiums and victories with this engine that they will have to do the same, because if we listen to what Renault and Prost tell us, the engine will at the level of the Mercedes of last year," he said. "Maybe they will even make an incredible engine while Mercedes suffers. I don't know, but there is hope," Ramirez continued.

He also backed Fernando Alonso's decision to split F1 with sports cars this year, saying the Spaniard must have "a crazy desire to sit in the car". "(Zak) Brown is helping him because it's what Fernando wants to do. In the past we saw F1 drivers racing every weekend in other categories, so in my opinion the more time you spend in a racing car, the better." (GMM)

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Replies (6)

calle.itw

Posts: 8,527
Is there a second Renault on the grid? I dont really tend to define the primary Renault as "open", let alone "honest".
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- Feb 7 2018 - 14:16
- ajpennypacker
  
  Posts: 2,475
  I'm assuming he meant culturally open. I know what he's getting at given the extreme rigidity and hierarchical nature of Japanese culture. However, I still think that's a poor excuse for how miserably Honda failed. That was bad engineering and management, not cultural challenges
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  Feb 7 2018 - 18:34
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  I know, and thats sorta what Im getting at. Renault, as a whole, isnt very famous for being open or honest, so much so that its part of their corporate culture. And when you have a corporate culture like that, it doesnt matter what kind of national culture you have.
  
  Yeah, I dont think its a failing due to culture as much as unreasonable demands from McLaren coupled with bad decisions and management from Honda. A pity they replaced Hasegawa though, I found him reasonable, and his head had to roll due to things out of his control. Hope they'll impress in 2018.
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  Feb 7 2018 - 18:49
- Barron
  
  Posts: 625
  What are these “unreasonable demands” you speak of?
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  Feb 8 2018 - 10:44
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  Unreasonable as in constructing a power unit to fit McLaren's desired parameters and expect it to be competitive. Size zero sounds good, but there is a reason for why nobody else went that way.
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  Feb 8 2018 - 17:04
- ajpennypacker
  
  Posts: 2,475
  It was a partnership. I am sure the requirements (or demands) were mad clear from the very beginning and Honda accepted gladly those conditions. It's easy to hate on Mclaren because of so many disappointments, but in this case it was clearly down to Honda's catastrophic failure to make a proper engine. There were no redeeming features. It was lacking in performance and reliability. Mclaren's only error was no ditching Honda a year earlier.
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  Feb 8 2018 - 21:37