After a long period of deliberation behind closed doors, the identity of McLaren’s 2015 driver line-up has been officially announced.
Fernando Alonso having departed Ferrari, will be joined by current McLaren driver Jenson Button as the two drivers who will race the new McLaren-Honda next year. 2014 rookie Kevin Magnussen will also remain with the team, but has been demoted to a test/reserve driver role.
Alonso, who previously drove for the prestigious team in 2007 said during the team’s media conference that “Now I arrive to finish the job that I started in 2007.”
The Spaniard parted with McLaren after just one season, with the dual-world champion having fallen out with then team principal Ron Dennis and then rookie Lewis Hamilton.
“So now, some years later, you are more mature, you learn things, you understand things you didn’t know at 25 years old,” Alonso emphasised.
Button, who will embark upon his sixth season for McLaren in 2015 said during the conference that his ‘heart is with McLaren’ and when asked what he felt about having to wait for the team to make a decision, he replied “Sometimes the best things in life are worth waiting for.”
2015 will serve as an important year for McLaren. With the emphasis in this new hybrid turbo era of Formula One being on the power-unit itself, having the factory team benefits such as the Mercedes AMG squad had in 2014 will prove crucial in being a top contender.
In Alonso and Button, McLaren have two world champions and a wealth of experience which spans across over a decade.
The 33 year old, dual-world champion has proved during his unsuccessful five-year stint at Ferrari that he can outdrive any piece of machinery, most notably seen with the F2012 and this year’s F14 T which he achieved only two podiums with.
The 34 year old, 2009 world champion is highly known for his smooth, gentlemen-like driving style. Which has also proved a successful approach in wet races too.
Button’s previous experience with Honda and knowledge with this year MP4-29 chassis will also be an asset in aiding the team’s development over the next twelve months.
CEO Ron Dennis himself said in team’s press release that “I can safely say, therefore, that we now have by an order of magnitude the best driver line-up of any current Formula One team,” meaning that it is up to the team now to deliver a package that combined with the two drivers can deliver the required results.
In Honda, McLaren can look to the success of the past. Between 1988 and 1992, the pair won a total of eight world championships, 44 grand prix and 53 pole positions.
During the 1988 season alone, McLaren-Honda won 15 out of the 16 races, with triple world champion Ayrton Senna winning his first championship.
And it is that success that has lured the Japanese manufacturer to return to the sport during the start of the new hybrid turbo era.
With the team’s last win having came over two years ago in the hands of Button, McLaren need to be ‘in it to win it’ come the start of the 2015 championship.
Even if they are unable to emulate this partnership’s success in their first iteration back in 1988, they need to make a substantial impression on the championship in order to return to the winner’s circle.
The competition will be tough in 2015 in the form of Mercedes AMG, Williams, Red Bull and Ferrari, but in terms of their driver line-up, McLaren have a winning formula.
Looking for great odds on racing and sport? Get into the action with PlayUp today. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Team Penske is under the same umbrella of ownership as the IndyCar Series itself, so it was imperative for to drop the hammer and protect their integrity—which, thankfully, they did.
Red Bull can’t rest on its laurels and if Perez can’t provide them with cover on the rare days that Verstappen is having trouble, it's time to look elsewhere.
The absolute vitriol against the Canadian that has come from the incident is beyond reprehensible.
The Long Beach Grand Prix is the Monaco of American motorsport, and this past weekend, the IndyCar Series reminded everyone exactly why. We witnessed…
New Zealand made a triumphant return to the Supercars championship calendar since the demise of the much-loved Pukekohe Park Raceway – as Taupō delivered…
It’s time that serious questions are asked of his Lance Stroll and his future in the team.
