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My first poll here so I'm hoping that I've done this right.

The Australian Grand Prix is right around the corner and it appears that McLaren Honda is nowhere near ready with a competitive engine. This poll is looking for people's predictions about where the best car out of this two car team will finish. Put your guess on the line!

Both cars DNF.

It's hard to look beyond a double DNF, tbh. They only managed a max 10-lap run in testing IIRC

Both DNF sadly.

The problem is basic, a complete lack of reliability which compromises all the rest.

I have gone for 6 - 10 because I think if they get sorted, thats where they will be---- unless Merc RBR or Ferrari get a DNF(s)

The more I read about the Honda engine, the more I think the problem is all one item, and they know what to do abut it.

The problem then will be that once it is fixed, that engine still has not been tested

I'm afraid that as a die-hard Macca fan (and really, is there any other kind left at this point? ) I have to say double DNF. I'll be quite surprised if both cars reach the checkered flag based on testing and statements coming from the team themselves.

If one of them does finish, probably back of the back like 2015.

As another die hard fan of the Mcalren it's very difficult seeing the team where they currently are. However surely anything bar 2 DNF's has to been as a success in terms of running after pre season testing. I'm predicting one DNF and one of the cars to be running around the back purely for mileage purposes.

Thanks for participating in the poll guys. Who picked 2nd to 5th!? I'll have some of what you are smokin'.

Considering how dire the situation is, I think I left out one potential option for the team: Did not start!

I hope McLaren can pull a rabbit out of hat and give us all a surprise. F1 needs a strong McLaren to prosper well.

Double points finish.

We had a similar thread about Red Bull going into 2014. Plenty of people said it would certainly be a double DNF. Ricciardo finished 2nd.

One car finish outside points. Voted 10-15.

I'm betting money on a Fernando podium so what the hell, i'll go for 2 - 5th.

I'm going to be positive and say 10th-15th. If they can get a car to the finish.

Barring collisions or engine failures both cars from Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, and Williams should all comfortably finish ahead so top 8 is out from the start.

Then at least one from Haas, FI, and Toro Rosso should be ahead as well so that puts a best case of 12th. These teams will be starting farther back on the grid opening them up to greater chances of losing a car in turn 1 mayhem.

Any McLaren that is able to finish might be able to out match under-developed, last years PU, Saubers based on driver skill. Renault is a wild card but with some failures in the second set of teams I mentioned they can still lose out to both Renault cars and come 15th.

They're sandbagging,something about a Chinese betting syndicate.

1-2, a minute ahead of Lewis.

I expect them to perform beyond anyone's expectations.

14 laps of titanic fighting with Sauber until the Honda meets its predictable end by going up in smoke.

Herb Tarlik wrote:Thanks for participating in the poll guys. Who picked 2nd to 5th!? I'll have some of what you are smokin'.

Considering how dire the situation is, I think I left out one potential option for the team: Did not start!

I hope McLaren can pull a rabbit out of hat and give us all a surprise. F1 needs a strong McLaren to prosper well.

Remember both Merc and Renault have admitted having a problem with the engine, and Ferrari never admit if they do.

I'm predicting results similar to what we saw in 2015, although I think both cars will start the race. One won't finish and the other will trundle around 2 laps down at the finish. Really don't know what the thought process is for anything thinking they'll finish any higher than 15th!

They're basically going to have to treat the weekend like a glorified test session.

Two big fat DNF's.

40th. They're so slow, they'll lose to cars that don't exist.

Alonso will DNF, while Vandorne will finish 18th, instantly marking himself out as a future WDC.

I'm gonna be boring and say I'll have to wait and see until at least first practice before making my mind up.

I'm leaning towards a 2015 style result as Nosebuckle said, I'm expecting them to bring a different engine spec to Australia.

Write off Australia... and send them to Abu Dhabi now. They may just make the end-of-season podium if they start there this weekend.

Honda made good progress last year with reliability so it wouldn't shock me if they managed to improve it by a good step before Melbourne.

But I saw a fan video of the McHonda during the tests which sounded so bad, you can actually hear the oscillations when you played it on slow speed. The shifting sounded horrendous at any speed too.(I think McLaren are involved with the gearbox too).

But the second half of last year was pretty much bulletproof so they're not mugs and I'm hopeful they can pull something off.

Alonso 10th
Vandoorne 11th

Lotus49 wrote:Honda made good progress last year with reliability so it wouldn't shock me if they managed to improve it by a good step before Melbourne.

Any reliability Honda achieved last season means very little because they redesigned the PU, you can chuck Renault in that boat too. Who knows what design flaws it may possibly have and if there is any easy fix or if it will take them another 18 months to get this spec reliable.

I really hope they do sort it out ASAP, although i don't follow McLaren it would be great for F1 to see them getting back on a podium.

rivf1 wrote:

Lotus49 wrote:Honda made good progress last year with reliability so it wouldn't shock me if they managed to improve it by a good step before Melbourne.

Any reliability Honda achieved last season means very little because they redesigned the PU, you can chuck Renault in that boat too. Who knows what design flaws it may possibly have and if there is any easy fix or if it will take them another 18 months to get this spec reliable.

I really hope they do sort it out ASAP, although i don't follow McLaren it would be great for F1 to see them getting back on a podium.

I'm sure knowledge gained of how they solved problems are transferable to some degrees. You're right though that it's unknown what the flaws are and how long it will take but they've achieved it before so it wouldn't be that surprising to me at least if they had a reliability fix in place for Melbourne.

Realistically anything aside from a double DNF would be a good result. It is amazing how this season is resembling their 2015 season. Unfathomable.

I predict that one car will DNF and the other will slow down to collect as much data as possible, finishing just in front of the Saubers.

Assuming that born don't suffer catastrophic failures I think at least one should slot into the 10-15 category.

15-20 for one car. I will have faith that Honda can bring just enough of a band-aid fix that it will let them run the race in a reduced power state. One car will need to retire and the other will be at the back with Sauber.

Herb Tarlik wrote:My first poll here so I'm hoping that I've done this right.

The Australian Grand Prix is right around the corner and it appears that McLaren Honda is nowhere near ready with a competitive engine. This poll is looking for people's predictions about where the best car out of this two car team will finish. Put your guess on the line!

Putting 1st & 2nd - 5th options in the voting list is more like rubbing salt on McLaren's wounds!

UnlikeUday wrote:Putting 1st & 2nd - 5th options in the voting list is more like rubbing salt on McLaren's wounds!

If there is a McLaren 1-2 in Melbourne this year, I will consume a dozen bottles of Chandon and post a picture of the aftermath to this thread.

I'm also a McLaren supporter but unfortunately I think the poll should probably read:

Where will the McLaren finish:

1st lap
2nd - 5th lap
6th - 10th lap
etc.

Biffa wrote:I'm also a McLaren supporter but unfortunately I think the poll should probably read:

Where will the McLaren finish:

1st lap
2nd - 5th lap
6th - 10th lap
etc.

Two have voted for the win - probably new to the sport, I assume

I'd go as far to say they'll probably sit out qualifying if they have so many issues in FP.

Biffa wrote:I'm also a McLaren supporter but unfortunately I think the poll should probably read:

Where will the McLaren finish:

1st lap
2nd - 5th lap
6th - 10th lap
etc.

You forgot the out lap!

SnakeSVT2003 wrote:40th. They're so slow, they'll lose to cars that don't exist.

Covalent wrote:Both cars DNF.

I'm actually tempted to upgrade (downgrade?) this to 2x DNS.

Lotus49 wrote:Honda made good progress last year with reliability so it wouldn't shock me if they managed to improve it by a good step before Melbourne.

But I saw a fan video of the McHonda during the tests which sounded so bad, you can actually hear the oscillations when you played it on slow speed. The shifting sounded horrendous at any speed too.(I think McLaren are involved with the gearbox too).

But the second half of last year was pretty much bulletproof so they're not mugs and I'm hopeful they can pull something off.

Reading on another site, this was caused by Honda "switching out" some cylinders until the unit is up to a set RPM.
So it is infact misfiring cylinders, but it is by design. May be due to balance or heat, but the consensus seems to be that it is intentional. There was a press release from a honda boss explaining it, but I have used up all my free visits for this month and can not get a link ( )

DNF? Nah.

Both cars don't start after failing to qualify or set a decent pace in practice so the stewards can't allow them to race.