Yeah, I don't gamble with anything but after hearing all the BS being said (in the news and on here) I thought I'd check the odds, then I thought hell at those odds why not put my money where my mouth is.
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YASUHISA ARAI - Honda R&D senior managing officer – chief officer of motorsport
“We have been tweaking and developing the power unit for this weekend, and I can confirm that our adjustments have been working positively in both practice sessions.
“However, there is still a big time gap ahead of us, so I’m not satisfied with today’s results. Our reliability today has been encouraging, but we still have slight concerns in certain areas because, as ever, the heat is every competitor’s biggest challenge around here.
“Tomorrow’s practice session will give us a further opportunity to increase our understanding of the data before we head into qualifying.”
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That to me says that they are holding back before turning it up for qualifying. It's also good to see that he is not happy even at this early stage with the time gap, that's the sign of a winning mentality.
Interestingly look at these two quotes and notice the difference.
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“It feels great to be back in the car – I enjoyed driving so much today. Maybe I’m not quite 100 per cent fit after two weeks on the sofa and two weeks out of the car, but I’m fit enough to enjoy it out there.
“Today really feels like the second day of testing for me – I had one solid day’s running in Barcelona during the winter, when I did 63 laps, and I managed 45 today. Plus, we ran with zero problems – so that’s an important step, too.
“We are improving the aero package, gaining a greater understanding of the power unit, and we also have better interaction between everyone working on the car. Every lap is a learning curve for us.
“The car feels consistent and easy to drive, and it’s giving me the confidence to push it to the limit. We had some issues with braking consistency today, but we should be able to resolve those overnight. I feel great – I enjoyed today so much.”
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“I think everyone found it tricky with today’s heat, and it’s been tough to find a consistent balance today.
“A lot of people made mistakes – there’s very low grip out there – so the feeling inside the car isn’t as good as it was in Melbourne, but our overall pace over a single lap and over a long run is a little closer to the cars ahead of us. That’s a step forward.
“We learned a lot today about the engine; we have a bit more power, although we’re still learning about driveability in some areas.
“I may have been wrong yesterday when I said that we might not be racing other cars on Sunday: it would be a massive step forward for us if tomorrow we’re able to get in among some of the runners currently ahead of us in the pecking order.”
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Jenson just can't set up a car, he never has been able to. He can drive a car quick but he has always had problems with multiple issues that seem to have no answers for.
Mclaren must be thankful that they have at least one driver who can point them in the right direction.
Chris.
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