After what was a very trying weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix for the McLaren team, in the Austria post-race test they managed to get some really solid mileage under their belts, with protégé Stoffel Vandoorne and Fernando Alonso knocking up 100 laps between them – far more than McLaren can seem to manage at the moment across multiple Grand Prix weekends. With Honda starting to put things right at the other side of the pond by winning a dry IndyCar race for the first time this season, there are small glimmers of hope for fans of McLaren and Honda as they head to the team’s home race at Silverstone.
2015 British Grand Prix McLaren Preview
No. 14 Fernando Alonso
Form: 11/R/R/R/R
2014: Grid: P16, Race: P6
Alonso seems to have mixed fortunes at the British Grand Prix: two wins here in 2006 and 2011 paired with untimely driver errors in 2010 and again last year in qualifying. With a dismal season to date, it can only be upwards for the Spaniard, and McLaren are at least hoping to put on some sort of a show for the fans here. Alonso had a memorable duel with Sebastian Vettel here last year, in which the now-Ferrari man beat the ex-Ferrari man.
No. 22 Jenson Button
Form: -/16/8/R/R
2014: Grid: P3, Race: P4
Button had arguably his strongest performance of the season here last year, somehow dragging a midfield car into third on the grid, and managing to hold onto fourth place in the race. That was in fact, to date, Button’s joint best British Grand Prix result, so his home race has hardly been the kindest to him. Whilst achieving that desperately-wanted home podium is almost certainly not going to happen here, he will at the very least try to put on some sort of show for his many fans in the grandstands.
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