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Fernando Alonso denies giving McLaren a Honda-or-me ultimatum

MONZA, Italy — Fernando Alonso has denied telling McLaren to choose between him and Honda as the Spaniard considers his future with the Formula One team. The two-time world champion also dismissed media speculation that he retired from last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix without there being anything technically wrong with his car's power unit. Some reports this week suggested that Alonso had run out of patience after three years of unreliable and under-powered engines and had told McLaren he would leave if it stayed with Honda. "Absolutely not true," the Spaniard, who won his titles with Renault more than a decade ago, told reporters at the Italian Grand Prix on Thursday. "I have absolutely not decided. More than anything I'm not bigger than a team," added the 36-year-old, who has said he will decide his future in September. His current contract expires at the end of the season. McLaren has sounded out Renault and has also indicated it would support Honda moving to Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso. Honda said after Spa that it could find nothing wrong with Alonso's race engine, but the driver expressed surprise that anyone could suggest he had faked a failure. "It seems people forget that I'm racing here for three years, giving my maximum ... I tried to race with a broken rib in Bahrain," he said, explaining that sensors had started to fail and something had felt wrong. "We retired the car, and they checked the whole engine and it seems everything is fine ... so we will try to fit that engine tomorrow (in the second practice). If it blows up, we will change it," he said. Alonso expects to start Sunday's race at the back of the grid due to penalties for further engine changes. Regarding his future, he said he would start discussing with the team and Honda their expectations for next year and look at what was on the table. "I think we do have now some ingredients to be champions," he said. "I think the team did improve a lot in the last three years ... I think we have the talent in the team, we have the facilities. "We just miss (being) more competitive. We will see what the numbers are saying for next year and after that try to make a decision." Asked whether he thought Honda could be competitive in the short term, he replied: "I think you never know. It could be possible. Why not?" Reporting by Alan BaldwinRelated Video:

Formula One speeds towards radical thousand-horsepower shakeup

The teams, the drivers, the fans, the circuits... few, if any, were satisfied with how Formula One has shaped up since the current regulations took hold last year. But that doesn't mean they aren't working on it. At a recent meeting of the F1 Strategy Group, the leading parties in the sport outlined a new framework that would radically shake up the cars themselves while keeping costs in check. And the biggest change could see the engines producing around 1,000 horsepower. Although a proposal put forth by Ferrari to ditch the current V6 hybrid engines in favor of new twin-turbocharged units was rejected by Honda and Mercedes, the members of the group approved in principal to increase the fuel flow in the existing engines to dramatically boost output. As it stands, the current 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 engines develop around 600 horsepower, with an additional 160 or so kicked in by the electric Energy Recovery System, for a combined output of about 760 hp. What's not clear at the moment is whether the increased fuel flow would necessitate either the return of mid-race refueling (currently banned) or the installation of larger fuel tanks. Red Bull and McLaren also submitted proposals to radically redesign the shape of the cars as well, however a more evolutionary approach was adopted instead. Though far from finalized, the new design would keep the same basic form of the current chassis, but with adjustments to make them more aesthetically pleasing while producing more downforce. Wider tires are also said to be part of the mix. With more power and more grip from the tires and aero, the resulting cars would most certainly end up going much faster than the current ones, which are already starting to nudge the lap records at some of the circuits, many of which were set during the V10 era. The F1 Strategy Group is made up of representatives of the FIA, Formula One Management and six leading teams. The next step will be for the teams' technical directors to iron out how to implement what their bosses have agreed to. If they settle the details fast enough, the revised regulations could be pushed through in time for next season. News Source: AutosportImage Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Motorsports Ferrari Honda Infiniti McLaren Mercedes-Benz F1

2015 Honda Civic Type R revealed [w/video]

Earlier today, we told you how Honda has revealed a trio of new turbocharged VTEC engines, including the one that will be used in the 2015 Civic Type R. That's the winged, Batmobile-esque creature seen here. Ahead of a formal introduction at the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda is flaunting its new Civic Type R with images of the car testing at the Tochigi test track and video of the front-wheel drive hot hatch being put through its paces on the Nürburgring.
While the US is getting revamped Civic sedans and coupes, European customers will soon be able to opt for the 2015 Type R with its new Earth Dreams 2.0-liter turbo engine producing more than 276 horsepower. Honda has also made sure to give the car a styling that matches its powerful engine with a more aggressive front end, massive fender flares and a liftgate wing with unusual airplane-like canards. Honda is still withholding the Type R's official specs until the unveiling, but we can tell that the bigger wheels make room for beefier brakes.
The Civic Type R won't launch until 2015, but Honda has released the video posted below showing WTCC driver Gabriele Tarquini working the car around the 'Nürburgring, along with a brief press release. Check 'em both out and be sure to let us know what you think of this matte-black hot hatch in Comments.