McLaren and Honda looked like they were heading toward an ugly divorce, but the two parties might be forced to let bygones be bygones.
It’s common knowledge throughout the Formula One paddock that McLaren has been searching for a new power unit supplier for 2018, with some reports suggesting it wants to dump Honda mid-season. But McLaren executive director Zak Brown says the two top manufacturers in the sport, Ferrari and Mercedes, aren’t interested in supplying engines to the Woking, England-based team, Sky Sports reports.
“They fear we can go back to being a threat,” Brown was quoted as saying, “a fear which is understandable.”
Although it’s currently in the middle of a massive three-year slump, McLaren is one of F1’s most successful teams, with 12 driver championships and eight constructor titles to its name. If the outfit is to return to that level of success, it seemingly will have to do so with either Renault or Honda power units in the back of its cars, though most likely the latter.
Renault reportedly has concerns that supplying a third customer team, as well as its works operation, could lead to reliability issues. In addition, McLaren needs to start developing its 2018 car, and it will be easier to design the MCL33 around a power unit it’s familiar with.
The time that McLaren has spent with Honda, however, represents an eternity in F1, so Brown admitted to Sky Sports that things need to change.
“We can’t continue to be uncompetitive — that’s not what McLaren race for. It’s been three years, so we need to see some drastic power adjustments or some different ways to get there,” Brown said.
The outlook of 2018 is also bleak for McLaren’s driver Fernando Alonso, as a similar lack of interest from Ferrari and Mercedes means he could spend a fourth season at the likely Honda-powered team.
Thumbnail photo via Honda Racing
