Honda makes no promises for 2016

After a disappointing 2015 season, McLaren-Honda hopes to rectify the situation this season by having a more reliable and more efficient Power Unit. The Japanese engine manufacturer is taking advantage of the winter break to review its copy after having seen numerous 6l turbo/hybrid V1.6s give up the ghost throughout the Grands Prix.

“It has been a very tough season and we have not lived up to the expectations of the fans, McLaren and everyone who supports us. The reasons are multiple, but the results say it all”, recognized Yasuhisa Arai, the sporting director of Honda, on Nikkei Asian Review. “We felt the effects of a seven-year absence from the start of the season. We anticipated problems at the technological level. Although we have identified them, we have failed to quickly understand the causes and take the necessary measures. »

Honda also had to operate on multiple fronts in preparation for the 2016 season by centralizing all operations. “I cannot say that we will find all the solutions in one year. The development staff have been very busy as they worked on both improving the 2015 Power Unit and reworking the project for 2016… (McLaren) requested that we leverage outside personnel, something that is natural in Europe. We told them that the philosophy was different at Honda. Having an external engineer present only for three and a half months is not acceptable”, insisted Yasuhisa Arai.