McLaren: Whitmarsh remains evasive with Honda

Speculation about a return of Honda in F1 are strengthening with the arrival of the future 6l turbo hybrid V1.6. If no contract seems to have been signed for the moment, the Japanese manufacturer is carefully evaluating the possibility of returning to the premier single-seater discipline, having even hired Gilles Simon who withdrew from the PURE project last year ( all the details in AUTOhebdo n°1899 currently available). This return could be made with McLaren who separated from the Japanese engine manufacturer in 1992 when the McLaren couple? Mercedes is struggling, the Brackley stable placing itself in direct competition with Woking (with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton and technical director Paddy Lowe who will take up his position next year).

Martin Whitmarsh wants to be reassuring about compliance with the contract with the star engine manufacturer without offering further details on the current situation. “What I can tell you is that we have a long-standing contract with Mercedes-Benz for 2013, 2014 and 2015”, commented the McLaren Team Principal on Sky Sports. « Nous avons un contrat, ils sont nos partenaires et nous essaierons ensemble de remporter des Championnats du monde et des victoires avec eux. Il y a beaucoup de spéculations (avec l’arrivée éventuelle de nouveaux motoristes). J’ai entendu les noms de Porsche, Hyundai, Honda, ce genre de noms. J’espère pour la F1 que ces constructeurs reviendront, nous avons besoin d’eux dans la discipline. Nous avons pour le moment Renault, Mercedes and Ferrari (and Cosworth for the 2013 season). We need more engine builders. »

The Team Principal of the Woking team does not say that a future with another engine manufacturer is unthinkable. McLaren seems mainly to be waiting to know Honda's level of involvement before making a decision. “We have a good relationship with Mercedes-Benz, that’s what we are focusing on at the moment”, explained Martin Whitmarsh to our British colleagues. “In the long term, who knows what will happen? We are delighted to be linked to Mercedes-Benz. They have done a fantastic job, especially in recent years, and we have won many races together and we will try to win a few more in the next few years. »

Discover the first revelations on Honda's return to F1 in the new issue of AUTOhebdo currently available in digital version and on newsstands.