Neale: McLaren and Honda will have a lot of work to do

McLaren is preparing for particularly important years. One year after the passage of the F1 to the 6l turbo hybrid V1.6, the Woking single-seaters will switch to engines Mercedes to those developed by Honda who will make his comeback in the discipline. The Japanese manufacturer is renowned for its excellence in the development of engines and should adapt well to the engine required by the future regulations. “I think both sides recognize that we have achieved many successes together “, commented Jonathan Neale, McLaren’s director of management, on Sky Sports. “But the opportunity of new V6 technology, Honda's reputation in engine design, the return of turbo and energy recovery systems offer a really promising prospect, not just for McLaren, but for any F1 spectator or Honda customer. They are very accustomed to the 1.6l turbo and their performance is beyond doubt. »

However, McLaren will have to work hand in hand with Honda while the Woking team will compete in the 2014 Championship with Mercedes engines. The British team will end 20 years of partnership with the Stuttgart manufacturer and will have to distribute its tasks as best as possible to be ready when McLaren-Honda returns to the international scene. “The new regulations for 2014 represent an important step forward,” says Jonathan Neale. “We do not underestimate for one minute the work we will need to do together to be ready in 2015, that goes without saying, but we are very confident in our abilities to get there. We will have to distribute the resources available to be able to do this. We have enjoyed a very long and successful partnership with Mercedes-Benz, but the time has come for us to look to the future. »