Jun.6 (GMM) Honda might be badly struggling, but McLaren is confident it has one of the very best cars on the 2017 grid.
“We now have one of the best cars in the field,” confirmed technical boss Matt Morris. “We had some problems last year but now we have a really good platform on which to build.”
But Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport claims Honda’s power deficit is up to 100hp, amid reports the Japanese marque’s MGU-H is not able to last even two race weekends.
One unnamed team member said: “We now have a car that could be on the podium with a proper engine.”
So for now, amid all sorts of rumours about the future of the McLaren-Honda partnership, team boss Eric Boullier said the Woking outfit will continue to push on.
“We will continue to develop our car to the maximum possible,” he said, “so that we’re ready for the day when the engine is working.”
Unfortunately, that day is not coming yet. A scheduled upgrade for this weekend’s Canadian grand prix has been postponed indefinitely.
“The main problem is vibration,” Honda’s Yusuke Hasegawa is quoted by Speed Week.
“We are doing everything to bring an improved version to the race track as soon as possible, but I cannot promise (when).”