Brown rules out Mercedes deal, opts to honour Honda contract

The McLaren Honda team has been having an abysmal season, which have prompted rumours that they may be looking for a new power unit supplier. However, McLaren boss Zak Brown has rubbished such speculations and re-affirms that McLaren have put a lot of faith in Honda and will see out their contract. Brown insists that both factions are working around the clock to solve all the issues of reliability and power shortage, but says that there is not going to be a rapid solution.

“Obviously the Formula 1 results right now are frustrating but the culture’s great, the people are great and the things that we’re doing, we’re being brave and taking some big decisions,” said Brown.

“It’s great working with the executive committee, they’re providing some great leadership for the whole organisation. So we’re happy here. We’re frustrated we’re not winning Formula 1 races – that’s not going to change overnight – but we’re working hard and it’s going to be sweeter when we do win.”

In their third year of marriage with Honda, McLaren are still far off the pace, but insist that they will not switch engine suppliers. Talks began to fly around that McLaren may return to using Mercedes engines for the 2018 season, but the team says otherwise.

Meanwhile, the duo of Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne remain helpless and at the mercy of the reliability issues that torment the MCL32.