I understand that the deal they're getting from Honda is stellar, but when you're the laughing stock of the paddock, it's a tough pill to swallow. Especially how successful McLaren has been in the past.
Just a week before the season-opening race, McLaren may be shopping
McLaren officials have spoken to Mercedes about a possible switch away from the faltering Honda power units this Formula 1 season.
With the start of the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship season just over a week away, McLaren has been in conversations with Mercedes about the possibility of using the power units that were previously destined for the now out-of-business Manor team, despite McLaren racing director Eric Boullier stating at the test in Barcelona that there was “no plan at all” to end the McLaren-Honda partnership.
Neither McLaren or Mercedes have made any formal comment about the meeting other than a brief comment from a McLaren spokesperson who said that preseason had been “challenging and disappointing,” before adding, “We are working with Honda to address shortcomings and deficiencies. Together with Honda, we are considering all options.”
If the British team were to part company with Honda, this would be less than straightforward -- the team currently receives around $100 million, free power units and a significant sponsorship package. Honda also pays half of the drivers' wages.
When compared to the $18.2 million that Mercedes charges customer teams, it is very difficult to see how it would be possible to make the finances add up; the team has been without a title sponsor since Vodafone left at the end of 2013.
McLaren and Honda enjoyed one of the largest periods of dominance in Formula 1 history when the two companies partnered up between 1988 and 1992, claiming four constructors' and drivers' championship doubles along the way, but the relationship that was rekindled in 2015 has been a stark contrast to the successes of the past.
Now, after a troubled pair of preseason tests thanks largely to issues within the Honda unit, it would appear as though patience with the Japanese manufacturer is wearing thin.
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