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McLaren says it needs to know what engine it will run for the 2018 season by September. The relationship between McLaren and current supplier Honda has been turbulent ever since they reunited back in 2015. The Woking squad has never reached further than the mid-field pack with Hungary marking the first time this season the team was situated at the bottom of the standings.
Both McLaren and Honda are weighing up their options for next year. McLaren was reportedly interested in a move back to Mercedes, but the German manufacturer was unwilling to provide power in fear of gaining a competitor at the top. McLaren racing director Eric Boullier says a decision needs to come by September.
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"Technically you could change an engine in 12 weeks," said the Frenchman in Hungary. "You can change it anytime before the season up to three months before. If you want to do a base design around an engine, it's September."
Honda was hit with the pain of Sauber cancelling the proposed engine deal for 2018, but there are suggestions that Toro Rosso could be set for a Honda agreement. Honda chief Yusuke Hasegawa says that he was encouraged by what he saw in Hungary and is looking to come back stronger after the summer break.
"There is no doubt we would like to stick with McLaren, I think they are getting better performance," he said. "Today’s result is the sum of a lot of hard work and daily efforts made by the team members, and I want to thank them all for this.
"Although we are now able to head into the summer break with good momentum, we are not satisfied with the overall results of the first half of the season. We will continue to push our development for improvement, and hope to have a good start of the second half in Spa- Francorchamps."
Fergal Walsh
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
C. Sainz jr
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calle.itw
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I find that reasonable. Personally, I hope they stay with Honda for at least one more year, even though the chances are bleak, and I will certainly not blame them for leaving, should Mercedes or Ferrari dangle a 18 spec or even a 17 spec unit in front of them. 17 spec because of McLaren's specula... [Read more]