To gauge the level of excitement surrounding Honda’s return to Formula One, look no further than McLaren. The McLaren Technology Centre is buzzing with optimism and confidence. It’s all about the power of dreams; Honda-powered ones.
Testing, testing
Initially, technical problems limited Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button to six laps apiece during the opening days of winter testing, but it wasn’t long before tantalising indicators of success started flooding in.
After a breakthrough in Jerez, there’s a real buzz about the McLaren-Honda team
Eagle-eyed engineers fitted a brand new RA615H power unit into the back of the MP4-30. It immediately ran cleanly and Fernando Alonso accelerated out of the pits and completed an uninterrupted 10-lap run, setting the fastest lap of the morning. Excitement was ignited.
Ruthless performance
‘The package feels good,’ said Fernando. The engine produced good torque and the balance of the MP4-30, designed by aerodynamics genius Peter Prodromou, was all too evident.
Fernando Alonso accelerated out of the pits on the dot of 9am
From the outset, Honda and McLaren have been ruthless in their performance goals. Prodromou set aggressive targets for downforce and drag, and Honda responded with characteristic innovation and an engine that’s thought to have the smallest radiators on the grid.
Signs of success
As information of this kind has leaked into the public domain, excitement bubbles in the F1 pit lane.
McLaren MP4-30 overcame technical niggles to show real pace at Jerez
One technical director spoke in awe of the uncompromising attitude of Honda, their impressive new F1 facility in Japan, and the body language of the car on-track with Alonso. He said, ‘give Alonso a car… and he’ll do the rest. We’ve seen it time and time again.’
As if that wasn’t enough, should Honda choose to cash in some of its power unit development tokens this year (a new rule for 2015 designed to help level the playing field), they will also have greater flexibility than their rivals. They’re supplying one team, whereas Mercedes has commitments with four, giving Honda a faster response time.
Excited about the future
There can be no doubt that McLaren-Honda will be shaking up the order this year, and in those to come. ‘We are ready for the challenge and we will have success.’ says McLaren boss Ron Dennis. ‘History shows that Honda always succeed and the McLaren-Honda partnership in the ’80s is something that we intend to reproduce.’
