Decision on F1 combo’s future looms

The clock is ticking on the McLaren/ Honda Formula One partnership.

A decision on the future of McLaren’s engine-supplier is imminent with Honda desperately trying to make some breakthrough on getting their power unit more competitive so the combination will continue together next year.

McLaren executive director Zak Brown admitted a decision is looming and he plans on evaluating the next few races before making a final call.

McLaren, the second-most successful Formula One team in history, have been a long way off the pace being set by rivals Mercedes and Ferrari this season and is even struggling to find itself competitive enough to be scoring championship points.

Star driver Fernando Alonso is weighing his future — being in a competitive car remains his main priority — and pressure is mounting for the team to back out of their 10-year agreement with the Japanese manufacturer less than three years into the partnership.

“It is too early to be able to say definitively what we are going to be doing next year,” Brown told Radio Sport yesterday.

“We want to do it with Honda. We’ve committed to Honda and they have committed to us and they are trying. They are putting all their resources against it. They just need to do a better job quickly.

“They know what they need to get done and they are working hard at it.

“We have got another few races coming up in the next 30 days so we want to see how everything plays out and then when we have to make some decisions, we will.”

Although Brown is clearly demanding big improvements from Honda, he also understands that will not just happen overnight.

“With the lead time that it takes to technically get things done either right or wrong once the season starts you have to work with what you have and try and make it better,” he said.

“Next year [2018] does give you the chance to make some bigger decisions and we are coming up on that.

“What we are going to do is focus on what is going to make McLaren the most competitive in 2018.

“We see the 2018 tunnel ahead so that is exciting.

“We are working really hard and we haven’t made any final decisions. It is very complicated and complex but we are on it and in short order we will pick what we are doing in 2018.”

McLaren have just two competition points to show for their season so far. They finished ninth in the constructors’ standings in 2015 — their first season with Honda — and sixth last year.