2014 Honda Civic Si on 2040-cars

Auto blog

McLaren collaborating with Honda future road cars?

McLaren and Honda may expand their alliance beyond the world of Formula 1, according a report from the UK's Autocar, which quotes McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh.
Citing the multi-year deal, Whitmarsh remarked at last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, "It's a pure Formula 1 contract, but we've already been looking at automotive technology and we're sharing that very openly. Our road car strategy at the moment has no other automotive partner and Honda would be a good place to collaborate."
Still, we wouldn't count on seeing a McLaren-Honda road car in the near future. According to Autocar, McLaren's road-car division is already tied up working on a rival for the Porsche 911, called the P13.

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing to switch to Honda engines starting in 2019

After a 12-season partnership with Renault, the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team is switching engine suppliers. Starting next season, the team will use Honda powertrains, following the move this year of Red Bull's junior team, Toro Rosso. This effectively makes Red Bull Racing the Honda works team, something it's never truly benefited from since joining the sport in 2005 after purchasing the former Jaguar Racing team. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Honda has had a rough time since returning to F1 with McLaren back in 2015. Both sides hoped that the move would rekindle one of the most successful pairings in F1 history. Unfortunately, Honda powertrains were both underpowered and unreliable. The partnership proved to be so toxic that McLaren ended the deal early, moving to Renault power starting this season. On the other hand, Toro Rosso is off to a fine start this year with Honda, surely helping cement Red Bull's decision to drop Renault. Since moving to Renault power in 2007, Red Bull Racing has won 57 races, four drivers' championships and four constructors championships, making it one of the most successful teams in F1 history. The move should be a huge boon for Honda. Red Bull Racing is currently one of the top teams, fighting for both podiums and wins, so the move shows how much faith Red Bull has in the Japanese automaker. When McLaren picked up Honda power, it was a mid-pack team that had just two podiums in the previous two seasons. The Honda partnership is likely to play into Daniel Ricciardo's next move. His current contract with Red Bull racing ends at the end of 2018. He's one of the best and most talented drivers racing today and unlikely to stay with a team that might prevent him from winning races and fighting for championships. Related Video: News Source: Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Motorsports Honda Renault Racing Vehicles F1 Red Bull Racing

Wolff: Honda will emerge as strong F1 force

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff has no doubts that Honda will make a success of its Formula 1 return, despite the Japanese manufacturer's disappointing time last year. Honda endured a troubled return to F1 in 2015 as it struggled with reliability and a lack of power from its new turbo V6 hybrid engine. But having made gains over the campaign, and a significant revamp of key elements of its power unit over the winter, Wolff thinks that Honda is on course to deliver. "Honda is a huge organization with lots of resource, and they were the power unit with the most impressive development curve through 2015," Wolff said in an interview with his Mercedes team's YouTube channel. "Even if it was a very difficult year for them, it was still very good what they achieved in terms of how they progressed through the season. I have no doubt they will be a strong competitive in the future." Wolff's comments come despite Mercedes engine chief Andy Cowell saying last week that he was not convinced that Honda's 'size zero' concept was the right approach for the current regulations. Manor step As well as predicting good things for Honda in the future, Wolff has predicted promising results for the Mercedes-powered Manor team in 2016. "Manor will make a big step up and not only because of the engine," said Wolff, who helped secure a drive at the Banbury-based team for Mercedes junior driver Pascal Wehrlein. "There is a good bunch of people coming together: impressive individuals, with the right budget and right attitude, and Pascal in the car. "I have confidence that the car and driver will have highlights and be a solid midfield runner." This article by Jonathan Noble originally appeared on Motorsport.com, the world's leader in auto racing news, photos and video. Related Video: