F1 News: McLaren Renault deal not much improvement on Honda engines - Brundle
MCLAREN have not improved their world championship credentials by dropping engine suppliers Honda for Renault, says Martin Brundle.
McLaren have confirmed they are to take up Renault engines from the 2018 season onwards after a disastrous three seasons using Honda power.
Renault themselves have ended their deal to supply Toro Rosso and will instead focus their energies on McLaren next year.
In a joint statement, McLaren and Renault said: “McLaren Renault is a partnership that will challenge for victory.
“For McLaren Racing, the reason for the partnership is evident: Renault has demonstrated its ability to build championship-winning engines, for its own team as well as customer teams.
“For Renault Sport Racing, it provides the manufacturer with a second top-level Formula 1 team able to provide it with top-class feedback in relation to the development of its engine.”
The switch means Toro Rosso will pick up Honda’s engine for the new season, while McLaren’s relationship with Renault will last until 2020 at least.
But Sky F1's Brundle reckons no one is particularly happy with the deals.
“I don’t think anybody has got what they want out of it. They’ve shuffled the pack but the cards are still the same," he told Sky Sports.
“It’s mutual consent and all the nice words about McLaren and Renault.
“The underlying problem is there are not enough top engines to go around. Everybody wants a very good customer or works Mercedes engine or works Ferrari engine. We’ve got the haves and the have nots and they’re sharing out.
“Everybody is hoping that the gap will close. I don’t see anybody saying that’s what we wanted, that’s what we got. It’s a marriage of necessity rather than desire.
“I can see McLaren’s problem. They’ve had three seasons of awful results, double DNFs. They’ve run out of the ability to keep positive and believe it’s going to come right. They had to do something for their sponsors, owners, fans and drivers."
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The McLaren Honda relationship has been strained all year, with driver Fernando Alonso particularly frustrated with the lack of punch from his engine.
Alonso has failed to finish six times in 12 races so far this season and took the opportunity to race the Indy 500 earlier this summer, missing the Monaco Grand Prix.
Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, McLaren Group Executive Chairman, said: “Honda is a great company which, like McLaren, is in Formula 1 to win. Although our partnership has not produced the desired success, that does not diminish the great history our two companies have enjoyed together, nor our continued efforts to achieve success in Formula 1.
“At this point in time, it is in the best interests of both companies that we pursue our racing ambitions separately.”
Honda’s president Takahiro Hachigo said: “It is unfortunate that we must part ways with McLaren before fulfilling our ambitions, however, we made the decision with a belief that this is the best course of action for each other's future.”