APRIL 8, 2017

McLaren not setting Honda deadline

Zak Brown says McLaren is not setting a deadline for Honda to take a big leap out of its current engine crisis.

Zak Brown says McLaren is not setting a deadline for Honda to take a big leap out of its current engine crisis.

The once-great British team's new boss in Shanghai rejected suggestions he has been in talks with Mercedes, amid rumours McLaren could soon dump Honda.

"No, we are working together," Brown is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport, even though he has been spotted talking with Mercedes engine boss Andy Cowell in China.

"We are all keen to move forward, but we have not set ourselves a 'day x' on which everything must be good. That wouldn't help us," he insisted.

"I said before the tests that we need to be better than in 2016, and we did not succeed in that. Now we have to work hard to get there, and take the next step for 2018 as well."

Brown said one bright spot is that the McLaren chassis itself is good.

"We had thousands of targets on the chassis side, and we met 99 per cent of them. We are confident that we have a very good racing car," he said.

(GMM)