Honda is aiming to score race wins in its return to Formula 1 next year with McLaren, says its Motorsport boss Yasuhisa Arai.
The Japanese car company will take over from Mercedes as the Woking-based outfit’s engine supplier in 2015 after departing the sport at the end of the 2008 season due to major losses during the global recession, with their deal with McLaren rekindling a relationship that saw them dominate the sport from the mid 1980s t0 early 1990s.
Despite having to play catch-up on their soon-to-be engine rivals on the development of the V6 hybrid engines in its first season, Arai strongly believes that Honda are capable of taking wins right from the beginning of their next spell in F1.
“Formula 1 is a very important part of our strategy – and winning is very important for Honda,” said Arai. “We want to raise the awareness of our brand and I trust – I am a firm believer – that we will win races next year.”
Arai insists that its works partnership with McLaren’s means that they’ll be Honda’s main focus in 2015 and 2016, although he said they’ll consider having customer teams after 2015.
“In 2015 we don’t have the plan to supply any team other than McLaren,” he said when interviewed by the official F1 website.
“In 2016 or after, if some teams or partners ask us to supply them too, we will take a look at that situation. But even in 2016, McLaren will be our main partner in F1.
“And even if we supply other teams from 2016 onwards our main focus will always be to win – to make the engine better through more data – and not necessarily to look at a return on investment. If you win that comes automatically.”
Arai confirmed that a McLaren-Honda chassis debut will likely clock its first miles on the F1 team’s 2015 car at the first pre-season test next year at Jerez.
“In the next couple of weeks we will run simulations and at the beginning of next year we will start to run on the track – very likely at Jerez,” Arai added.
“That will very likely be the first time to show the whole car, the Honda engine and the McLaren chassis – the Honda McLaren. Right now there are no plans to collect data during the rest of 2014. Jerez will be the first time.”
