McLaren’s MD Jonathan Neale has played down the value of Honda having run their 2015 motor on the dyno, saying that the difficult work is only starting.
The Woking-based group verified a multi-year technology partnership with Honda in May, and whilst Neale admitted he had been excited to hear sound of the Japanese manufacturer’s brand new power device, he reiterated that McLaren’s present focus is with 2014 motor provider Mercedes.
“It’s constantly great whenever you hear a brand new motor fire up, it’s a great minute for the entire organisation, and a moment of satisfaction for every person,” Neale stated during a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes teleconference.
“Honda went above and beyond to be in a position to get the very first motor built and running. It’s a bit like – to make use of the metaphor of maternity – you focus on the very first nine months and then you realise that it’s just then that the hard work begins.
“While we have one thing that’s running, we’re under no impression just how much work we have to do together to be in a position to develop a competitive energy device in terms of the motor, the ERS system, the battery technology, and all of the systems that go round that. Especially for us, as for McLaren to do it two times in two many years is a fairly ambitious project. But we’re really excited about that.
“Nevertheless at this time of year – with just a few terrifying weeks to get to the end of the year – everyone at the minute are focussed on working with Mercedes and the integration of that motor, and the development of our fuel and lube programme with Exxon Mobil, so that we’re able to put a performance package on the deck, and a dependable one, for the beginning of next year.”
In a wide-ranging meeting, Neale additionally addressed the subject of when Red Bull’s mind of aerodynamics, Peter Prodromou, could be in a position to join McLaren.
“Peter’s a great man and he’s a core component of their organisation,” he stated. “we can’t see any motivation for Red Bull to release him (from his agreement) early.
“We’d be happy if he had been beginning very first thing tomorrow morning, but we do completely respect Red Bull’s place as we do whenever we’re recruiting anyone from another organisation.
“Peter’s a key component of their procedure at the minute and we look forward to bringing him here. We don’t know just what will take place over the next 12 months, but the time is Red Bull’s and it’s as much as them to determine, not for McLaren.”