McLaren CEO Doesn’t Want Honda F1 Engines In Red Bull Cars
By Paulo Acoba
No better way of saying it but McLaren totally c–blocked Honda from letting their power units live in another chassis.
If you’re a power unit supplier, putting your power unit in as many chassis as possible increases your chances of getting a win with your block underneath the engine shroud and is all-around good business. But when you enter into a contract that allows a veto power from the CEO on your decision to do just that, you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. According to Car Scoops on their bit of F1 news earlier today (Nov. 11, 2015) Honda wanted to supply Redbull Racing with engines but McLaren CEO Ron Dennis said, “Yah, no thanks.” (we’re paraphrasing obviously.)
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This all comes off of news earlier in the week that Redbull racing jumped out of a contract with Renault as their engine supplier for next year leaving them without an engine for the 2016-2017 Formula 1 season. Redbull racing can’t run their car on hopes and dreams.
This season has proven a couple of things for F1 cars moving forward and that’s that a good engine is crucial to wins. Mercedes’s power units absolutely dominated from the beginning and no amount of aerodynamic and chassis improvements from the other teams could stop the onslaught of podium wins from the Silver Arrows.
Now Red Bull justs wants an engine…any engine…even one from Honda who are trying their best to make their power units somewhat competitive for next year. But when they signed a contract with McLaren last year, they did allow a veto power from Ron Dennis so there’s really nothing they can do.
Next: McLaren Hit With Combined 50 Place Grid Penalty Before Austrian GP
As for Redbull, they’d be more keen to plaster up their relationship with Renault than shop around.