McLaren to go into testing with new Honda 2016 motor
Honda rubbish rumours that their 2016 testing will begin with their 2015 engine, confirmed by Honda team member Akiko Itoga.
Jerez, in the south of Spain is much loved on the Formula 1 circuit, treated with all the nostalgia of a sultry summer-camp. Not so for the Honda team after what happened last year; their machine managed just 7 laps on the first day. It was the first year that the Japanese team had returned to F1, a year beset by problems.
They are trying to avoid a repeat of their disastrous return season at all cost, but rumours have been circling. Maybe it was the cautious silence being guarded in Woking during the week that led the British press to speculate on the state of preparations.
“We are out to meet everyone’s expectations and get to the podium as soon as possible. We will resolve all the technical problems that we didn’t manage to master in 2015 and go into the first race with confidence”, said Honda chief Yasuhisa Arai recently in Nikkei, but has since backtracked: "I can't say we've solved them definitively".
It would have been a disaster to start testing with last year's engine, considering last season's results, but AS spoke to Alonso's circle and it appears that testing will be back on track with a brand new and improved motor.
Akiko Itoga, Honda team member inisted: "These rumour's aren't true, we'll be using our 2016 motor".
Honda's persist with their 'size zero' philosophy, favouring greater aerodynamcis over more power and max revs; their new machine will be unveiled on Sunday online, when we'll see what type of Honda Fernando Alonso will be driving in 2016.