McLaren predicts decade of success with Honda

Martin Whitmarsh

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh says McLaren’s Honda engine deal in 2015 will secure the team’s future competitiveness for a decade.

McLaren announced earlier this year that it will join forces with Honda in 2015, bringing an end to a 20-year engine partnership with Mercedes-Benz. So far the team has only referred to the deal as “multi-year”, but Whitmarsh says it will keep McLaren at the top of the sport for the next ten years.

“There is obviously a massive excitement in the company,” he said. “I was around when we last raced with Honda and they have a racing culture and a racing spirit.

“That’s exciting and very motivational within the team and we can now look ahead to the next ten years knowing we have got a fantastic budget, resources and a partner to continue winning and being successful in Formula One. It’s a challenge, it always is, but I think it’s an exciting one.”

McLaren is expected to announce a title sponsor to replace the outgoing Vodafone at the end of the end of the year and, combined with the Honda deal, Whitmarsh said the team has a “very secure” long-term budget.

“We’ve got a good range of sponsors going forward and of course Honda is a great technical and commercial partner. We’ve got a very secure budget.”