McLaren ‘make contact’ over unexpected Honda reunion

Horner opens up on Red Bull's 'barren spell' amid Mercedes dominance

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McLaren have reportedly made contact with Honda over a shock engine deal for 2026 as the British-based manufacturer weigh up continuing their partnership with Mercedes into the new regulations. The team were previously in partnership with the Japanese brand between 2015 and 2017 however it was something of a disaster. The team’s cars were plagued with reliability issues.

McLaren and Honda are somewhat synonymous with Formula One for both the right and wrong reasons. Their first partnership was one of the most successful in the sport’s history with the carmakers’ engines powering Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost through the dominant period of the late 80s and early 90s.

As a result, there were high hopes when the two rekindled their relationship 2015 however it ended up becoming something of a nightmare. McLaren consistently suffered from reliability problems with Fernando Alonso particularly critical of the engine. The partnership was ended prematurely at the end of the 2017 campaign.

Both parties have resurrected their reputation in the years since with McLaren consistently challenging to be the best of the rest. Honda went on to win the driver’s championship for the first time since Senna claimed the title in 1991 as their engines powered Max Verstappen to the championship in 2021.

Now, McLaren have made contact with Honda according to The Race as they weigh up an unexpected partnership for 2026. The Japanese manufacturer currently has no official role in the sport after ending their agreement with Red Bull in 2021 however engineers from the brand continue to help the energy drink with their fledging engine division.

This relationship will come to an end in 2026 after Red Bull announced their new partnership with Ford at their 2023 car launch last week. Honda are one of the six suppliers to be formally registered with an interest to take part when the new engine regulations come in for the period between 2026 and 2030.

Registering does not automatically mean they will be involved however they will be part of all discussions regarding engine rules and will have a simpler entry if they decide to proceed.

The new engine rules are more compatible with Honda’s carbon neutrality goals with fuel being made from 100% sustainable and synthetic sources. As a result, they appear to be on the lookout for a new partner and McLaren may be one of the only teams available.

The Woking-based outfit engines will be supplied by Mercedes until the end of 2025 and the development suggests they are weighing up their options for three years time.

Fellow Mercedes-powered teams Aston Martin and Williams are also potential options for Honda should they look to solidify their initial efforts and re-enter Formula One.

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