The problem that led to the failure of the Honda-McLaren binomial

December 26, 2021

The Japanese manufacturer had a successful run in F1 with the Woking team in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before leaving the championship in 1992 .

McLaren rejoined Honda in 2015 when the Tokyo-based manufacturer returned to F1, taking over from Mercedes as the British engine supplier.

However, the union ended prematurely after three disappointing seasons. Honda partnered with Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) and McLaren moved to carry Renault engines .

Both Honda and McLaren have admitted that communication between them has always been a challenge in their partnership, and the Japanese marque’s F1 boss, Masashi Yamamoto , believes excessive respect for each other was one of the reasons for their struggles.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Masashi Yamamoto, director general de Honda

“Since the McLaren days we have learned a lot from them, but we think we respected each other too much,” said Yamamoto.

“That’s why we had maybe a bit of miscommunication and then it was a shame that the project didn’t go well.”

Honda joined forces first with Toro Rosso and then with Red Bull , to a historic finish that saw Max Verstappen claim the drivers’ championship in the just-concluded season.

Honda had already decided that this would be its last year in F1. Red Bull will take over the management of its engines from 2022 in its new department.

Despite this year’s success, Yamamoto said he never considered rethinking his departure.

“Leaving F1 was a very important decision for Honda, and it was for the carbon neutral era and also for customers around the world,” added Yamamoto.

“Although we have had good results this year, we never had a discussion to stay here.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB15

Although Honda will help Red Bull with its engine, Yamamoto said development “will be fully controlled by Red Bull, at Red Bull’s request”.

Collecting his favorite memories of Honda’s last stint in F1, Yamamoto said Verstappen’s first podium finish with Honda in the 2019 season-opening race was at the top of the list.

“The best moment for me is the 2019 Australian Grand Prix , the first podium finish with Red Bull Racing. Also of course Austria 2019, the first win with Red Bull .”

All the Honda problems that ruined three years of McLaren

Honda returns to F1… and problems before it starts

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The McLaren-Honda pairing came together again in F1 and those from Woking had permission from Mercedes to test with their new motorist in the Abu Dhabi post-GP tests. But there, Stoffel Vandoorne struggled to do several consecutive laps without stopping the car.

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images

Tough preseason in Jerez

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The first tests of 2015 for McLaren-Honda in Jerez in February already brought problems. With the MP4-30 already designed for the Japanese engine, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso could only complete 79 laps during the first four days of preseason.

Photo by: McLaren

In Barcelona, reliability problems continue

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In mid-February, F1 set foot in Montmeló and Honda’s reliability problems continued to hamper track time. McLaren was the team with the fewest laps (124 laps), half that of the next worst, Force India.

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images

The last tests end with Alonso in the medical helicopter

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As if there weren’t enough midgets in Honda, Fernando Alonso went off at turn 3 of the Montmeló track and in a strange accident, he had to be evacuated by helicopter. The Spaniard would miss the appointment in Australia, although it was never known what really happened in his accident.

Photo by: Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images

First race, first retirement

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Kevin Magnussen, Alonso’s substitute in Melbourne, could not even start the race after a failure in his propeller on the formation lap. Button finished 11th.

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Second race, double retirement

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An ERS failure in Alonso’s case and a lack of power problem in Button’s car left the McLarens out of the game in Malaysia.

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

In Bahrain, electrical problems

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An electrical failure in Buttton’s car in Q1 left the Englishman without even starting Sunday’s race, as the mechanics found him again before lining up on the grid.

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images

Monaco and overheating

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An electrical fault left Alonso 15th in Q2 and an “unspecific” overheating problem put him out of the race.

Photo by: McLaren

disaster in canada

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In Montreal, Button had an ERS problem in qualifying, Alonso saw his time on the track hampered by an engine change and in the race both left due to different problems with their exhausts.

Photo by: McLaren

Until Italy, everything seemed on track. But…

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In Hungary, Honda added its first weekend with both drivers in the points since their return, with Alonso fifth and Button ninth. But in Italy the Spanish MP4-30 had a problem of lack of power in the race.

Photo by: McLaren

Mexico and the last abandonment of 2015

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Despite the double retirement at Spa due to the gearbox, McLaren accumulated three grands prix seeing the checkered flag with both cars, but in Mexico Alonso again suffered a loss of power in the race.

Photo by: Alastair Staley/Motorsport Images

The nightmare ends in Abu Dhabi… for now

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McLaren failed to score points again in 2015 after the US GP with Button’s sixth place finish. In Abu Dhabi Alonso suffered an accident at the start, although it was not due to a breakdown. What they did not expect is that they still had a long journey in the desert ahead of them.

New season, old ghosts

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The 2016 season got underway with the winter tests in Barcelona. And the first day, the first on the forehead. A sensor problem ruined Button’s morning on day one. They fixed it in the afternoon and the Englishman was able to do 83 laps in total, but the first doubts were already appearing.

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Third day of testing, second problem

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Alonso was able to roll without setbacks on the second day, doing 119 laps. Button was back in the car the next day and a hydraulic failure with less than three hours to go left his lap locker at 51.

Photo by: Alastair Staley/Motorsport Images

Alonso is “reencountered” with the problems

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On the fourth day it was Alonso’s turn again, and pressure problems in the cooling system of his Honda engine prevented him from doing more than 3 laps in which he did not set a time. Blank day.

Photo by: Alastair Staley/Motorsport Images

The second week did not start better

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In March, the second and last round of pre-season tests arrived. On the first day, in the fifth test, a sensor error in the morning did not allow Alonso to do as many laps as they wanted. He finished with 93 laps.

Photo by: Alastair Staley/Motorsport Images

Before the season, good news for McLaren… and for Honda

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The last three days of testing went by without problems and Button, Alonso and again Button completed 121, 116 and 121 laps respectively, without fail. The team arrived relieved at the first race of the 2016 season.

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Vandoorne gets the first of the year 2016

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The Australian GP passed without mechanical problems, although Alonso suffered an impressive accident that prevented him from being in the second race, that of Bahrain. After a quiet Friday, on Saturday, in FP3, the Spaniard’s replacement, Stoffel Vandoorne, suffered an oil leak that affected his programme.

Photo by: McLaren

First ‘0’ of the season for reliability

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Vandoorne completed a debut weekend with a brilliant 10th place which gave the team its first point of the year. However, his teammate Button suffered his first retirement due to a sudden loss of power in a race in which, in his opinion, he could have been sixth. First setback.

Photo by: McLaren

disappointment at home

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Nothing failed in China or Russia. In fact, in Russia both cars scored points, and Alonso arrived in Spain celebrating that the situation in 2016 was already “much more logical” without so many failures. He got into Q3 of his home grand prix, but in the second part of a race that went behind his teammate Button out of the points, he was forced to retire. He lost power in his engine and had to return to the pitlane as it appears in the image, on a motorcycle.

Photo by: XPB Images

A worrying Friday in Canada

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Alonso and Button suffered from some reliability problems in practice at the Canadian GP. They especially affected Jenson, who had to change several parts of the power unit between FP1 and FP2. Alonso’s problem was in the hydraulic system, although it was not serious.

Photo by: McLaren

Button’s second abandonment

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The third free practice and qualifying for Canada went smoothly but, on lap 9 of the race, the engine left Jenson Button on the sidelines, thus adding his second retirement of the year.

Photo by: McLaren

First scare in Baku

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During practice at the European GP, Alonso began to lose speed as they tried to reset the system. He then explained that it was a fuel pump pressure problem that stopped the engine and left him part of the session in the box.

Photo by: McLaren

And the cross in Azerbaijan is Alonso’s turn this time

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In a race without many aspirations in which he was out of the points, Alonso had to retire due to a problem with the gearbox, thus preventing it from affecting more parts of the car. He stayed nine laps from the end.

Photo by: McLaren

follow the streak

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For the second consecutive race, and this time seven laps from the end of the race, a problem in the ERS left Alonso ko when he was running close to tenth place. The Asturian explained that it was not a matter of a moment: “We had engine problems from lap three or four, so we were there a bit to be. Especially the electric motor, we did not have the battery available. Then, when the time comes give up, you’re ready an hour and a half ago for it”.

Photo by: McLaren

Feint at Silverstone

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Problems in the power unit affected Button in free practice on Friday, a practice where Alonso managed to be 6th. Neither of them would manage to score points on Sunday, although both were able to finish the race.

Photo by: McLaren

Alonso forced into premature engine change in Hungary

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Although he said that he had not had any problems in the first free practice sessions, Alonso had to change the engine before FP2: “The whole first session was normal, but then in the meeting one of the Honda engineers came and said that it was better to change the power unit. It was an engine that had only been used at Silverstone, but Honda discovered a potential problem that forced a change.

Photo by: McLaren

In the race it was up to Button

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Alonso was 7th in the race, but Button, who had qualified 8th, suffered a loss of hydraulic pressure and a subsequent oil leak that caused him to retire.

Photo by: McLaren

A lull in racing, but…

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Alonso had to change the engine after qualifying in Belgium and was forced to start last. He revealed a problem on the last lap of FP3 and as soon as he went out on track in Q1 the team asked him to turn off the engine. Neither in the previous race (Germany) nor in that nor in the following one (Italy) did they have reliability problems, although failures like this showed that they were not yet free of setbacks.

Photo by: McLaren

No dropouts due to Honda’s “fault” in the remainder of the year

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In the second half of the year, McLaren only had three retirements, and all three with Button: one due to an incident, one due to brakes and one due to suspension. Thus, the Honda engine did not weigh down the rest of the remaining races, making 2016 the best year of the three that the project has lasted.

Photo by: McLaren

but with some problem

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For example, in practice at the Singapore GP the two McLarens had reliability problems in both sessions on Friday. In Malaysia, Alonso had to change engine for the race and started last.

Photo by: McLaren

And, in Brazil, Alonso revived 2015

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The Spaniard was only able to ride 34 minutes in the second free practice session due to an ERS problem at Interlagos. Alonso had to have fun with a FOM camera while the practice was taking place. Once again, in Brazil, the two-time champion drew attention outside the car. Fortunately there were only two races left and in the last one, in Abu Dhabi, there was no problem.

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

New colors and same problems

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McLaren-Hona was facing his third season this 2017 with the hopes of starting to add podiums to his account. But the pre-season tests in Barcelona were a jug of cold water for the Anglo-Japanese pairing. Reliability issues with the oil tank and internal combustion engine hit them within the first two days.

Photo by: LAT Images