McLaren has unveiled its 2015 car during an online launch ahead of the start of pre-season testing this weekend. The MP4-30 is the squad’s first car since 1992 to be powered by Honda, with the Japanese manufacturer returning the sport after a six-year absence. The MP4-30 features a sleek front nose design - to comply with updated regulations - and a tweaked black and silvery livery, with red highlights. McLaren is bidding to return to winning ways this year, having failed to take a victory […]

Honda, which this season will supply power units to McLaren, will be allowed to make limited upgrades to its power unit during 2015. Honda has originally been informed that it must homologate its power unit before February 28, as the existing three manufacturers had to do so in 2014. It was believed that Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari would have to abide by the same deadline in 2015 but a loophole was exploited, meaning that the 32 'tokens' - which allows manufacturers to upgrade 48% of […]

It remains possible the FIA will do a u-turn after excluding Honda from the new engine development 'unfreeze'. McLaren and its new 2015 works partner Honda were unimpressed recently when the FIA agreed that last year's engine suppliers - Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari - will be allowed to develop their turbo V6s this season. That is because F1's governing body argued that Honda, as a new competitor, will be the only one that has to stick to the 28 February homologation date, just as the […]

The FIA could be set to rethink its decision to leave Honda outside of the new engine development 'unfreeze'. A loophole in the existing rules will allow 2014 suppliers Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes to develop their turbo V6s within the season this year. But because McLaren's 2015 works partner Honda is a newcomer, the FIA's Charlie Whiting ruled that it will have its power unit homologated or 'frozen' on 28 February, just as the 2014 manufacturers did almost a year ago. McLaren told us this […]

Honda is "annoyed" it has been left out of the relaxation of the F1 engine freeze for 2015. After Ferrari and Renault championed a loophole in the regulations, the governing FIA's Charlie Whiting clarified that while existing manufacturers can now modify their turbo V6s during the 2015 season, Honda cannot. That is because the rules explicitly mark out a February 28 homologation deadline for new engine makers. And "As the existing manufacturers were obliged to homologate their power units by 28 February 2014, it would […]

F1 newcomer Honda has been left out as rival engine suppliers prepare to develop their turbo V6 power units throughout the 2015 season. It has emerged in recent days that, because the wording of the regulations is unclear, the sport's 2014 suppliers Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari do not in fact have to present in Melbourne an engine to be 'frozen' for this year's entire world championship. "Everything depends on the interpretation of the rules," Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport […]

McLaren boss Ron Dennis is sure that his team will have the best driver line-up of any team on the grid next season. McLaren has recruited Fernando Alonso to partner Jenson Button in 2015 and Dennis believes that his driver pairing will trump any of McLaren's rivals. "McLaren’s policy has always been to assemble the strongest line-up possible, and in Fernando and Jenson I firmly believe that is exactly what we have," he said. "Fernando and Jenson have started a combined total of precisely 500 […]

Jenson Button says he is excited to stay with McLaren for the return of engine supplier Honda and insists his new contract is for more than just a single season. Button was retained by the team and will line-up alongside Fernando Alonso in 2015, with the pair set for a long-term future with the squad. "I think we [McLaren and Button] both agree that more than one year is a must," he said. "This is a new project, an exciting project. To be part of […]

Fernando Alonso says he is out to make amends for his tricky period with McLaren when he raced for the team back in 2007. Alonso endured an acrimonious season seven years ago amid issues with Lewis Hamilton, senior management and the Spygate scandal, before he departed at the end of the year. But McLaren confirmed on Thursday that Alonso would return to the team for 2015, when he will partner Jenson Button. "It was not the best feeling in 2007," he admitted. "We arrived with […]

McLaren has downplayed the issues which affected its first public day of running with Honda at the post-race test in Abu Dhabi. Test driver Stoffel Vandoorne was unable to head out on track during the morning session due to an electronics issue and his afternoon running was disrupted by a fuel/data exchange issue. Vandoorne ultimately recorded three untimed laps in the MP4-29H/1X1 but the team emphasised that this week's test is about understanding the new Honda Power Unit. "Running a modern Formula 1 car is […]

McLaren's development Honda-powered car appeared for the first time during a filming day at Silverstone on Friday. McLaren's modified 2014 machine, the MP4-29H, took to the track at Silverstone in the hands of test driver Oliver Turvey as the squad bids to learn as much information as possible about Honda's new V6 Power Unit. Honda tweeted a picture of Turvey in the pits at the home of the British Grand Prix. Under Formula 1 regulations, McLaren is limited to just 100km of running at a […]

Honda's new engine will be tested on track for the first time on Friday ahead of its return to Formula 1 in 2015. McLaren has confirmed that a modified version of its current car, the MP4-29, will be fitted with Honda's new Power Unit and tested at Silverstone on Friday. "Getting set for Silverstone tomorrow for a filming day," McLaren posted on its official Twitter account. "We'll be parading the interim Honda-engined MP4-29H/1X1 & 2 classic McLaren-Hondas." Mileage of filming days is limited but the […]