Honda ready to compete with Ferrari in Belgium
For the return after the summer break, at Spa-Francorchamps during the Belgian Grand Prix, Honda will be improving its power unit according to its motorsport director, Yasuhisa Arai. He makes it clear: to take on Ferrari.
It must be acknowledged that McLaren’s poor start to the season is primarily due to the lack of reliability and then power of the Honda engine. Arriving this year, the Japanese engine manufacturer is suffering from a clear delay compared to its direct competitors, which are Renault, Ferrari, and especially Mercedes.
For Spa, the power unit of the MP4-30’s engine will undergo major developments in the combustion chamber, air intake, exhaust, and gearbox system. Thus, the competition director Yasuhisa Arai is optimistic with our colleagues at Autosport: « Spa is the last evolution for this season, with accessories from the next race. The Mk3 will be introduced at Spa, and we have already started development for the power unit of the next season. The Mk4 will be at the level of the Mercedes engine, that’s the goal. The Mk3 will be comparable to Ferrari, and it’s a big step forward. »
Moreover, it seems that the McLaren chassis is not optimal. « The car does not have very good mechanical or aero grip compared to the Red Bull. There is still a big gap. » acknowledged Arai. « We have checked the GPS data, the chassis and the entire aerodynamic package need more time to be refined in terms of wing angles, suspension, and ride height. »
Arai also reflected on the start of the season and suggested that the disastrous February tests had consequences for the rest: « During the winter period, several things were changed, such as the “flow-vis,” and data was collected during the first test session due to the lack of reliability. »
Recall that the two McLaren drivers, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso, have each used 6 engines after 10 races.
