McLaren F1 denies a stake acquisition by Honda
The return of Honda to F1 as an engine supplier for the McLaren team is causing many rumors: the latest, suggesting a possible investment in the Woking team, has been denied by both parties.
In recent days, rumors of a Honda stake in McLaren have emerged, notably via *Speed Week*. However, the Japanese firm has stated that it is not considering such an investment in the Woking-based structure.
« Contrary to recent media reports, Honda has informed us that they do not intend to take a stake in McLaren. Honda as a whole is focused on developing its new power unit for Formula 1 » stated a representative of the British team to the Press Association agency.
Since the official announcement of Honda’s return in May 2013, information has been scarce regarding the content of the agreement between the two parties. Thus, while the question of exclusivity was raised from the outset without a truly satisfactory answer, the presence last April of a representative from the Japanese manufacturer at the Chinese Grand Prix allowed for the unveiling of this first unknown: McLaren will be the only team supplied by Honda in 2015 and 2016.
Last February, it was the scope of the agreement that had been the subject of unconfirmed rumors since Michael Schmidt, correspondent for the highly reputable Auto Motor und Sport, explained that Honda could make a massive investment of 100 million euros per year, split between 50 million euros in cash, free engine supply, and a 50% contribution to the drivers’ salaries.
More recently, it was the issue of the exchange of information between Honda and McLaren that was highlighted, through Toto Wolff, the executive director of Mercedes, when he explained that such a practice was logical but contractually regulated.
