Honda has just released the first image of its F1 power unit, set to be used by the McLaren F1 team for the 2015 Formula One season. Honda is also set to preview the sound of its F1 engine to race fans in this week’s Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. With that, the Japanese firm becomes the fourth engine supplier for F1 next year, after six years of hiatus in the pinnacle of motorsports.
Honda motorsport chief Yasuhisa Arai said that the development for the new engine is still in progress. The new Honda powertrain is set to power McLaren F1 cars in the first Winter F1 test by next February.
“Working toward Honda’s F1 participation starting in the 2015 season, development of the power unit is entering its prime phase at our R&D facility in Sakura (Tochigi, Japan), where we transferred our automobile motor sports development earlier this year,” Arai said. “In addition to conducting simulations, we have moved onto the next stage where we conduct full-fledged bench tests of the engine while connecting the turbocharger and energy recovery systems.
Meanwhile, McLaren has yet to confirm its drivers for 2015, with both veteran driver Jenson Button and rookie, Kevin Magnussen’s fate are pretty much in limbo now.
[Source: Crash.net]
