"We didn't have the capacity to engage another team," McLaren boss explains
Friday 4 December 2015 09:11, UK
Ron Dennis has explained his decision to veto an engine deal between Red Bull and Honda, with the McLaren boss insisting that the Japanese manufacturer doesn't yet have the capacity to supply another team.
Speaking at the Abu Dhabi GP, Dennis explained that Honda's suppliers - particularly of the electronic ERS components that are part of F1's complex hybrid engines - aren't equipped to deal with what would effectively have been an immediate doubling of demand.
He added that the likely decision to continue with in-season development in 2016 would already increase demand, with more engine parts made at short-notice - and a good deal of them not making it past the R&D stage.
"We sat with Honda and absolutely analysed where we were, and would it enhance our ability to become competitive faster or not - bringing in another team such as Red Bull, who would pressurise the system even more," Dennis said.
"Based on the current supply structure, where we are with the engine, the time before the first grand prix, it was very, very clear that the decision really was that it wasn't possible, physically, to push the suppliers up the supply chain - to increase production - because we didn't know what we wanted them to make.
"The more engines you have to make, the more your supply chain gets stressed because you have to develop components and then commit to how many you're going to make, because a lot of what you make in an R&D capacity is scrap."
With Honda playing catch-up after a challenging return to the sport this season, the suggestion has been that supplying another team might speed up their march to competitiveness. However, Dennis reckoned it would have the opposite effect on his team.
"You can't bring more than one turbocharger design mid-season maybe; so the more people you have to carry with you, the slower your reaction time is," he said.
"It would have slowed our own ability to be competitive down. It didn't make any sense."
Red Bull wanted to free themselves from their Renault supply after two uncompetitive seasons but now look set to continue with them in 2016, albeit with responsibility for their own development.
In the meantime, the former world champions had turned to Honda after talks with Mercedes and Ferrari had broken down.
Dennis said that his decision had Honda's full support. "Just having increased the budget in Formula 1, Honda could see no real economic logic at this stage to embrace another team," he added.
"As it needed someone to take a decision, I took one - and therefore took the understandable flak.
"But it was fully supported by Honda: we didn't have the capacity to engage another team.
"This wasn't me countering a desire of Honda; this was me taking responsibility for the decision, which goes with the job."
