Ross Brawn wants to find a solution to help Honda and McLaren prosper but no breakthrough yet in complex 2018 engine situation
Saturday 30 September 2017 09:13, UK
Ross Brawn has confirmed F1's owners are actively trying to ensure Honda are not forced out of the sport at the end of the season.
Brawn, F1's sporting chief, was present when a delegation from Renault met with McLaren's management in the Woking team's motorhome at Monza on Friday over a possible engine supply deal for 2018.
McLaren and Renault hold talks
Sky Sports understands McLaren are intent on ending their relationship with Honda, but the situation remains complex.
With Renault not keen to supply four teams with engines, a deal with McLaren appears to rest on Toro Rosso agreeing to forgo their existing contract with the French manufacturer to take on the Honda engine supply.
Brawn, who was team boss at Honda's last works team in 2007-2008, wants to help find a solution whereby two of F1's biggest names can prosper.
"Can we find a solution keeping Honda in the sport and giving McLaren more opportunity?" he told Sky Sports F1.
"There's a lot of discussion going on, I'm not going to comment any further than that, but there is a lot of work going on to try and find a solution for everyone.
"We want to keep Honda in the sport. They have had a pretty challenging time, but they are a great company, have a great history and we want to keep them in the sport. We're trying to find solutions to that."
Toro Rosso-Honda: A win-win for everyone?
Speculation at the Italian GP has suggested Toro Rosso, who are owned by Red Bull, have imposed a deadline of 6pm on Sunday to agree a deal with Honda. Otherwise they will continue with their existing Renault deal in 2018.
With star driver Fernando Alonso waiting to learn which engines McLaren run in 2018 before deciding on his own future at the team, Zak Brown admitted to Sky Sports News the situation is "probably one of the biggest decisions McLaren have ever had to make".
If Toro Rosso and Honda do not agree to a deal, and McLaren still decide to split with the Japanese manufacturer, the onus might fall on the FIA to resolve the situation.
F1's stakeholders agreed two years ago to ensure no team was left without an engine with regulations put in place which would see the manufacturer which supplies the fewest teams step into the breach.
But, as it stands, Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault all supply three teams. A ballot system would then be used in such a deadlock, but the deadline in the regulations for teams to secure an engine supply for the following season has already passed.
