Suggestions that Mercedes may be willing to offer beleaguered Formula One engine supplier Honda assistance must be contemplated cautiously on account of the Japanese marque’s notoriously insular philosophy.
Beside the sad realisation that its partner, McLaren, is up the creek without a paddle, the company has repeatedly adopted an indifferent stance to the proposition of aid from all parties, much to the former’s dismay.
Three races into the third season of its collaboration with the Woking outfit, neither has anything to display, despite the sentiment that McLaren boasts a fundamentally sound chassis, as they did in 2016.
Though it’s true that Honda has commenced efforts to utilise ‘outside’ hands in recent weeks, that it has taken this long for them to comprehend the magnitude of the situation is damning for such a proud manufacturer.
Honda F1 chief, Yusuke Hasegawa refused to identify said help – believed to be Ilmor, remarking to motorsport.com that “we are using lots of outside resource”, however acknowledging “it was too late to modify our development.”
Despite the belated light bulb moment, this doesn’t acquit Honda of its profligate past, its stubbornness – operating on a completely different spectrum from ‘conventional’ manufacturers Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault, yet ignoring the blatant necessity to change, has been confounding.
Each passing weekend serves only to reiterate Honda’s ill preparedness upon its’ 2015 return, and while McLaren – under Ron Dennis’ watch, could be labelled naive for its short sightedness in jumping into bed with them out of spite for Mercedes’ decision to forge its own path, nobody could have envisaged how fraught proceedings would eventuate.
Which brings us to the notion of the German marque providing relief to Honda, and the pointed debate whether the latter warrants this on the basis of its ineptitude?
There is no denying that McLaren itself deserves a break, with racing director Eric Boullier stating that help “is something that we have to raise”, yet as much as this concerns McLaren, it’s Honda which must take ownership of any decision to place humility aside and apply itself to making its tenure a success, otherwise they’re wasting everybody’s time in continuing.
Perennial sceptics Red Bull has voiced its concerns regarding any collaboration, though it shouldn’t be utilised as an excuse for Honda to reject the proposal, which could do far worse than adopting Mercedes’ template as its future vision. If they’re incapable of recognising this, the argument could be made that they don’t deserve the former’s hand in the first instance.
If Honda was operating its own outfit – as it did unsuccessfully in the previous decade, the desire to go about business their own way would be understandable, though when a constructor such as feted as McLaren is dependent on its ability to view the overall perspective, the need for selflessness must be foremost.
If this hasn’t occurred already, it’s difficult to see how it will change anytime soon.
Looking a little wider, if they can’t see that Formula One is suffering as a consequence of its antiquated methods, you must ponder how it was ever decided to re-enter the sport, when they couldn’t be certain that they’d live up to the previously proud legacy of Honda and McLaren.
Honda should consider itself fortunate should the olive branch come to pass, anything short of immediate acceptance would render them an eternal pariah to be avoided. Just ask McLaren.
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