Jorda: McLaren Losing Patience with Honda Approach
Lotus development driver Carmen Jorda says McLaren engineers are frustrated by Honda’s slow and methodical engine development, claiming it is costing the team valuable time.
Carmen Jorda, Lotus’s development driver, has described mounting frustration within the McLaren-Honda Formula One partnership, blaming differences in engineering approach for the team’s lacklustre start to their new works alliance.
Speaking on Spanish radio, Jorda said she had discussed the situation with a McLaren engineer, who told her the team was growing impatient with Honda’s insistence on retesting solutions that McLaren engineers believed would not work. According to Jorda, this methodical approach from the Japanese side is leading to delays and lost development time.
Concerns over McLaren-Honda alliance
McLaren’s return to Honda power for 2015 was expected to revive the team’s fortunes, but the early races have brought poor reliability and limited performance. Jorda claimed the Japanese engineers’ reluctance to abandon their own ideas, even when McLaren staff are unconvinced, is a major factor in the team’s struggles.
Former McLaren driver David Coulthard has also voiced concern, warning that persistent losses make it harder to attract sponsors and secure the finances needed for a turnaround. Coulthard said a lack of television exposure compounds the problem, threatening the team’s ability to compete at the front.
