Honda's return to NASCAR.

I know it might be a bit early to start this conversation. But since there isn't a dedicated thread yet—assuming the mods are cool with it—let's get it going. 🙂It feels like nobody is talking about this, and I really don't think we should let this slip under the radar.

So, here's the deal: those crazy Japanese engineers are heading back to NASCAR in 2015. McLaren is switching over to Honda engines that year. Since Honda didn't jump into the sport this season, they've got a full year to dial in their engine development. I'm not sure if they even had an engine ready for this current season. If they did, why on earth would McLaren stick with Mercedes?

What’s your take? Will Honda use this extra time wisely? Will this window give them enough breathing room to build a superior engine? And could this move actually turn McLaren into a massive powerhouse in the sport?

Talk. 🙂

I can't wait—their entry could only lead to good things.

Chris Robinson25 said:I know it might be a bit early to start this conversation. But since there isn't a dedicated thread yet—assuming the mods are cool with it—let's get it going. 🙂It feels like nobody is talking about this, and I really don't think we should let this slip under the radar.

So, here's the deal: those crazy Japanese engineers are heading back to NASCAR in 2015. McLaren is switching over to Honda engines that year. Since Honda didn't jump into the sport this season, they've got a full year to dial in their engine development. I'm not sure if they even had an engine ready for this current season. If they did, why on earth would McLaren stick with Mercedes?

What’s your take? Will Honda use this extra time wisely? Will this window give them enough breathing room to build a superior engine? And could this move actually turn McLaren into a massive powerhouse in the sport?

Talk. 🙂

McLaren isn't going to become some massive powerhouse overnight. By the time Honda actually enters the fray in 2015, everyone else will have already banked a full year of development experience, so it might all end up being pretty much the same anyway.

jadeseal7 said:McLaren isn't going to become some massive powerhouse overnight. By the time Honda actually enters the fray in 2015, everyone else will have already banked a full year of development experience, so it might all end up being pretty much the same anyway.

You really think so?

I actually think McLaren's first discarded engine will end up in the hands of a Japanese person. Plus, McLaren mentioned they've already started collaborating with Honda engineers on certain things. From what I can see, Honda is essentially getting a one-year head start on engine development. They'll gain massive experience through this partnership with McLaren, learning all the flaws ahead of time by studying the current best power unit and refining it over the next year while development is frozen for everyone else. It’s true that Mercedes said they'd be careful about what "information" they share with McLaren because of Honda, but the reality is that McLaren will have access to it all. We saw how the Red Bull Racing masters moved over to Renault to fix that engine; I'm sure the McLaren drivers will do something similar with Honda—maybe just lend them some staff for a bit 😁

Anyway, regarding Honda, it's a great move. It would be awesome to see more diverse suppliers, like if another team joined, or even hearing rumors about Porsche (they originally wanted in at Daytona, but Audi blocked them) or the return of Cosworth. Honestly, seeing this kind of variety in racing is brilliant, especially when you look at all these different cars 😍

Well, even if Honda manages to snag a bit of an edge, I don't see it being anything earth-shattering—I mean, look at Ferrari; they’re developing their own power units and running their own races, which gives them a massive stream of data all season long. They'll almost certainly have even more refined engines ready for next year. Practice makes perfect ali 😁

That said, I would absolutely love to see brands like BMW or Cosworth make a comeback to NASCAR, and honestly, it would be great if they brought back at least one more tire supplier too.

Jerry Jones3 said:You really think so?

I actually think McLaren's first discarded engine will end up in the hands of a Japanese person. Plus, McLaren mentioned they've already started collaborating with Honda engineers on certain things. From what I can see, Honda is essentially getting a one-year head start on engine development. They'll gain massive experience through this partnership with McLaren, learning all the flaws ahead of time by studying the current best power unit and refining it over the next year while development is frozen for everyone else. It’s true that Mercedes said they'd be careful about what "information" they share with McLaren because of Honda, but the reality is that McLaren will have access to it all. We saw how the Red Bull Racing masters moved over to Renault to fix that engine; I'm sure the McLaren drivers will do something similar with Honda—maybe just lend them some staff for a bit 😁

Anyway, regarding Honda, it's a great move. It would be awesome to see more diverse suppliers, like if another team joined, or even hearing rumors about Porsche (they originally wanted in at Daytona, but Audi blocked them) or the return of Cosworth. Honestly, seeing this kind of variety in racing is brilliant, especially when you look at all these different cars 😍

Honda didn't get anything special...
Ferrari, Renault, and Mercedes can develop their engines just as much as Honda can this season ☕
. Except they can actually use them starting now... whereas Honda won't be able to use their own engine until 2015, god knows when
.
Bottom line: Honda doesn't really have an advantage, unless McLaren pulls something illegal and hands Mercedes' data right to them 😍

stormybadger8 said:Honda didn't get anything special...
Ferrari, Renault, and Mercedes can develop their engines just as much as Honda can this season ☕
. Except they can actually use them starting now... whereas Honda won't be able to use their own engine until 2015, god knows when
.
Bottom line: Honda doesn't really have an advantage, unless McLaren pulls something illegal and hands Mercedes' data right to them 😍

I don't think the folks over at Mercedes are quite foolish enough to just lay all their cards on the table for McLaren—not by a long shot. Honestly, looking ahead to next season, I'm convinced they’ll be watching their every move with a very sharp eye. 😁

Jerry Jones3 said:You really think so?

I actually think McLaren's first discarded engine will end up in the hands of a Japanese person. Plus, McLaren mentioned they've already started collaborating with Honda engineers on certain things. From what I can see, Honda is essentially getting a one-year head start on engine development. They'll gain massive experience through this partnership with McLaren, learning all the flaws ahead of time by studying the current best power unit and refining it over the next year while development is frozen for everyone else. It’s true that Mercedes said they'd be careful about what "information" they share with McLaren because of Honda, but the reality is that McLaren will have access to it all. We saw how the Red Bull Racing masters moved over to Renault to fix that engine; I'm sure the McLaren drivers will do something similar with Honda—maybe just lend them some staff for a bit 😁

Anyway, regarding Honda, it's a great move. It would be awesome to see more diverse suppliers, like if another team joined, or even hearing rumors about Porsche (they originally wanted in at Daytona, but Audi blocked them) or the return of Cosworth. Honestly, seeing this kind of variety in racing is brilliant, especially when you look at all these different cars 😍

Development is frozen for this current season, though everyone is free to develop the engines they intend to use next year.

Jerry Jones3 said:You really think so?

I actually think McLaren's first discarded engine will end up in the hands of a Japanese person. Plus, McLaren mentioned they've already started collaborating with Honda engineers on certain things. From what I can see, Honda is essentially getting a one-year head start on engine development. They'll gain massive experience through this partnership with McLaren, learning all the flaws ahead of time by studying the current best power unit and refining it over the next year while development is frozen for everyone else. It’s true that Mercedes said they'd be careful about what "information" they share with McLaren because of Honda, but the reality is that McLaren will have access to it all. We saw how the Red Bull Racing masters moved over to Renault to fix that engine; I'm sure the McLaren drivers will do something similar with Honda—maybe just lend them some staff for a bit 😁

Anyway, regarding Honda, it's a great move. It would be awesome to see more diverse suppliers, like if another team joined, or even hearing rumors about Porsche (they originally wanted in at Daytona, but Audi blocked them) or the return of Cosworth. Honestly, seeing this kind of variety in racing is brilliant, especially when you look at all these different cars 😍

Where on earth did you get that information? Porsche recently unveiled a new car for Daytona in the LMP1 class, and they are planning to compete with it this year.

jadeseal7 said:I don't think the folks over at Mercedes are quite foolish enough to just lay all their cards on the table for McLaren—not by a long shot. Honestly, looking ahead to next season, I'm convinced they’ll be watching their every move with a very sharp eye. 😁

It’s pretty obvious they aren't, and honestly, that could end up causing a massive headache.😁
It’s funny how people cling to that myth about how much freedom Ford has to develop their engines. Meanwhile, you've got the crews at Ferrari, Renault, and Mercedes basically stuck on a permanent 365-day work cycle just to stay relevant.🤣

Jerry Jones3 said:You really think so?

I actually think McLaren's first discarded engine will end up in the hands of a Japanese person. Plus, McLaren mentioned they've already started collaborating with Honda engineers on certain things. From what I can see, Honda is essentially getting a one-year head start on engine development. They'll gain massive experience through this partnership with McLaren, learning all the flaws ahead of time by studying the current best power unit and refining it over the next year while development is frozen for everyone else. It’s true that Mercedes said they'd be careful about what "information" they share with McLaren because of Honda, but the reality is that McLaren will have access to it all. We saw how the Red Bull Racing masters moved over to Renault to fix that engine; I'm sure the McLaren drivers will do something similar with Honda—maybe just lend them some staff for a bit 😁

Anyway, regarding Honda, it's a great move. It would be awesome to see more diverse suppliers, like if another team joined, or even hearing rumors about Porsche (they originally wanted in at Daytona, but Audi blocked them) or the return of Cosworth. Honestly, seeing this kind of variety in racing is brilliant, especially when you look at all these different cars 😍

Actually, BMW shut down those rumors about joining NASCAR a long time ago. 😢
http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/108424.html

I did hear some chatter that Toyota might be making a comeback under the Lexus name, though. Nothing's official or even denied yet—just a rumor at this point.

Toyota? Now that would be... interesting...

urbanowl96 said:Development is frozen for this current season, though everyone is free to develop the engines they intend to use next year.

Where on earth did you get that information? Porsche recently unveiled a new car for Daytona in the LMP1 class, and they are planning to compete with it this year.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/112865

I read that a few days ago. It sounded strange to me too, but man, it would be incredible if it were true.

Jerry Jones3 said:http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/112865

I read that a few days ago. It sounded strange to me too, but man, it would be incredible if it were true.

I haven't had a chance to look at that yet. However, the word is they intend to compete at Daytona for the next three years. It seems a logical progression, considering they have already committed so heavily to developing this new chassis and finalizing the technical details; they'll likely wait to see how that pans out before deciding on a long-term strategy.

Personally, I’m just sitting here hoping they finally bite the dust, much like they have on several occasions before. It would be quite something to see all those teams switch over to those loud, obnoxious, little Japanese 🙂
.