McLaren executive director Zak Brown claimed he knew it was only a “matter of time” before Honda began making progress after their strong performance in Formula 1 testing.
With new team Toro Rosso, not a single engine-related problem has been reported by the Japanese manufacturer with just one day of running left before the Australian GP later this month.
Compare that to former partner McLaren, who have had battery, electrical, hydraulic and cooling problems with the Renault power unit during the second test in Barcelona.
“I think they’re doing a good job,” Brown told Autosport commenting on the significant improvement Honda appears to have made.
“I know, as you’d expect, there are a lot of comparisons in testing between them and us, but [racing director] Eric [Boullier] and the full team are focused on our programme and very confident we’re going to have a good season.”
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Over the seven days of running so far, Toro Rosso has remained high on the distance covered list with 666 laps while McLaren at the bottom with just 503, that has led some to wonder if the British team ended their relationship too soon.
Brown isn’t surprised, however, stating: “We know they’re a great company and it was just a matter of time until they’d see some improvements. They’re having a good test and good on them.”
