Dennis hopeful of replicating success of the 1980's as new partnership with Honda is well and truly underway

(image.net/hondaf1pressconference)

McLaren Group Chairman Ron Dennis is convinced that the renewed partnership between McLaren and Honda will be successful, however he has admitted that it will take time for the partnership to challenge for race wins.

Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo, Japan on Tuesday Mr Dennis stated that although Honda are affectively a year behind in the development of their power unit he has no doubt that the new partnership will produce competitive results from the very first race which takes place in Albert Park Melbourne next month.

Dennis alluded the fat that when their original partnership began in 1988 when the team Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost driving for them they won 15 out of the 16 Grand Prix that season with Senna winning the championship.

Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button were also in Tokyo for the press conference and the pair are hopeful that McLaren will make big gains with the MP4-30 ahead of the opening race of the season in Melbourne. Button is looking forward to racing with Honda power having done so in Formula One from 2003 – 2008 securing his maiden Formula One victory with Honda F1 Racing at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Button concluded that there is a lot of unfinished business with Honda. McLaren will be hoping for more improvements at next weeks’ Barcelona test when Honda will bring upgrades for their power unit. The Japanese manufacturer has been working extremely hard both at their facility in Japan and in their UK facility in Milton Keynes.

© Ben Johnston 2015