Honda open to second team

Honda would be open to supplying a second team with engines in next year's Championship but as yet have not been approached.

It has been a trying start to Honda's return to Formula 1 this season with the Japanese engine manufacturer managinging just one points finish with McLaren.

The company, though, is adamant they are taking strides forward and hope that leads to other teams showing an interest in their power units.

"Unfortunately I don't have any offers right now," motorsport boss Yashusa Arai said to F1i.com. "Maybe after the summer break, I hope someone calls me and says 'please give me your good engine'! Right now we don't have it, but I hope we get it.

"We learn a lot with McLaren. It's very successful, and for the development we don't need [another team] because it's a top team so we learn enough.

"But for the whole of Formula One it's very important to increase teams to make it more attractive and more competitive. I think that's the right way to go."

Asked if Honda would want to supply engines to another team if a new entry came to him, Arai replied:

Pressed as to whether Honda would be keen to supply a fledgling team should any of those applying to join the grid in 2016 be interested, Arai answered: "Yes.

"I would feel a very good feeling if some new team or newcomer says 'Please, we want to use your engine'. I would be very happy.

"Do we have the power to operate everything? I don't know. Maybe we need more time to operate more than one team. Of course, McLaren-Honda is a works team, so how we would separate that and work with another team I have no idea."