Honda worried about early season performance!

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Honda's engine boss Yusuke Hasegawa admits to be troubled by the power unit issues which hit McLaren early on in the first week of testing.

The Woking-based outfit had only limited running on Monday and Tuesday. While the oil tank issue was quickly indentified and fixed, Honda has yet to determine the reason its second engine failed.

"The first day we had an oil system issue, the oil tank," Hasegawa told Spanish broadcaster Movistar.

" Normally the oil tank has to manage the oil level but this year we had some bad oil management so that is why we need to modify the oil tank system.

"The second day we had a mechanical issue and still we don't know the root cause of the problem. This is more fundamental and more serious I think. We need to find out what was causing the issue."

Honda is bringing an upgraded engine to Barcelona next week, a spec it intends to race in Melbourne.

But on the back of this week's woes, speculation is rife that only limited horse power shall be unleashed in order to protect reliability, with an output even below the power of its 2016 engine!

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.