Webber: Honda issues put McLaren future in jeopardy

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McLaren's pitiful performance this season following Honda's inability to deliver a competitive engine is putting the great team's future at risk, says Mark Webber.

The former F1 driver and Red Bull stalwart casts a worried eye on the Woking outfit's state of affairs, and considers Stoffel Vandoorne as the only one who can feel fairly relaxed about the distressing situation.

"I predict a good career for him," the Australian told Spain's Marca.

"He's lucky to be with Fernando Alonso. Right now Fernando is in charge there and he's a great model for Vandoorne."

Home race always an exciting prospect for Alonso

More generally, however, Webber is worried that Honda's reliability and performance crisis is endangering McLaren's very existence.

"That team does not exist to be 14th," he said.

"They have to find a solution very quickly because McLaren as a company could see their future threatened."

Amid the crisis, Webber's friend Alonso has elected to skip Monaco later this month to try to win the Indy 500.

"Alonso's decision to skip Monaco shows who's really running McLaren at the moment," said Webber.

"His relationship with them is clearly at a critical point. Honda has to raise its level of performance or McLaren will have to accept that a driver change is inevitable."

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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.