McLaren's Zak Brown: 'I'm just speechless!'

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McLaren boss Zak Brown indicted Honda once again after Fernando Alonso's painful penultimate lap retirement in last weekend's Canadian Grand Prix.

After a spirited drive, the Spaniard was on track for a long-awaited top-10 finish in Montreal when it all came undone his engine expired at the hairpin, where he paid the fans in the grandstand a popular visit.

The retirement and subsequent lost opportunity to score a point left Brown understandably despondent.

Fernando did a world champion job again, and the engine let him down again," Brown told Motorsport.com.

"It's a bit of the same old story, which is something that needs to get fixed one way or another. Because we can't keep doing this.

"I think he was clearly going to get our first – not even points – but point. It was good to see Stoffel make it to the finish. But I'm just speechless.

"You feel like you're finally going to get your first point of the year, and a couple of laps from the end, it goes. Just really poor power, and really poor reliability."

Honda says dyno-to-track transfer isn't working

To add insult to injury, Honda's latest mishap associated with Alonso's retirement in Canada will likely lead a grid penalties in the upcoming races as the manufacturer has now used up all its allocated turbo and MGU-H power unit elements.

"It's pretty depressing for all of us. Starting at the back before you even get the weekend started, is not how we can go racing.

"All we can keep doing is pushing for developments. Nothing changes today – it just increases the frustration. But as we've said, we've got to get our act together, and it's one more race that we didn't."

Brown made no excuses for his candid and franc public view on McLaren's state of affairs and his indictment of engine partner Honda.

"I think it was important that we spoke up this weekend, it was really the first time that McLaren brought forward their views.

"I don't want to repeat ourselves, and I don't think this changes anything, it just reinforces our position.

"I think they know something needs to be done. They are frustrated, they are upset. I think today 400 million people saw what happened, so I don't think we need to communicate already further than we already have.

"I don't know what the [Honda] board thinks, but I think everyone thinks the same thing, just work hard to try and fix it. But right now, it's not fixed."

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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.