Honda engine supply linked to Toro Rosso

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Despite breaking away from its agreement to supply Sauber next season, Honda is apparently still looking to supply a second F1 team, assuming it continues with McLaren in 2018. 

The Japanese manufacturer has confirmed in Hungary it is in talks with potential customers with Toro Rosso emerging as a potential candidate, even though the Faenza-base outfit has a deal with Renault for next season.

"We are talking to teams - other than works outfits like Ferrari and Mercedes - to see if there is an opportunity to do a customer supply deal," confirmed Honda general manager Masahi Yamamoto.

"Meeting the schedule to achieve this for next year will be tough, but we still try to look for the opportunity to do so in 2018.

"If we don't have a customer team, we want to continue with McLaren and then take on a customer team in addition for 2019."

A Honda-powered Toro Rosso next season would obviously free-up a supply of Renault engines which could just end up in Woking, at McLaren.

But Yamamoto insists his company's priority is to continue its partnership with McLaren and make things work. 

"Right now, we believe we are working in the same direction as McLaren," he said.

"We feel McLaren is still committed to making this project work.

"It's not that we can't provide a good power unit, it's that we can't reach the expectations that were originally set for the partnership yet."

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