VIDEO: Hear McLaren fire up its 2016 Honda F1 engine

McLaren has become the latest team to tease about its future launch by releasing a video of its 2016 Honda power unit being fired up at the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC).

The MP4-31 is set to break covers on February 21, with F1 world champions Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button forming an unchanged driver line-up at Woking.

McLaren and Honda are coming off a dismal 2015 campaign that saw the reunited partners finish a lowly ninth in the Constructors’ championship amid recurrent power unit troubles.

Following complaints from disgruntled fans bemoaning the lower sound of turbocharged power units, this year’s regulations state teams must use at least one extra pipe for the wastegate, with up to two additional pipes allowed.

Several F1 technical chiefs have already said they are expecting the revised rules to lead to a significant in increase in engine sound.

Ahead of the launch event, which takes place one day before pre-season testing kicks off in Barcelona, McLaren has given fans an opportunity to hear its 2016 engine via the video below:

Tell us more about your job at Red Bull, Guillaume Rocquelin

Testing a livery

Key dates for the 2016 F1 season

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Julien Billiotte

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