MARINA BAY, Singapore -- McLaren has confirmed it will switch to Renault power next season after bringing an early end to its engine partnership with Honda.
The complicated deal has been anticipated for some time but required a number of other elements to fall into place before it could be agreed. McLaren will effectively swap engine suppliers with Toro Rosso for 2018, with the Red Bull junior team freeing up a supply of Renault engines by switching to Honda over the winter. As part of the Toro Rosso/Renault split, Carlos Sainz will also move from Toro Rosso to Renault on a loan deal next year.
The future of McLaren's relationship with Honda had been in doubt ever since the opening tests of this season when it became clear that the Japanese manufacturer had delivered an uncompetitive and unreliable power unit for the third season running.
A press release on Friday confirmed the Honda contract would be terminated at the end of the year "by mutual consent", with McLaren executive director Zak Brown saying "we made the decision with a belief that this is the best course of action for each other's future".
Takahiro Hachigo, president and representative director of Honda Motor Co., added: "Honda is a great company which, like McLaren, is in Formula One to win. Although our partnership has not produced the desired success, that does not diminish the great history our two companies have enjoyed together, nor our continued efforts to achieve success in Formula One. At this point in time, it is in the best interests of both companies that we pursue our racing ambitions separately."
McLaren hopes the switch to Renault will bring an end to its podium drought in F1, which stretches back to the opening race of the 2014 season. Approaches to Ferrari and Mercedes for engines next year were both turned away, but Brown is confident McLaren can return to the front of the grid with Renault engines, which will also power the Red Bull and Renault works teams next year.
"Today's announcement gives us the stability we need to move ahead with our chassis and technical programme for 2018 without any further hesitation," Brown said. "As an organisation, McLaren has always worked extremely hard to form lasting partnerships with its technical suppliers. We're convinced that we can bring real value to Renault Sport Racing as we work alongside it to develop this current power unit into a regular race winner."
Renault's managing director of motor sport Cyril Abiteboul added: "We are pleased to confirm a new partnership for Renault Sport Racing and McLaren Racing and excited to embark on this new relationship of these two historic brands in Formula One cooperating together for the first time. This agreement is perfectly in line with our mid-term strategy and with our objective to be in a winning position as a team in 2020.
"We are looking forward to seeing the Renault brand on next year's McLaren and racing our new partners on track. McLaren is an inspirational team with two talented drivers which should not only support our engine development efforts but also act as a reference and an example in the ongoing construction of our chassis operations. This is an exciting new beginning with a championship-winning team that is hungry to return to glory."
The new three-year deal will see McLaren continue with Renault engines until the end of the 2020 season.