F1: McLaren plans to run development car

McLaren may not run its 2015 Formula 1 car until after the first pre-season test, having revealed plans to run an MP4-29H Honda development car early on.

The team has already designed the experimental car with the sole aim of evaluating engine and gearbox installations for the new Honda power unit. This car could run as early as the post-season Abu Dhabi test next month, but if not it will be trialled in next February's first test at Jerez to give proper feedback on engine progress.

Having the MP4-29H available also means that there is no pressure on the outfit to get its MP4-30 fully finished early on for engine work. That means design staff could be given a few more weeks in which to improve aerodynamic development before being committed to building the car.

"We are building a development car because we have a lot of systems to check, with electronic connections and whatever," McLaren racing director Eric Boullier said. "We have decided to take a different approach based on what we are doing this year.

"For development of the current car, everything has to be applicable to next year's car. And on a similar principle, we have this development car that we will put on track either at Abu Dhabi, or Jerez, or even later Barcelona or somewhere else, when we feel the need and are ready to do so.

"We can obviously do it while we do not affect the work we are doing with next year's partner. That allows us to keep working flat out on next year's car."