Frustration doesn't mean divorce - Honda

Messages that McLaren and Honda are frustrated with the current performance does not mean both parties want to end their partnership, according to head of Honda's F1 project Yusuke Hasegawa.

McLaren has been on the offensive since Fernando Alonso's participation in the Indy 500, with executive director Zak Brown saying he was beginning to doubt whether the team would ever achieve success with Honda. Following Brown's comments – which included the remark that "all options are on the table" regarding McLaren's future with the manufacturer – Hasegawa says such statements are not significant departures from the message given out by both sides all season.

"I don't think it has changed since the winter Barcelona test," Hasegawa told RACER. "They are all still frustrated, and of course we are frustrated as well. So Zak's comments are very understandable. We are frustrated and we are disappointed, so it's no wonder if they comment about something like that."

Asked if it is difficult to keep the team united amid such comments, Hasegawa said:

"Sometimes. Of course good results will cheer the team up, but even in a difficult situation we have a very strong connection. But even so it is very difficult to keep [the team together].

"We are frustrated, but feeling frustration in the race does not directly mean 'they want to divorce' nor 'ending the contract'. The frustration in the race and the decision making for the relationship are totally different matters."

Brown himself says he is happy with the approach taken by the Honda board amid the difficulties, but wants to see results soon to help convince him the partnership has a future.

"We speak to them all the time," Brown said. "Daily, their views are consistent with Hasagawa-san's. they are not hiding from the issue, they are not in denial of the issue. They are putting more resources against it. So they are trying harder than ever.

"They understand our situation, and because everyone has a cool, calm approach to it, we are trying to get through it. But I think they are as frustrated as we are.

"What we want to see now is it work. Around the tests we were obviously very frustrated and disappointed. But they laid out a plan for us. And we were as comfortable as we could be in the environment, and some of that stuff has happened and not worked, some of it has happened and has worked, and some of it is not here yet.

"Ultimately what we need to see is delivery of what their expectations are on where they think they are going to get the power unit in the foreseeable couple of months."