Honda expands its UK F1 base with second engine supply in mind - F1 - Autosport Milton-Keynes? Red Bull down the road?
The only team that would switch that McLaren would veto is RB. But why would RB switch anytime soon. They would switch for only two reasons. 1. The Renault PU is completely uncompetitive or the Honda is a far more compelling PU, neither of which is the case. 2. They aren't receiving support on par with the works team. Also not currently the case and won't be anytime soon. The Renault works team won't be able to compete for championships during the next generation of regulations; so for 4-5 years they will give RB full support to ensure the brand equity is maximized through the PU winning in the RB even if the works team chassis isn't up to it. Even if the Honda was competitive, it wouldn't be any more attractive an option. McLaren-Honda is a works team, anyone else joining the party would be a customer. In the long-run RB are probably SOL if the Renault are able to get their own car to the front, though probably not a huge issue since apart from Bob Bell that team is run by clowns.
Maybe a team struggling financially, if they come cheap or free? Who knows if next year they won't be good?
Isn't Toro Rosso already signed for Renaults next year? Otherwise the smart thing to do for Red Bull would be having the 2 slower cars on Hondas to compare development and then jump ship altogether when convenient. Can't see Renault getting beaten by Red Bulls with their own engine and no logos anywhere on the other cars lasting too long.
Are Sauber going to remain a struggling team now they have new owners? - And will the new owners see the Honda power unit as being a better choice than Ferrari's? Teams such as Sauber and Haas "complain" that the Ferrari power unit is designed for Ferrari's own car and they have to adapt their car to suit the power unit, but the Honda power unit is always going to be designed primarily to suit the McLaren car, and any other Honda customer team will still end up having to adapt their car to suit it. Right now, Honda are still too much of a gamble for any of the teams as I see it. The likes of Williams, Force India and Manor are not going to ditch Mercedes because it's highly unlikely that the Honda power unit will be better. Torro Rosso require a power unit but they'd have to go with Renault to help their sister team Red Bull, so there's no place there for Honda. TBH, I can't help feeling when Honda say they have been in talks with several teams about supplying power units, what they really mean is that they asked several teams if they'd consider having Honda power units in the future, and all of them said: "No!"
I wouldn´t, except if the engines come for free. Right now Williams chassis leaves a lot to be desired, without Mercedes power they would be behind McLaren and even Force India. And if the Honda engine finally gets better, McLaren still would be the "works" team. Honda could be a good deal for a small team like Sauber or Manor if they get a good discount (and of course, if the Honda engine starts to perform decently).
