McLaren-Honda ’ready to win’ - boss

McLaren-Honda is expecting to match engine pacesetters Mercedes next year.

Amid reports that Mercedes is now edging towards the 1000 horse power mark, McLaren’s once-struggling works supplier Honda is making strong strides forwards.

"Next year we are equal to Mercedes in horse power," Honda’s F1 chief Yusuke Hasegawa is quoted by the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

That would tie in with Fernando Alonso’s bold claim that wins and even a title tilt are the targets for next year.

And his team boss Eric Boullier agreed: "We are ready, more than ever, to win."

It has been a particularly lean spell for the once-great British team, having failed to win a single grand prix since 2012.

Boullier said: "We have been working hard on our new concept that we believe in. It took Red Bull seven years and Mercedes five.

"If you take the average of all the races (in 2016) then we are at Ferrari’s level in terms of the chassis. Red Bull and Mercedes are better, but we are best of the rest."