Honda have yet to decide whether or not they will introduce an upgraded power unit for this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix, as they look to spend their final tokens before the conclusion of the season in just six races time.
The Japanese manufacturer had hinted that an upgrade would come for Malaysia or possibly Japan – although Honda were keen to avoid costly grid penalties at their home race – but a final decision won't be made until the last minute according to Honda's Yusuke Hasegawa.
"We are not 100 per cent certain if we will install any power unit updates for this race, but we’ll look to make our final decision at the track based on the balance of performance and reliability," he said.
Honda could opt to split the upgrade for tactical reasons, with one McLaren driver receiving it this weekend and the other next, as both Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button would be required to take grid drops as a result of the change.
Regardless of the upgrade, McLaren's Eric Boullier is confident of a good result if their weekend goes as planned.
"The Sepang circuit poses a tough technical challenge for our mechanics and engineers, who have to strike a delicate compromise between efficient cooling, aerodynamic performance and balance, so Friday running will be important initially in order to assess the impact of the new track surface on the car and the re-profiling of some corners – particularly Turn 15.
"If we can achieve reliability on both sides of the garage, I’m hopeful for a positive weekend. We’ve proved recently that our package is a firm contender in the midfield pack and we have the potential to finish ahead of some strong teams, so we’ll keep fighting to maintain our position and move closer to the front of the grid."
