Eric Boullier says the engine upgrade brought by Honda to the British Grand Prix is delivering the promised results, but the McLaren racing director admits his team remains some way off the front.

The Japanese manufacturer spent another two development tokens ahead of the Silverstone event in a bid to improve its internal combustion engine. This is Honda’s second in-season upgrade after the new spec of turbocharger introduced in Canada last month.

Speaking to F1i before the race, which would see Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso claim P12 and P13 in wet-to-dry conditions, Boullier said McLaren was satisfied with the evolution.

“Satisfied because what was promised has been delivered,” the Frenchman commented. “Now, we are still not on par with our rivals, we remain some way behind Mercedes. But at least we continue to notice improvements from Honda.”

Boullier adds that keeping the drivers updated and involving them on the team’s progress is key to ensure they remain committed to the project.

“We keep them in the loop. They know what’s happening, they know where we are, they know where we are headed. We don’t create wrong expectations.

“The drivers still have faith in the project, even more so when you set dates and promise performance packages and deliver on them. They know we are getting closer to the front and one day we’ll get there.”

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