As his drivers qualify on back row of Melbourne grid, Ron Dennis has defended engine partner Honda.

While nobody was expecting miracles, the sight of Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen lining up seventeenth and eighteenth on an eighteen car grid for tomorrow's Australian Grand Prix grid is going to take some getting used to, especially when one considers the pair were on the podium just twelve months ago, albeit following Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification.

Back then, the MP4-29 was powered by the Mercedes power unit, which proved to be the class of the field and looks likely to remain so this year.

Following the nightmare that was pre-season testing, the shadow of which still hangs over the team not only in terms of its performance but the ongoing speculation over Fernando Alonso's crash, nobody was expecting miracle, but to qualify last...

"If your objective is to win a world championship, you have to have a strong OEM (groan... original equipment manufacturer) behind you which has the technology and capability to produce a winning engine," Dennis told Sky Sports F1 following today's session, "and that's what Honda has, they have proven it many times.

"It might take a bit longer than we would like but we are on the journey and we will see it through to the end," he continued.

Leaping to Honda's defence so readily suggests that all the problems lie with the Japanese manufacturer's power unit, but one mustn't forget that Melbourne was the Woking outfit's best result last year despite having the Mercedes package in the back.

"The times say it all," Dennis acknowledged. "We are obviously at the threshold of a very steep hill. We are a long way behind. But the other engine manufacturers have had a year's head start on us and the systems we have developed are complex and clearly not functioning correctly at the moment.

"We are going to be heavily criticised through the opening part of the season," he admitted, "but we know what it takes to win and we have every belief in Honda's ability to produce a winning engine.

"This is an appropriate time to be a strong partner," he insisted. "They understand the problems but we are functioning as one team. If there are any comments to be made about the engine, it's for Honda to make it."

Then, with a nod to Renault, and the fact that before the first race has even taken place, Daniel Ricciardo has used one of his four allowed units, Dennis revealed that Honda is looking at the long game and taking a slightly more conservative approach at this stage.

"Keeping an engine in one piece in this early part of the season is critical for accelerating development," he said, a strategy echoed by Honda boss Yasuhisa Arai. "In Barcelona I expected a good place for us in Australia," said the Japanese, "but unfortunately we don't have the know-how and experience about running in high temperatures.

"We cannot lose the engine in the first race, so our data set is very conservative for the weekend," he revealed, "that's the reason why we are down on power with the MGU-K and the engine itself. That's the reason why."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by jo6pac, 15/03/2015 10:42

" Posted by JackTheCat, 2 hours ago

Thanks"

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2. Posted by JackTheCat, 15/03/2015 8:38

"jo6pac, The MGU-K is made by the engine builder or at least is made exclusively for them by a supplier, but it's a bespoke unit for their engine. In the McLaren's case the MGU-K unit has been modified from the Honda design by McLaren themselves after consultation with Honda."

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3. Posted by Joop deBruin, 15/03/2015 0:40

"Loved David Hobbs' response to Button's run-off into the grass today. He took my lead and said "Well, Honda do make some world class lawn mowers...""

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4. Posted by stackvideo, 14/03/2015 21:26

"No doubt Honda will come good in time but on the issue of only 4 engines allowed for this season, I suspect fans will be looking at lot of race tracks void of any F1 cars. "

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5. Posted by Lotus-e-Clan, 14/03/2015 19:52

"Got to say today's qually was really boring - and although I did enjoy some of the racing last year and 'sort-of' got used to the lack of noise, a bit more engine noise would have made qually more interesting and in particular I would like to have heard the differences between the new Honda et al - especially it being turned down and all.

I wish they'd just ditch the pc green ethos ..maybe Clarkson for Bernies job then now he's gonna be free of TG in the near future?"

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6. Posted by jo6pac, 14/03/2015 19:51

"Question

Is the MGU-K made by a supplier or is each one made by the engine/power unit builder?

Thanks in advance."

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Dennis defends Honda

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