McLaren could give their 2015 Honda-powered F1 car its first track test at the end of this season in November in Abu Dhabi, the team's racing director Eric Boullier said this weekend.
Boullier clarified comments made by Honda Motorsports head Yasuhisa Arai, who said there were no current plans for the car to run until the first pre-season test of 2015 in Jerez.
"Regarding the first test of a McLaren Honda-powered car, there is no decision yet about when and where," said Boullier, according to Reuters. "This is still open. It is true that there was a comment but we won't give a definite answer now because we actually don't know yet exactly. But it's very likely it may be before Jerez as well."
Since the end of the 2012 season, McLaren hasn't recorded a single win, something the company expects to change with the introduction of the new car.
Arai said to an official with formula1.com this week that there were "no plans to collect data during the rest of 2014. Jerez will be the first time."
Simulations would start in the next couple of weeks, Arai added. Honda expects the engine to be competitive "immediately."
"I have confidence that we will match Mercedes," he said. "I trust - I am a firm believer - that we will win races next year."
Earlier this month, Arai said that Honda's new 1.6-litre turbo hybrid is about to commence dyno testing. He said that it wouldn't be on track in a McLaren chassis until next year however.
"We are absolutely within our development plan. Our engine - or more precisely our power unit - is ready for a whole system check, but without the chassis. It will still need more time to bring the power unit and chassis together and then be able to run checks with the complete car," Arai told the official Formula 1 website."
A two-day test has been scheduled for Nov. 25-26 in Abu Dhabi once the final race of the season has been completed.
The final race of the season is scheduled to take place on Nov. 23.
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