Honda F1 Motorsport boss Yasuhisa Arai has admitted the challenges of returning to Formula 1 have been much harder t🔯han the company had env✅isaged, but remains confident its approach will eventually yield the results anticipated.

The Japane💮se firm made a high-profile return to F1 this seasౠon in collaboration with McLaren, reviving an iconic partnership that dominated the sport in the late 80's and early 90's.

However, Honda has struggled to get a successful grasp on the latest regulations, with its power unit both down on power and troubled by persistent reliability probleꦑms that have hampered McLaren drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button throughout the 2015 season.

Indeed, though Honda and McLaren have always maintai൲ned the party line that they expected a difficult start initially as it brought its🎶elf up to speed with its rivals, Arai accepts that the issues and lack of competitiveness have been more acute than it could have anticipated.

"Expectations were always going to be high because of our illustrious history with McLaren," he said. "Most of the 🙈fans have a great image of McLaren-Honda's heritage so they expe🍌cted us to return to Formula One and be competitive immediately. Obviously this has not been the case.

"The sport has changed immensely since the McLaren-Honda 'glory days'. The current technology🎶 is much more sophisticated and it is tough to make a good racing car. We knew it wouldn't be easy, but perhaps we didn't imagine that it would be this hard.

"I certainly didn't imagine technology wise what we would be facing, but I have complete confidence in the direction we have taken with our power unit. We needed to create something radical in order to beat the top teams, and that is our ultimate goal🥃 - to beat the best."

Indeed, after suggestions of discord from the McLaren side and pressure from Honda to turn the project around, though Arai doesn't explicitly sayও his job is under threat, he remains certain he is♔ the man to succeed.

"I think Honda's development method is very different to Formula One and McLaren," he continued. "Of course I have big pressure on my shoulders - especially from the ༺fans, the Honda board and my colleagues, but this is completely n🌄ormal.

"I think that I have what it takes to drive this project, but I can't decide my own future, neither can the media or McLaren board members. I hope to continue dr💫iving this project and I believe that our board members tr🦩ust me emphatically.

"Every step🌞 of this new project has been discussed with McLaren management. Every day we are in discussion. I know that they are under pressure fro﷽m sponsors, but we trust and help each other to come up with good, innovative ideas.

"Working with the two different cultures within the team has made us stronger and🐼 more creative. It's a very good relationship and a very good team. I trust everyone in the team, and we wouldn't be McLaren-Ho♏nda without each and every one of them. We wouldn't be fighting as hard as we are without their support and hard work."