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MONZA, Italy -- McLaren executive director Zak Brown says his team faces a "complicated" decision as it chooses between Renault and Honda as its 2018 engine supplier. Now in its third season with Honda, McLaren has made no secret of its frustration with the Japanese manufacturer's unreliable and underpowered engines. The team is currently weighing up its options over its 2018 supply and on Friday held a meeting in its Monza motorhome with Renault bosses Jerome Stoll, Cyril Abiteboul and Alain Prost as well as F1's motorsport director Ross Brawn. "This is the month we decide," McLaren executive director Zak Brown said on Friday evening after the meeting. "Probably early in the month, is the time we're going to take a decision on our direction for next year. "It's very complicated as you can imagine, it's a variety of pieces to the puzzle. Some in our control, some not. Both Ferrari and Mercedes have turned down a link up with McLaren, leaving Renault as the only alternative to Honda for 2018. Renault already supplies three teams with engines -- the works Renault outfit, Red Bull and Toro Rosso -- and would have to gain permission from the FIA to supply a fourth. The governing body is keen for Honda to remain in the sport, so is unlikely to give its blessing to such a move, but if Honda can be convinced to align with Toro Rosso it would free up a Renault supply for McLaren. "There's a variety of challenges," Brown said when asked about the situation. "Some things are in our control, some things not in our control. If everything was done we'd have a decision and an announcement to be made so there are some challenges ahead of us that we need to navigate." Honda brings an estimated $100 million budget to McLaren each year, but Brown said the team's board, which includes the Bahrain sovereign wealth fund, would prioritise performance over money. "We can't afford not to be on the podium," he said. "It's a big decision it has lots of elements to it and economics are one. Fortunately we have extremely committed shareholders that we can make a sporting decision and deal with economics." But Brown is not ruling out a continuation of the Honda deal if the Japanese manufacturer can convince McLaren it is capable of delivering better results next year. "We need a more competitive engine. Which they're working on. We need to take a view, which we've not finalized yet, as to whether we think they can get to where we need them to be. "They're spending more money so they're doing what it takes to be more competitive. They're doing different stuff now. I don't want to kind of speak on what they're doing, I think you guys know they've acknowledged they're working with outside consultants and that's new." Brown said McLaren's analysis of Honda's plans would continue in depth next week before the team makes a decision on its future soon after. "We're going to sit down next week with guys that are much smarter on power units than myself, and take a view on what we see their plans are and what they've accomplished and then take a view."
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