 Honda had previously competed in Formula One as a constructor when they purchased British American Racing in 2006, before selling the team to Brawn GP ahead of the 2009 season. With the sport introducing a brand-new engine formula in 2014 and Mercedes, their engine-supplier, establishing their own team, McLaren sought a new engine supplier with a view to a long-term relationship. The partnership with Honda was first announced in May 2013, and the RA615H engine spent the next eighteen months in development. The team used Mercedes' PU106A Hybrid engine in the McLaren MP4-29 throughout the 2014 season.
