Honda CEO Toyoharu Tanabe is pleased with the power source this season Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri is under the hood. According to the Japanese, the new engine will pass the 2020 level of Mercedes, raising hopes for an exciting title fight.
Honda announced last year that it would pull the plug from the Formula 1 project after 2021. A surprising decision, which has now resulted in a whole series of initiatives in the sport. Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri were therefore without a power source. The Austrian formation therefore put on the table the plan to acquire the intellectual properties of Honda. The Japanese supplier agreed, but to make it profitable, Red Bull Racing made the caveat that engine development should be frozen until 2025. After much deliberation, the other manufacturers and Formula 1 also agree with this proposal.
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Positive sounds
Since the bullet has been through the church, Honda has been determined to leave the royal class with a blow. Partly for this reason, it was therefore decided to incorporate the engine plans that were initially on the shelf for 2022 into the 2021 power source. Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri are therefore driving this season with a completely redesigned power source under the hood. What this really has to offer will become clear during qualifying in Bahrain, but so far the sounds have only been positive.
Beyond 2020 Mercedes level
Honda itself has also indicated several times that it is very pleased with the new power source. Tanabe agrees. “I believe we have passed the Mercedes level of last year,” he tells The Race. “Although that will depend a bit on the circumstances. We just have no idea how much progress has been made from Mercedes over the winter. We will see as soon as qualifying starts, and after the race is over.”
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