Max Verstappen defeated his Mercedes competitor Lewis Hamilton in a heartbeat final in Abu Dhabi and won the Formula 1 World Championship for Red Bull and Honda in the last lap. According to Honda Formula 1 chief technology officer Toyoharu Tanabe, this was the ultimate reward for the endless trust the Japanese had in a successful engine program.
Honda returned to the sport in 2015 with McLaren as an engine supplier, but initially struggled with performance and durability deficits.
Also, the Japanese had to build their engine into the tight McLaren chassis, which was no easy task. The shot backfired, because criticism rained from all sides.
Fernando Alonso’s “GP2-Motor” statement, which also contributed to the fact that the barrel was overflowed, will not be forgotten.
Three fruitless years with McLaren led to the separation in autumn 2017. However, Honda remained loyal to the premier class: Out of nowhere, Toro Rosso – now AlphaTauri – was found as a new customer for the 2018 season.
It’s running now! at Honda and Red Bull in Formula 1
Honda seemed to feel much more comfortable in the Red Bull family, which is why the Japanese were also allowed to supply the Group’s top team with engines from the 2019 season. That was the beginning of a success story, because Red Bull suddenly developed into a top team in Formula 1. Last winter, the racing team managed to be on a par with Mercedes.
The rest is history: Verstappen and Hamilton fought a hot title fight in 2021 with controversy, drama and tension down to the last meter. Verstappen won the drivers ‘championship, while Mercedes took the constructors’ title. Honda believes Verstappen’s first title is the reward for never giving up and trusting their program.
“Max’s victory in the drivers’ championship is a great success for us,” says Tanabe. “We have been part of the sport since 2015 and had to go through a difficult seven years to steadily improve. We were well behind Mercedes last year, but I’m happy with how far we’ve come this year. We both wanted the driver – as well as the design engineer title. “
Farewell with the Formula 1 title
“Unfortunately we didn’t win the constructors’ championship, but I think we got this far this year because we believed in our technology,” continued Tanabe. “We were determined to do what we had to do to win. We worked hard and developed our technology to win.”
At the same time, victory in the Formula 1 World Championship in 2021 marked Honda’s departure from the premier class. The Japanese are saying goodbye on the highest note. Red Bull will drive engine development itself and develop its own engine in Milton Keynes, as Honda has decided to exit. There is a year of transition in 2022 when the team can continue to count on Honda’s help.
But what was the secret of the success of Honda and Red Bull? According to Tanabe, both AlphaTauri – then Toro Rosso – and Red Bull worked openly with Honda on developing the drive unit. “We understood each other,” said the Japanese. “It all came together, it was a great moment for us.”
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