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Honda will leave Formula 1 as an engine supplier at the end of the season but it will not the end of their story in the championship, with the Japanese manufacturer revealing they will continue to work with Red Bull on a number of projects…
Honda opted to quit F1 to focus on their goal of achieving carbon neutrality throughout the automotive company, but agreed to continuing developing their F1 Power Unit for Red Bull for 2022, which will be overseen a newly-formed company – Red Bull Powertrains.
It has now been confirmed that Red Bull and Honda have come to a deal that will allow the firm to use Honda IP from 2022 for the specific reason of supply engines to their works team and AlphaTauri.
Honda will also continue to assist building the power unit in 2022, as well as providing trackside and race operation support from Japan throughout the campaign. From 2023, Red Bull Powertrains will take full responsibility for all manufacturing and servicing of the engines.
Red Bull - who are running a special Honda tribute livery in Turkey this weekend - will also take on employees of Honda’s UK base in Milton Keynes under their new engine operation.
The relationship also extends to drivers, with the two companies – who worked together to bring Yuki Tsunoda into Formula 1 with AlphaTauri – to continue their partnership to “further promote the growth of motorsport in Japan, with the ultimate goal of getting more Japanese drivers into top-line motorsport”.
And there will be further undefined collaborations in other motorsport activities, with Honda keen to promote their range of mobility products to a wider audience.
“We are very pleased that our ambitious and exciting Red Bull Powertrains project will be strongly supported by Honda, technically and operationally, in 2022 and this will help ensure that Red Bull’s transition to the status of chassis and power unit manufacturer is seamless,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
Equally as exciting is the news that our collaboration with Honda will extend to a variety of motorsport activities, from driver development to other racing disciplines and even across the wider sporting world. This stretch of Honda’s Formula 1 voyage is coming to an end but together we are embarking on a new and fascinating journey.”
Chief Officer for Brand and Communication Operations at Honda Koji Watanabe added: ““I’m glad that we have reached an agreement with Red Bull Group covering all the details of the IP rights for the F1 Power Unit and in this way, Honda can still contribute to the motor racing world.”
There’ll be a special look to the Red Bull cars at this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez set to sport tribute liveries to departing power unit supplier Honda...
Honda announced towards the end of 2020 that the 2021 season would be their last in Formula 1, having returned to the sport to power McLaren back in 2015. They first supplied AlphaTauri – back in their Toro Rosso days – in 2018, before supplying both Red Bull teams from 2019 onwards.
The partnership has netted 14 victories in total to date, including Pierre Gasly’s memorable triumph at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix for AlphaTauri, and has powered Max Verstappen into title contention this season.
Red Bull’s livery takes inspiration from Richie Ginther’s 1965 Mexican Grand Prix-winning Honda RA272, while the AlphaTauris will feature the Japanese script for arigato – thank you – on their rear wings.
Check out the livery that the Red Bull RB16B will wear at this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix in the carousel above, with the race set to run on the date originally slated for Honda’s home Grand Prix at Suzuka before the event was forced to be cancelled.
Team boss Christian Horner said: “We had all been looking forward to giving Honda’s Japanese fans a chance to celebrate our extremely successful relationship in Formula 1, on home soil at Suzuka.
"With the race falling victim to the pandemic, we just couldn’t let the weekend pass without paying tribute to Honda and its amazing home fans by bringing a little bit of its heritage to Istanbul.
"The livery chosen for our cars pays homage to Honda’s remarkable F1 journey and hopefully we can give fans another victory in those legendary colours this weekend."
Koji Watanabe, Chief Officer for Brand and Communication Operations at Honda added: “Everyone at Honda is extremely disappointed that the Japanese Grand Prix has had to be cancelled, while fully understanding and agreeing with the reasons behind this decision.
"We were especially keen to race at Suzuka Circuit, as it is our last year in the sport, at a time when both our teams are performing very well. We also appreciate that the Japanese fans were particularly looking forward to seeing Honda’s last appearance here and Yuki Tsunoda driving in his home race.
"We know that a special livery cannot replace what would have been a very exciting weekend, but we hope that Honda fans around the world, especially those in Japan, will accept this special livery as a small token of our appreciation of their continued support over so many years.”
Medical car driver Alan van der Merwe and doctor Ian Roberts have worked together for many years, and most famously played a key role in helping Romain Grosjean escape from his fiery crash at last year's Bahrain Grand Prix.
But during pre-event testing before they travelled to Istanbul, it was revealed that both had been struck down with COVID-19.
A statement from the FIA confirmed that their diagnosis meant they could not take up their normal duties.
"[Both] tested positive for COVID-19 prior to travelling and are therefore self-isolating and will not attend the 2021 FIA Formula Turkish Grand Prix," said an FIA spokesman.
"They will be replaced at this event by FIA Formula E World Championship Safety Car Driver, Bruno Correia, and Medical Delegate, Dr Bruno Franceschini, respectively."
Should van der Merwe and Roberts recover quickly then they could be back in action for the following race in Austin later this month.
F1 has undertaken a massive testing programme for coronavirus as part of the protocols it introduced ahead of the delayed 2020 season to ensure that racing could continue.
All personnel wishing to attend races need to undertake pre-travel COVID tests, as well as further evaluations over each grand prix weekend to ensure they do not transmit the virus if they have caught it.
F1 has so far managed to contain any major outbreak in the paddock, with swift action ensuring that if anyone does test positive then all close contacts are put in to self isolation.
Van der Merwe is a former British F3 champion who was a part-time test driver for the BAR F1 team. After competing in A1 Grand Prix and sportscars, he became the official medical car driver from 2009.
Roberts is driven in the medical car in his role as F1 Medical Rescue Coordinator, a position he took up during 2013. He was previously the chief medical officer at Silverstone, so fulfilled that role at the British Grand Prix many times too.
Michael Andretti’s hopes of taking over a Formula 1 team appear a step closer with significant talks with Sauber — the company that runs Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN — set for the United States Grand Prix weekend at Circuit of The Americas in Austin.
Turkey was another interesting strategy race at the end for when to go in for new intermediates
Jenson Button is awesome as commentator, especially explaining the brief 2-3 lap period where in drying conditions new intermediates have to grain in and go through a heat cycle to start performing.
MB did great strategy with Bottas, no so much with Lewis although he again questioned the 1st pit call.
Good 10th win for Bottas, made it look like a Sunday drive.
A Pirelli spokesman when asked stated based on their examination of Lewis' tires that he was trying to finish with were not in shape likely to get him to the finish line.
Turkey was another interesting strategy race at the end for when to go in for new intermediates
Jenson Button is awesome as commentator, especially explaining the brief 2-3 lap period where in drying conditions new intermediates have to grain in and go through a heat cycle to start performing.
MB did great strategy with Bottas, no so much with Lewis although he again questioned the 1st pit call.
Good 10th win for Bottas, made it look like a Sunday drive.
I tried to get a non-FB link so those without access could see but SkySports doesn't permit the view of Ant Davidson's video analyzing Hamilton's tire issue but can be seen here: https://fb.watch/8z8XGzOxje/
I didn't see it, but heard/read that Ocon's tire(s) had chunks missing & likely only had a lap or 2 of life left in it. And I doubt he was pushing as hard as Hamilton.
Makes you wonder, had he come in when they first called for him, if he'd have been in better shape at the end.
The Circuit of the Americas is being altered ahead of Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix to address some of the concerns raised during MotoGP’s contentious recent visit to the track.
Two years ago several F1 drivers complained about the bumps that had appeared around the Austin circuit, with Max Verstappen describing some of them as “ramps” that led to the cars briefly leaving the ground.
Parts of the circuit were resurfaced afterwards, including the run up to Turn 1 and the first part of the Esses, the back straight, and most of the final sector.
This was done to “counter some of the issues we saw in 2019” according to FIA race director Michael Masi.
However, large bumps have still been reported since – including through the sweeping Esses in the first sector – and it was a hugely controversial issue at the recent MotoGP round.
The bumpy surface was already a bigger safety issue for the MotoGP riders than for those racing on four wheels and after Friday practice for the 2021 round there was serious discontent.
A rider boycott was briefly floated and several discussed potentially shortening the race out of the fear that the bumps would be problematic for their endurance and make a 20-lap event too dangerous or attrition-heavy.
Eventually the weekend went ahead without any amendments and there were no massive incidents or an unusually high level of attrition, but the race took a physical toll on several riders.
F1 race director Masi says he was in contact “all weekend” with officials from MotoGP governing body the FIM “to get a true understanding of the entire situation”.
“The areas that were raised by the bikes are different areas to those that were resurfaced,” he said.
“Tony Cotman, who’s one of the FIA circuit inspectors and was previously IndyCar race director, who is in the US, has been out to Austin already during the week, done a report and the circuit is doing some changes for us to sort of address some of the concerns.”
During the MotoGP event circuit representatives asked what the minimum action would be required for future COTA races to take place and riders demanded the circuit be resurfaced from Turn 2 to Turn 10 – the entirety of the first sector and the start of sector two before the hairpin.
If that is to happen it will not be before the F1 race at the end of October but there is some immediate short-term action being taken.
“They’ll grind some bumps and so forth,” said Masi.
“But we’ve got some time to do it. So, they’ll do what they can within the timeframe.”
Makes you wonder, had he come in when they first called for him, if he'd have been in better shape at the end.
He likely could've finished third if he went in on lap 41. At that point, it was LEC, BOT, VER, HAM of those 4 only LEC/HAM hadn't stopped. If HAM went in when called, he would've caught and passed a struggling LEC who presumably would've stayed out until lap 48. MBZ needs to quit listening to Hamilton's requests to change their strategies.
I get letting the driver make the call, to an extent. He's the one in the car & feels how it's driving. But, having a fleet of trackside engineers serves no purpose if you aren't going to heed their advice.
At lap 41 when they called LH in, there was no temp readings showing his tires dropping off in temp and staying there-yet. Apparently that's why they let him carry on. Y'know what I miss? Drivers using their own skills and feelings to determine what's going on with their cars. Now it's "Your rear brakes are overheating, coast more in to turns " or "the right front is showing a lot of deg, use less of the curb on Turn 4" and etc. I think this kind of detailed information shared with the driver should be banned and go back to pit boards saying "brakes hot" instead.
Last edited by Chief F1 Fan; 10-11-2021 at 09:07 AM.
I would have loved to see Hamilton try and stretch it out and his tire fail. Not cause I want him to fail but for the same reason Chief mentioned. Put it back in the drivers hands. Also, maybe it would get him to stop second guessing the team every time lately.
Having already had COVID early last season Van der Merwe tested positive shortly before the Turkish GP. F1 doctor Ian Roberts also tested positive, and thus both men were unable to travel to Istanbul.
Van der Merwe subsequently confirmed on social media last weekend that he has not been vaccinated against COVID for personal reasons.
Proof of vaccination is currently required for entry to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and it’s understood that it will also be necessary for access to the red zone/paddock area in Abu Dhabi.
Van der Merwe is thus one of a number of unvaccinated F1 personnel who usually travel to races who won’t be able to attend the last events of the season.
He used Twitter to explain the reasons behind his personal choices, and confirmed that he expects to miss some races.
“In Switzerland (I’m half Swiss) and other developed countries, prior infection counts as much as a vaccine,” he wrote.
“I trust that those countries know what they’re doing, and also respect countries’ more restrictive rules and not travel there.”
He added: “I am fully aware that I will potentially be less employable or that my freedom of movement will be restricted based on my choices.
“That I will not choose convenience over my own health does not mean I am making decisions out of selfishness. We all just want to be healthy.”
FIA race director Michael Masi confirmed that the entry restrictions will prevent some F1 personnel from travelling to those races.
“From what we understand, there's a couple of countries that you probably won't be allowed to enter the country, unless you're vaccinated,” he said when asked by Motorsport.com. “Which is no different to, let's call it in some parts of the world, malaria shots or whatever it might be that you can't enter the country.
“You need to comply with those requirements to enter the country. And, you know, from that perspective, the FIA obviously has to respect the country's requirements to get in, and as will all the teams and everyone else.”
Masi says Roberts has tested positive independently of Van der Merwe before Istanbul, and it thus wasn’t a case of the former quarantining as a precaution.
He added: “If one tested positive and the other one was negative, he would have turned up. But unfortunately, both of them actually tested positive.
“The only thing that the two of them can surmise is that obviously they spent a lot of time in the car together in Russia.”
Van der Merwe and Roberts were replaced in Turkey by Formula E medical car team of Dr Bruno Franceschini and driver Bruno Correia.
Masi said that the in the COVID era the FIA has been well prepared to replace key F1 officials with their equivalents from other major championships: "The good part is having spoken to both Alan and Ian multiple times over the weekend that they're relatively okay, and have both been available all weekend on the end of the phone, or whatever needed to help Dr Bruno and Bruno in their acclimatisation into this world.
“Generally, we're very fortunate that within all of the various FIA championships, all us race directors talk very regularly.
"You've seen Eduardo Freitas who obviously is the WEC race director as clerk of the course in Portimao, and Scott Elkins and Niels Wittich, who are the Formula E race director and deputy doing a number of events as my deputy.
“So all of us working together is actually a regular thing. And it's the same with the doctors. Bruno Correia has actually been one of our driver advisors in F2 and F3 this year.
“So effectively, it's the broad family, and it was great for both of them to be available at short notice.
"And they're always sort of our first reserves in the case of something like that happening which none of us ever wish."
A test could be undertaken as soon as the US GP in Austin in a fortnight's time.
At the moment drivers are expected to slow and not record a meaningful laptime when they pass double yellows.
That can occasionally lead to controversy, as happened with Fernando Alonso in qualifying in Turkey.
The Spaniard entered a double yellow zone at the start of his first flying lap and, having completed the lap at a competitive pace that was comparable with others running at the time, he was reported to the stewards.
He escaped sanction essentially after the stewards noted that his next flying lap was over three seconds faster.
However, some rivals who abandoned laps due to yellows insisted that Alonso had set a meaningful laptime, especially in the context of the threat of rain meaning that the first lap could have been important.
The stewards did consider that, but discounted it because the session remained dry and lap times improved.
After discussions with teams on Sunday in Istanbul, F1 race director Michael Masi hopes to remove any doubts that might tempt drivers to complete a flying lap by automatically deleting their times, following a similar principle to that already used in relation to track limits offences.
"Let's see what we do in Austin," said Masi when asked by Motorsport.com if such a system could be introduced.
"We've done it when it happens for track limits. We can investigate what areas will work best, and just make sure that there's no unintended consequences.
"It sounds on the face of it that it could be a good resolution. But you just need to talk through it all. We've got a sporting advisory committee [meeting] scheduled anyway this week, and that's one of the ones on the agenda.
"There's probably a little bit of tweaking of wording that we can do. It's been as it has been for quite a while, and [after] some discussions today there's some refining that we can probably do to make it clearer for everyone."
Asked if a deleted times system could be trialled as early in practice in Austin, Masi said "quite possibly," stressing that a test would not be difficult to sanction.
"It's in my event notes. It's not even a regulation change. It's effectively, the legal terminology would be, it's a test.
"So you need to comply with the requirements within the ISC [International Sporting Code], complying with double yellow flags.
"But effectively to prove that you've done that, the test is being meaningful lap times scenario.
"So we'll have a look, probably trial something else in Austin, and see where we go."
Turkey was another interesting strategy race at the end for when to go in for new intermediates
Jenson Button is awesome as commentator, especially explaining the brief 2-3 lap period where in drying conditions new intermediates have to grain in and go through a heat cycle to start performing.
MB did great strategy with Bottas, no so much with Lewis although he again questioned the 1st pit call.
Good 10th win for Bottas, made it look like a Sunday drive.
x1000 on Jenson - I want them to keep him in the commentator box.
Caught up with the race last night.. Man I'm surprised Vettel made such a risky move after last race's blunder with Norris. At least he cut his losses and pit immediately after to go back onto Inters.
Well now, that would be interesting. Is that what they are going to badge the new engine then too so Honda can say they got out but really stay in? Like Red Bull and Infiniti before?
10-06-2021, 02:32 PM
for safety
. Also in the article that Herta is in line to replace Giovonazzi.
