Breaking news
Formula 1
Honda targets faster qualifying mode as "next step"
Honda is planning an extra Formula 1 engine upgrade this season and has targeted an improved qualifying mode following its first victory of the V6 turbo-hybrid era.
Scott Mitchell
Published: Jul 7, 2019, 8:45 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The new-for-2019 partnership with Red Bull ended Honda’s podium drought at the first attempt in Australia, and Max Verstappen scored the Japanese manufacturer’s first win in 13 years last weekend in Austria.
Verstappen qualified in third and charged from eighth after a bad start to win the race as the Red Bull-Honda package outlasted the cooling-limited Mercedes and proved good enough to best Ferrari in a straight fight.
Honda F1 technical director Toyoharu Tanabe said a better qualifying mode was “of course” the next step but believes progress must be made in race trim as well.
“We try to use our engine as hard as we can,” said Tanabe.“It’s not easy to make it higher immediately.
"But we keep developing, maybe in the next spec or update. But not the next race!”
Honda introduced its Spec 3 engine two races ago, in France, and the revised combustion engine and turbocharger yielded a small power increase as well as improved reliability.
Asked if Honda’s deficit is bigger in qualifying that the race, where it looks to be quite close to the level of Mercedes and Ferrari, Tanabe said: “Yes, we see a bigger gap in qualifying compared to the others. In the race we are still behind but not as much as in qualifying.
“So it means the next step we need to catch up is a qualifying mode or something, but it’s not easy.”
Honda was always expected to use at least four engines this season instead of the penalty-three limit of three.
Its early Spec 3 engine has opened the door for another upgrade this year, which will be a bonus compared to its rivals Ferrari and Mercedes as they will attempt to stick to a conventional plan of using three engines.
After Honda introduced its third upgrade of the season in France, the company’s F1 managing director Masashi Yamamoto told Motorsport.com: “We will continue the development, balancing performance and reliability. We want more improvement with some update in the future to support with Red Bull.
“Of course it’s including [looking] towards next year, but when it’s ready – when we think it’s got enough reliability and performance – we want to use it.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Wolff says F1 critics "doing a Ratner" over dull races
Next article Seidl: McLaren needs to build up risk-taking "culture"
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Scott Mitchell
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Formula 1
Formula 1 Jan 3, 2020
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Formula 1
Formula 1 Jan 3, 2020
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Key team personnel shouldn't be F1 boss - Ferrari
Formula 1
Formula 1 Jan 3, 2020
Key team personnel shouldn't be F1 boss - Ferrari
More from
Red Bull Racing
“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return
Formula 1
Formula 1 2 h
“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return
Latest news
“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 2 h
“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return
Myers Riley Motorsports adds Andretti alongside returning Fraga for 2027 IMSA GTD campaign
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 3 h
Myers Riley Motorsports adds Andretti alongside returning Fraga for 2027 IMSA GTD campaign
Las Vegas GP reveals neon sign-inspired trophy design
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Las Vegas GP
3 h
Las Vegas GP reveals neon sign-inspired trophy design
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe