Has Honda finally woken from its F1 nightmare?

Toro Rosso's offering on laptimes might have been modest during the opening pre-season Formula 1 test but, with no engine problems to report, its mileage count certain wasn't. Has Honda finally turned a corner?

Edd Straw Mar 1, 2018, 6:47 PM

Upd: Mar 1, 2018, 7:03 PM

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At ten past nine on Monday morning, Honda issued an emphatic statement of intent. Brendon Hartley headed to the end of the pitlane and the Toro Rosso-Honda became the first car to take to the track in pre-season Formula 1 testing.

There was no smoke, no failure, no embarrassment; the car simply worked as intended, and by the end of the day Hartley had notched up 93 laps. That's only 16 laps short of the combined total Honda has managed if you add up its total for each first day of testing from 2015-17. And since then, things have appeared to run smoothly for an alliance that has started promisingly.