The Exciting Prospect of Honda and Verstappen Teaming Up Again
Apr.5 - Honda admits it would like its Formula 1 engines to power Max Verstappen beyond this season.
The quadruple world champion caused a stir earlier this week in Tokyo whilst attending an event to mark the looming end of the successful Honda-Red Bull partnership.
"I'm still quite young and you never know what happens in the future," he said. "I could never have imagined the heights we would reach with four championships won together."
The prospect of a reunion with Verstappen - which would involve the Dutchman triggering an exit clause and switching to Aston Martin - also seems to be appealing to Honda.
"After this season, our focus is on the collaboration with Aston Martin," Honda Racing Corporation boss Koji Watanabe told De Telegraaf newspaper.
"Honestly, I hope that there will be another opportunity for Honda to work with Max Verstappen," he added. "I sincerely hope so.
"I have spoken to him many times, and he has always been positive about our attitude and mentality. Max is also very strong in communication with the Honda engineers," the Japanese said. "He talks clearly with them, and that ensures that the engineers have become fans of his, and why they are extremely dedicated to him.
"People often see the sportsman, but I also have deep respect for Max as a person," added Watanabe.
The probability of Verstappen exiting Red Bull is growing steadily at present, as the 27-year-old complained of chassis "flexing" at Suzuka. Still, he qualified on Pole for the Japan race.
The team is working hard on a new wind tunnel, with Dr Helmut Marko describing it as "a remnant of the 1940s that was built by the British military".
It also seems as though there's a problem with correlation between the simulator and the track. "The feeling of the real car is a little more different from the virtual one that I expected," Yuki Tsunoda related after practice at Suzuka.
"It was more extreme than I expected. The driving experience was much more difficult in the real car, especially in the fast corners."
Team advisor Marko agrees: "We should review of processes in the simulator, because often the basic setup when we get to the track isn't right."
Some think Red Bull's 'junior' team Racing Bulls has even pulled off producing a better car than Red Bull Racing this year. Verstappen giggled when asked for his opinion about that.
"I think they've surprised themselves with their car," he said. "On one lap, they're close."
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Maybe from 2027 onwards.
I didn't bother to find out why Honda left F1. Knowing they are re-entering the arena with a top-tier team is infinitely bad news for Red Bulls rivals.
Now, throw a Honda into a newly designed Aston Martin, well, then I think we're into a whole new realm of earth, space and dimension.
Oh, sorry! Sorry! That last bit there was a bit cheesy. But, mark my words - the flood of irony will wash away the splintered Red Bull Team and their ardent fans in 2026.
Ummm, just went through the formal team line-up at the F1 site, and became acutely aware of my jaw-dropping rookie-level remembrance of engine suppliers. Well, I'm more advanced than a self-soiling new-born. I'm also having a word with the store that mixed up my order. I expressly said: "No sativa".
I would like twice what hes having please, but sativa..? , i have friends that use that to relax purely recreationally officer, and no i wont tell you there names, Is RedBull worried, who knows but its a great story building there own engines, ok with a lot of Ford help on the battery side, its as wacky as Mercedes starting to produce lets say, a fizzy energy drink, I wonder how that would work out? for me the funniest bit of the story is Rbs wind tunnel from the 40s a time when Britain Could actually build things.
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