Despite having the fastest car during the pre-season test, free practice and qualifying - where Verstappen took pole - Red Bull were left frustrated after Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes put on a masterclass to beat them at last week’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
The teams must use the same engine modes across qualifying and the race, however, Honda still wants to investigate where they lost out to Mercedes. Honda feels energy recovery and utilization are the keys to bringing more performance out of the engine, despite not being able to change modes.
What can Honda do to maximise their engine?
Even though Honda had a clear advantage in terms of pace, coming second to Mercedes was disappointing for the Japanese manufacturer.
Honda’s Formula 1 technical director Toyoharu Tanabe has said they will look for other ways to bring the best out of their engine:
Despite classifying the result as a disappointment, Honda will be pleased to see how close they are to reigning champions Mercedes. Verstappen was unlucky to come second after being held back by a sublime Lewis Hamilton defense, while Sergio Perez finished the race in P5 after starting from the pit lane.
Apart from Red Bull, AlphaTauri had an impressive weekend as well. Pierre Gasly put on a show in qualifying, finishing the session in P5. Rookie Yuki Tsunoda showed his speed in the race, taking a P9 finish on his debut in Formula 1. Despite a positive start, Honda remain unsatisfied and in the search for more.
2021 is Honda’s last year in Formula 1. The Japanese manufacturer announced its departure from the sport citing that automobile manufacturing was going through a “once-in-one-hundred-years period of great transformation” and that they’ll leave Formula 1 having been able to attain their goal of earning victories. The Japanese manufacturer will look to go out in flamboyant fashion before Red Bull takeover their engine program from 2022 onwards.
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