I know, but it's sad and I hope they change their mindsJordanMugen wrote: ↑06 Dec 2021, 18:21But Yamamoto-san already said there will be no Honda motorhome or hospitality next year (or Twitter feed or press?), which basically means no Honda in F1. Is it possible that could be reverted?
Me too! But I fear there will be a small HRC decal on the Red Bull somewhere and that will be it.Big Tea wrote: ↑06 Dec 2021, 18:23I know, but it's sad and I hope they change their mindsJordanMugen wrote: ↑06 Dec 2021, 18:21But Yamamoto-san already said there will be no Honda motorhome or hospitality next year (or Twitter feed or press?), which basically means no Honda in F1. Is it possible that could be reverted?
This is it. The last dance. 7 seasons, 142 races, many tears and even more memories later, our last Formula 1 race is upon us.
Our Last Dance.
This weekend in Abu Dhabi will see the Drivers' Championship and Constructor's Championship decided in a dramatic duel in the desert between Red Bull Racing Honda and Mercedes. Whatever happens, there really is nothing else to say other than, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making these years so special. This one’s for you.
Toyoharu Tanabe
Honda Racing F1
We now come to the final race of the season, at its usual venue in Abu Dhabi. Although we know the Yas Marina circuit well, the track layout has been changed since last year and several corners have been modified. The track is now slightly shorter with a group of 90 degree corners replaced by one high speed banked turn at the end of the back straight. Other corners have also been made quicker and there is no chicane now before the hairpin that leads onto the back straight. The idea is to create more overtaking opportunities and one other result of this is that it will have an effect on our PU energy management. Over the weekend, we will maximise PU performance using data from past races and our simulation for the new layout, as well as the track data we acquire from Friday practice. Needless to say, this is also the last race of this Honda F1 project, our last time racing with Scuderia AlphaTauri and Red Bull Racing who have both been incredible partners and great to work with. In addition we will be fighting hard for the championships, with Max and Lewis equal on points. We will keep pushing to the very end. We have put up a really strong fight so far and had some great battles in this year’s races. All Honda staff involved in this project are absolutely determined to win and in order to do this we will be pushing as hard as we can. We have enjoyed strong support from our fans throughout our time in Formula 1 and I hope they will be with us all the way to the chequered flag this Sunday.
Masashi Yamamoto
Honda Racing F1
Finally, we have come to the last race of the season here in Abu Dhabi. It's an important moment and not just on the track, because this weekend marks the culmination of Honda F1’s latest seven year stint in Formula 1. It is therefore with mixed emotions of sadness and happiness and many memories, both good and bad that I look forward to this last weekend. However, it’s also true that the championships are not yet decided and, along with Red Bull Racing, we are fighting hard against Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton for both titles, therefore even if our time in this sport is coming to an end, our commitment to performing at our best this weekend is as strong as always. Honda returned to Formula 1 in 2015 and the project did not always go smoothly, with many highs and lows and it was very tough, especially in the beginning. When I think back to those early days, I am very proud that today we are going into the last race of our final year, about to fight for the championship. Winning the titles has been our dream and we have progressed towards it step by step. Now, that dream is almost within our grasp, but I honestly do not know if we will be smiling or crying after Sunday’s race. All our team members will go into this weekend, alongside our colleagues at Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri, ready to show Honda’s challenging spirit. We will be following our dreams all the way to the chequered flag, dreams we share with our fans who have supported us through the bad times as well as the good and we know they will be with us as we chase this dream to the very end and we thank them for that.
A last word from the drivers [ ........... ]
. https://honda.racing/f1/post/abu-dhabi_setup I feel just the same. I really want the result to be decisive & indisputable.
https://honda.racing/f1/post/abu-dhabi_fridayOur Final Friday Practice In F1 Yas Marina
Toyoharu Tanabe
Honda Racing F1
On the first day of practice for the final race of the season, the first item on the work sheet was learning more about the new circuit layout at Yas Marina, which is quite a significant change. Already, today’s lap times are over 10 seconds faster than last year’s pole time, so it’s clearly a very quick track. On the PU front, based on simulation work carried out before coming here, we focused on optimising our settings to suit this revised track. All four cars had a smooth day. As usual we will now look at further improving our performance after studying today’s data, to prepare for qualifying and the race. Looking at today’s time sheets, it seems our championship rivals look very strong here, so I do not expect us to have an easy time for the rest of the weekend. But there are just two more days to go until the end of the season and, right to the very end, we will be doing everything we can in our battle to win the championship.
The drivers [ ......... ]
https://honda.racing/f1/post/abu-dhabi_saturdayVerstappen Takes POLE In Honda's Last F1 Qualifying
A sensational lap from Max secured a crucial pole position in Abu Dhabi after some brilliant teamwork from Red Bull Racing.
Toyoharu Tanabe
Honda Racing F1
This was our last qualifying, not just of the year but for Honda’s time in Formula 1.
It was great therefore that it ended with Max taking his tenth pole position of the season. A truly fantastic result which was down to his own performance but also great teamwork from Red Bull Racing, as Checo gave him a tow and that meant a lot. For Scuderia AlphaTauri, it’s a shame that Yuki had his first Q3 run deleted, but nevertheless, he still finished eighth, meaning he has been in Q3 six times out of the last seven races. It proves how much his performance has improved over the course of the season and how much he has matured. Unfortunately, although Pierre put in two runs on Mediums in Q2 he got caught out by traffic and so has to settle for twelfth. But he has raced very hard all season so I expect him and Yuki to still have good races tomorrow.
As for the championship battle, we know what we have to do: Max must finish ahead of our rival. The two Red Bull Racing Hondas start on Soft tyres and the Mercedes on Medium, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out. There are various possible strategies, so from a PU point of view we must be flexible in order to be ready for whatever the team decides. This is Honda’s last race in Formula 1 and we will be doing our best to win the championships, trying to ensure we can end this project with no regrets.
A few words from the four drivers: [ ....... ]
https://honda.racing/f1/post/yamamoto-s ... hybrid-eraYamamoto-san On The Hybrid Era
From McLaren, to Scuderia Toro Rosso, and now Red Bull Racing, the fourth Honda era in Formula 1 comes to a close after this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
It has been a rollercoaster journey, full of ups and downs that encapsulate the emotions that come with motorsport, and we aim to sign off in style as we fight for both championships at the Yas Marina Circuit.
As the season reaches its thrilling climax, F1 Managing Director Masashi Yamamoto reflects on just how far we’ve come since a challenging start to this latest chapter of the Honda F1 story, and how even the toughest times set the foundations for this year’s title battle.
