General Honda F1 Topic

[Snorked]

Look like more doors are closing for honda, it’s is so sad, https://www.planetf1.com/news/christian ... ut-return/

They've only got themselves to blame.

They had the best engine, driver and team and they tossed it away for nothing, as now they want to return? And if they do they'll be stuck with a no hoper team with mediocre drivers and no chance to win

Stupid stupid idiots who signed off on the pullout.

[Big Tea]

I would love to see Honda buy out a team such as AT and come in whole heartedly. I think they have a ready made fanbase already, so most of their expenditure would be recovered.
What would they need to do it? Possibly an option from the new engine regs to run synthetic fuels with an equivalency or weight advantage?
Having said that I am on the point of getting a jazz hybrid, (depending on what deal they do) so hybrid is in their vision.

[JordanMugen]

Remember the original Mclaren Honda was only possible after a failed partnership with Spirit. I would not like to see Mclaren go the way of spirit.

I thought it was because Honda was upset that Piquet didn't receive clear number one status at Williams (and/or because of placing Mansell in the second car rather than Honda's preferred Satoru Nakajima).

Other Honda teams like Lotus, BAR or AlphaTauri have of course placed Honda's preferred driver of their own initiative, unlike Williams.

The decision of course rendered Williams-Judd hopelessly uncompetitive for the 1988 season which is such as shame. But conversely Williams had the freedom to do the electronics and pursue various innovaations, compared to McLaren being lumbered with Honda's insistence on doing the electronics and being slow to pursue electronic aids.

So it did work out best for Williams-Renault in the end, the last laugh for Sir Frank and not Ron? (Incidentally twice the titles going to Williams-Renault than McLaren-Mercedes in half the timespan?)

As always, of course Honda shouldn't have quit in 68 or 92 or 08 or 21, but it's Honda it's what they do. Could a Lola-built Honda have been a true competitor to the garagistes and other (mostly Continental) manufacturer teams in the 70s, who knows?

If Soichiro Honda kept insisting on radical solutions like the four-stroke GP bike then probably not, if they just followed convention for the engine (a 3L V8... but for heaven's sake NOT aircooled!) and let Lola act in the garagiste spirit of their compatriots... Maybe?

[JordanMugen]

Look like more doors are closing for honda, it’s is so sad, https://www.planetf1.com/news/christian ... ut-return/

I have to say there is nothing in that article that precludes the Honda name being attached to the RBPT engine rather than the Porsche name being attached to it.

Of course, rebranding another engine is not exactly the Honda way... But it would free up resources in Sakura for BEV and FCEV development.

As long as someone pays the bills (and provides whatever minor technical support for minor manufacturing or ERS items) and RBPT maintains independence from manufacturer whims, I don't think Red Bull would care which manufacturer pays to put their name on the RBPT engine... Whether it's Porsche, Honda or somebody else.

[ispano6]

Koji Watanabe:

"Basically we ended our F1 activities last year as Honda, so in that sense there is no particular frustration," Watanabe replied. "HRC only provides technical support at the request of Red Bull and in accordance with their requirements. So there is also no frustration in the current situation, as we did not develop and produce the power unit on our own initiative, but cooperate with them at the request of Red Bull.

Honda considers motorsport to be very important, so it was a difficult decision for us to stop. However, as a business choice, we decided that we had to concentrate on developing carbon neutral technology, and there was nothing for it but to stop our activities in F1, which require a lot of human resources.

I think Formula 1 has taken a great direction in the direction of CO2 neutrality. We are following the developments in F1 with great interest, but that does not mean we are talking about an immediate return to F1. We are just going to carry out the technological development that we have decided to do, and we are not talking about a return to F1 or anything like that.
"

[AR3-GP]

F1 will have consumed Honda's best engineers. It makes sense that they want the resource turning back towards the production activities.

[saviour stivala]

Names on RBPT engines? or any engine for that matter. What RBPT engine/s?. A name being put on an engine is just a sticker which is the easy part to make.

[Rushu]

HRC president says he wants Honda to return on the car next season.

"At least until 2025, Honda will be some kind of team partner for both teams.

Details have not yet been determined, but HRC will also be a technical partner for both teams until 2025," said Koji Watanabe.

Regarding changes to the branding approach, Koji Watanabe said, "We need to make a decision for next season, but personally I would like to make more use of Honda. So I think it will be a combination of Honda and HRC," he said.

[saviour stivala]

Honda closed the door on F1 until 2026. Honda says it may reconsider for 2026.

[PlatinumZealot]

Honda could return to Williams?

[etusch]

Honda could return to Williams?

When owners American, when popularity of F1 increase in USA, it is a possiblity. I think Williams eill improve in time with new owners.

[organic]

https://honda.racing/rbr-sat/post/honda ... wer-trains

Good news. Honda extends technical support of red bull to 2025

[NL_Fer]

Maybe Honda wants to keep those tech support people on the employee list, for future plans.

[Snorked]

Honda wants to buy Red Bull according to:
https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/for ... -f1-video/

they aren't interested in buying Alpha.

#AMuS Michael Schmidt: "Honda has made an offer to Red Bull [2026], which I’ve heard isn‘t that unattractive either. But now Honda also saw what Porsche is planning at Red Bull (Porsche buying 50%). I think some at Red Bull believe that the Morocco leak was done on purpose."

[Jolle]

Honda wants to buy Red Bull according to:
https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/for ... -f1-video/

they aren't interested in buying Alpha.

#AMuS Michael Schmidt: "Honda has made an offer to Red Bull [2026], which I’ve heard isn‘t that unattractive either. But now Honda also saw what Porsche is planning at Red Bull (Porsche buying 50%). I think some at Red Bull believe that the Morocco leak was done on purpose."

It would be very surprising. Honda almost completely left the European car market and that is the main focus of F1 marketing.