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Toro Rosso closer to Honda deal after leaders meet

Published on 03 Aug 2017 08:54
8
By: Fergal Walsh

Toro Rosso and Honda are sneaking ever closer to agreeing on a deal for the 2018 season. Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko and Honda chief Masashi Yamamoto had a meeting earlier this week to discuss the deal, according to Autosport.

Honda is keen on supplying a second team on the grid. Its relationship with McLaren is already tense and the Japanese manufacturer feels that a second team would double the data, therefore vastly speeding up reliability and pace. An agreement had been in place for Sauber to run Honda engines in 2018 but cancelled the deal after the departure of lead negotiator, Monisha Kaltenborn.

It is reported that Toro Rosso would form up with Honda, leaving Red Bull to monitor the progress of the deal and then deciding on whether or not it would depart Renault for Honda. McLaren have no problem with Honda supplying Toro Rosso with engines but would consider vetoing a deal between if an agreement was made with Red Bull.

One team that will definitely not be running with Honda engines in 2018 is Force India, as Otmar Szafnauer confirmed: "We have a good relationship with Mercedes, we know each other and we are their longest-running customer team. They provide us with outstanding power units, and we also use their gearboxes, So transferring to another partner would not be easy. Our future is with Mercedes. We have a permanent contract."

Fergal Walsh

F1 News Force India Renault Sauber Mercedes McLaren Honda

Replies (8)

ZUKMAN

Posts: 40
Imagine Honda produces better PU then Renault next year. Redbull will swap chassis and pilots with TR.
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- Aug 3 2017 - 09:40
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  From the sound of it, such improvements could happen as early as this year, if the rumors about the spec 5 upgrade is true.
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  Aug 3 2017 - 09:45
f1fan0101

Posts: 1,804
This is a very smart move by Red Bull. It gives them a second opttion
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- Aug 3 2017 - 10:28
boudy

Posts: 1,168
The depending thing is if mclaren swap with redbull for an renault engine....
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- Aug 3 2017 - 15:00
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  I honestly think it would be a mistake for McLaren to switch to Renault. Renault has at least two years in a row stopped development on their PU very early, ultimately limiting both themselves and their customers while hoping the next year will get better. Meanwhile, Honda has continuously released minor updates. It hasnt really paid off yet, but ultimately I think thats the correct way to go about it, especially if your current spec is supposedly the one you want to build on.
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  Aug 3 2017 - 20:24
talktohenry

Posts: 362
Only a matter of time before Honda get it right, and they so embarrassed, they'll be putting some serious resources into sorting it, even more than MB and way more than Renault or Ferrari.
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- Aug 4 2017 - 00:30
- Wolfgang
  
  Posts: 313
  i don´t see the more in resources at Honda. Just for example: Merc created their own turbo whereas Ferrari and Renault are using Garrett..
  
  And let´s be honest: Ferrari and Merc engines had been the most reliable ones at the beginning of 2014 with the big power advantage. Whereas Renault needed a lot of time to get their reliability stuff together. Same is with Honda.
  
  So from a ressources point of view i´d think the ranking goes like this:
  
  Merc
  
  Ferrari
  
  Renault
  
  Honda.
  
  Maybe Honda changed something in recent time but i can´t see them there where the others are..
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  Aug 4 2017 - 06:35
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  Fair enough, Mercedes use their own turbos. However, Ferrari and Renault still have to design and develope their turbos, Garrett just produce them. Also, Ferrari was indeed better than Renault during 2014, but the difference werent that big if you look at mean retirements for Ferrari and Renault powered teams. Certainly not as different as it got in 2015.
  
  Im pretty sure most of them are equal in terms of actual resources. I bet that Ferrari is on top, seeing as how much they spend on their F1 program as a whole, but Im sure Mercedes is up there, and Renault and Honda are likely not far away either. Honda has sized up quite significantly since the winter in 2015. Mercedes doesnt necessarily have more resources, they just got the design right first, and Ferrari followed suit. Design doesnt necessarily rely much on resources anyway, its mostly down to luck and being competent.
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  Aug 4 2017 - 17:20