3
Pierre Gasly has been left satisfied by Honda's recent performances after proving it can fight for points. The Japanese manufacturer, who powers Toro Rosso, has endured a number of tough years in the hybrid era.
Honda re-joined the sport as an engine manufacturer in 2015 with McLaren, but three years of off-the-pace running and unreliability led to a divorce. With Toro Rosso running with Honda this year, and Red Bull making the switch in 2019, Gasly says that the team can be encouraged by recent displays.
"I think it's [Honda’s performance] promising,” said Gasly. "With Budapest, we knew that it's a track that's a bit less power-sensitive and in a way it would make things a bit closer between everyone. Honda did a fantastic job in qualifying in the wet conditions. Driveability was great. Then again in the race, we didn't have any issues at all.
"It is the best way to motivate them and show them that we have potential and to push them forward, especially coming before the summer break, just to give a big boost to everyone. Hopefully we get more performance on their side for the second half of the season."
Red Bull has run with Renault engines since it entered Formula 1 in the mid-2000's. However, Renault too has had its issues since the hybrid era began in 2014, and next year the energy drink team will make the change to Honda power.
But its driver Max Verstappen isn't worried about how the engine will perform: "I don’t think they have had a lot of issues," he said. "Most of the time they have had a bad qualifying so it doesn’t make a huge amount of difference for them to take new components, so that is what they are doing.
"They still have quite a few races coming up to understand the package for next year and it is going to be a new engine. They learn from their mistakes, which is good. At the moment Daniel [Ricciardo] is having issues [with his Renault engine], so it happens on other brands as well not only Honda. I’m not too worried."
Fergal Walsh
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
M. Verstappen
C. Sainz jr
C. Leclerc
Bahrain
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
Australia
Albert Park
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
Monaco
Monte Carlo
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Austria
Red Bull Ring
United Kingdom
Silverstone
Hungary
Hungaroring
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Italy
Monza
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Brazil
Interlagos
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
749,550 comments on Red Bull Racing
968 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Max Verstappen
282,879 comments on McLaren 156 members have this team as their favourite Tweets about McLaren
Replies (3)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Promising isnt enough if you want to partner Red Bull. Now's the time to step it up.
Freguz
Posts: 160
I bet Honda will beat Renault next year... just gut feeling tho
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Deja vu circa 2015