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Tost acknowledges after Honda departure that nothing has changed

Tost acknowledges after Honda departure that nothing has changed

27-02-2022 16:15 Last update: 16:50
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GPblog.com

Honda is officially no longer active in Formula 1. This winter, the engine builder said goodbye to F1. So the Japanese company's name is no longer on the cars of Red Bull and AlphaTauri, yet little else seems to have changed.

Everything as it used to be

Red Bull's two teams are running Red Bull Powertrains engines from this season onwards. A new name, for a familiar power unit. Honda still supplies the engines with which Max Verstappen won his first world title last season. So is there really a difference? Franz Tost, team manager of AlphaTauri, does not think so.

Speaking to Speedweek he said that there are no operational consequences as a result of Honda's departure. Simply, because Honda is still supplying the engines. In doing so, the Japanese are using almost the same people as last year and also still come from the Japanese city of Sakura. For Tost, there is no difference from a year ago.


No problems expected

AlphaTauri therefore expects no problems, even though on paper there is a new engine supplier. According to Tost, the same work processes are in place and of course former Honda man Masashi Yamamoto is also back on board. The Japaneseman has set up his own consultancy firm to act as an intermediary between Red Bull and Honda. In short, Tost concludes, there is an air bridge between Red Bull and Japan, from which his team benefits.