Honda works on reliability: 'Provides more strategic options'

Honda, engine supplier for Red Bull Racing, says it has been working on its engines this winter. Although options for improvement are limited by the so-called 'engine freeze', the Japanese manufacturer has still tried to get the most out of them.

The 'engine freeze' means that teams were not allowed to further develop their engines this winter. Only the reliability of the engine and associated software may be tweaked, provided permission is sought from the FIA.

Honda tightens up engine

Honda also appears to have received permission from the FIA to do so. Although the engine performed well last year, there always seems to be room for improvement. Tetsushi Kakuda, chief engineer at Honda, explains at Motorsport.com that optimising the reliability can provide more strategical options. He also sees improving the reliability as a necessity:

"I think all engine suppliers prioritised performance last year and that includes us. We did a lot to recover the power loss from the E10 fuel. As a result, the internal load on the engine has increased tremendously compared to the previous year and reliability has become much more of a concern."