'Honda's decision shows that F1 is not relevant in terms of technology'

According to Marc Priestley, former McLaren engineer, the news that Honda will leave Formula 1 after 2021 was to be expected. However, he was still surprised they opted to leave

"Some may not be so surprised by this news, because Honda has always been a little reluctant when it comes to long-term contracts," he says in a video on YouTube. "Their original contract with Red Bull and AlphaTauri was due to expire at the end of this season. When the contract had to be renewed, they were only willing to extend it for one year. So they have always been a little uncertain about their participation in this sport over a longer period of time."

"That's big news"

"But to drop the bomb, that one of the four remaining engine suppliers is leaving the sport, that is big news. Firstly, because a quarter of all engine suppliers are disappearing. Secondly, this leaves two large teams with a very difficult decision about their future engines."

"Perhaps the most important thing is the signal that Honda is sending out with this decision: Formula 1 is no longer relevant in terms of technology. They do not consider the technology in today's Formula 1 to be relevant enough to continue with it. They need to focus on the techniques that are relevant to the bigger picture: Honda as a car manufacturer. Formula 1 should be the leader when it comes to new technologies, and now it simply isn't," concludes the Brit.