"As if Honda leaves Formula 1 just before a high point every time"

Tom Coronel is shocked that Honda is leaving Formula 1 so soon, but can understand the decision. On Motorsport.com he talks about his feeling about the news that has dominated the last few days.

At the altar

He draws the comparison with marriage. "It was a kind of engagement and they still wanted to get married. Actually, in front of the altar they're saying from Honda 'no, we're not getting married anyway'." The engagement of Red Bull and Honda will only have lasted three years in the end.

Stopping before the climax

From a sporting point of view, Coronel thinks that Honda is making a bad decision. "It seems as if Honda is leaving Formula 1 just before a climax every time. They are almost at Mercedes. Actually Red Bull-Honda is the only combination that is still a bit in the competition. And then you quit... Anyway, we're only looking at this issue with a motorsport heart, of course."

In business terms, the driver can then understand Honda's decision better. "This has everything to do with the electrification of street cars. I understand that very well, it will happen to several manufacturers."

Goodie two shoes

"Do you want to be goodie two shoes as a brand in Formula E or do you want the biggest range for your brand?" Coronel expresses his sporting displeasure. "If you want to make a bit of a fuss, then you really need to be in Formula 1. No other class can do that. Formula E may be fun and nice, but that's only 0.0001 percent of what Formula 1 is. Nobody knows what Formula E is, really nobody. So don't start thinking that it is the future, only in terms of marketing that might be a pillar."