Tanabe confirms these modifications to the 2021 Honda F1 engine

Honda will enter their final year of direct involvement with Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri. The partnership comes to an end, but Red Bull Racing have completed a takeover deal meaning both teams will continue to use the same engines in 2022 and beyond. Honda F1 Technical Director, Toyoharu Tanabe confirms some changes to the engine that have happened over the winter. 

Plenty of adjustments 

"After Honda returned to F1 in 2015 we endured some very difficult times, but we also learned a lot and our good reliability last year is down to the lessons learnt. We have changed many things on this year’s PU, but our experience in terms of reliability was applied to this.

“It is difficult to be specific about which parts have seen the most work, but in order to improve power and reliability, we have made modifications to the ICE, turbine and ERS. This is our third year with Scuderia AlphaTauri and in order to improve as a whole, we have also improved the installation and packaging of the entire PU," Tanabe said on AlphaTauri's website. 

Red Bull managed to persuade other teams to agree to an engine development freeze from the 2022 season. This is expected to last until the 2025 season. Tanabe is pleased this deal was able to take place. 

“I think it is the right thing for Honda to do, considering our relationship with Scuderia AlphaTauri and Red Bull Racing, and how much Honda has benefited from those partnerships. It also reflects the importance of our role and history, as part of the world of Formula 1 over several decades. So, I am glad that Honda has been able to help the two teams and the sport in this way," he added. 

AlphaTauri car launch

AlphaTauri, then known as Toro Rosso, used the Honda engines for one season before Red Bull Racing picked them up. On Friday morning, AlphaTauri pulled back the covers on their 2021 challenger. After winning a race through Pierre Gasly in 2021, Tanabe expects one last push. 

"Scuderia AlphaTauri’s support and cooperation played a key role in allowing Honda to become competitive in the hybrid era and we truly appreciate that. It would be great if we can do even better in our final year together," he concluded.