Tanabe responds to Hamilton: This is why Honda performance increased

Commenting on the allegations that Honda have illegally increased engine capacity, technical director Toyoharu Tanabe said that such accusations disregard the importance of the complete package for performance. He also states that such rhetoric does not give Red Bull's chassis development the credit it deserves.

"Performance at the track always comes from the package of the car, the chassis and the power unit", said Tanabe, quoted by The Race. He, therefore, explains the improvement in speed as a result of overall improvements to the RB16B.

The technical director continued: "Maybe people pointing at Honda power unit improvement is not good for the Red Bull people. Red Bull improved a lot on their chassis. That’s why our performance has improved."

Hamilton is wrong

Tanabe does not want to know anything about the allegations of Hamilton and Mercedes regarding the possible upgrading of the Honda engine. "The driver usually thinks if you have a deficit on the straight, it’s engine power."

Tanabe again stresses the importance of the whole package when it comes to improving performance. "If you have a big wing, of course you understand you are slow. But as a package you don’t know how much drag you have or the other car has, or what the engine power difference is there. Repeat comments from the driver are always engine power, engine power. So I’m not very surprised."