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Honda hopes for better news: 'It seems that the damage is less'

Honda hopes for better news: 'It seems that the damage is less'

19-07-2021 12:12 Last update: 12:21
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GPblog.com

When Max Verstappen collided with Lewis Hamilton and had to abandon the race, the Dutchman's car was damaged considerably, but Toyoharu Tanabe now hopes that it's not too bad.

The Honda F1 chief was quite shocked when he saw the car Verstappen drove into the tyres with. "When I first saw the images of the car being lifted, I thought there was a lot of damage," Tanabe told Autosport. "But in reality it seems that the damage is less than what we first saw."

Tanabe doesn't dare say that for sure yet, however, because first the car has to go for a check-up. "The actual damage cannot be known from its appearance when it is installed in the car. So we would like to send it back to HRD in Sakura and check it before making a decision."

Hamilton vs. Verstappen

For Verstappen, the incident has a major impact for the standings in the world championship. The Red Bull driver had built up a big lead over Hamilton, but that difference is now down to eight points. In two weeks time both drivers will fight for the main prize in Hungary.