Honda: 'Friday clearer picture on viability of Verstappen engine'

Honda will carry out extensive tests with Max Verstappen's Honda engine during free practice at the Hungaroring in Budapest on Friday to see how many kilometres can be covered with the power unit in 2021. The Japanese manufacturer announced this in a statement on Wednesday.

Dog confirms The Race that research at Honda's home base of Sakura has revealed that Verstappen's power unit appears to have survived. "We will use the engine this Friday to give it a proper track test, after which we should have a clearer picture of its viability as a race engine.”

Not all components can be reused. "“We also replaced certain parts, as allowed in the regulations, without breaking the FIA seals," the statement reads. The motorsport federation puts stickers on the engine parts to make sure Honda doesn't secretly replace any parts.

Verstappen almost certain to escape grid penalty

If the engine can actually be used for a few more races, then this is extremely good news for Verstappen. The 23-year-old Dutchman is now on his second engine of the year. Three engines are allowed per season, but as the Hungarian Grand Prix is only the eleventh of 23 GP's in total, a grid penalty later in the season would have been very close if he had had to put in a new engine.