Honda engine upgraded for 2023
Honda’s Formula 1 boss Tetsushi Kakuda revealed this at today’s PK. The further development of the engines has actually been frozen since last year. However, the reliability can still be improved.
Kakuda explains that the engine will therefore not have more power in 2023. However, improved reliability should offer “more options from a strategic perspective”. Means: It is possible, for example, to release more power without jeopardizing reliability.
In addition, for example, the energy management for 2023 has been optimized and other small details have been worked on. So the Honda engine should be even better in the new season – despite the same performance on paper.
Why McLaren doesn’t want its own junior driver as a replacement, …
… that was what the then team boss Andreas Seidl explained last year. “As long as we don’t have a good driver in our team […] future can offer […]it doesn’t make sense to lug a driver around with us during the year,” says Seidl.
“It’s not fun for the driver to just hang around with us on race weekends without having any vision that it might end up in a regular cockpit at some point,” the then-team boss told Sky in November.
That’s why they rely instead on IndyCar driver Alex Palou, Mick Schumacher and now also the two Aston Martin drivers as reserve drivers.
McLaren borrows Aston Martin drivers
McLaren already has an agreement with Mercedes that they will have access to replacement driver Mick Schumacher in 2023. The team has now announced that they have secured themselves twice once morest the failure of a regular driver.
In addition to Schumacher’s services, McLaren has also secured the services of the two Aston Martin test drivers Felipe Drugovich and Stoffel Vandoorne. That makes sense from the team’s point of view.
Because it might theoretically happen that Schumacher has to step in at Mercedes himself and at the same time a McLaren driver is also absent. In this case, provisions have been made.
The deal with Aston Martin initially applies to the first 15 races of the season.
Honda does not mourn the loss of Red Bull
Of course one can now ask the question whether Honda shouldn’t simply have remained a partner of Red Bull? Instead, as is well known, the Japanese decided to exit following the 2021 season. And from 2026 the bulls will have a completely new partner in Ford.
However, Watanabe emphasizes that the talks with Red Bull regarding continuing the cooperation have not failed. “We never saw it as a failure,” he says, explaining that following discussions together, it was decided that following 2025 we would part ways.
Until then there is still a technical partnership because Red Bull continues to use the old Honda engines. From 2026, both sides will then go their separate ways.
New teams
By the way: in this photo series we have summarized all REALLY new Formula 1 teams since the 1990 season. Because even greats like Red Bull or Mercedes once only took over existing racing teams…
Photo gallery: New Formula 1 teams since the 1990 season
Why an eleventh team is unlikely
The only thing that can be ruled out is a completely new Honda works team as the eleventh racing team, because Christian Horner recently told ‘auto motor und sport’ that Formula 1 will probably remain with ten teams in the future.
“[Audi kauft] an existing franchise. And I think that’s the model that was created by Liberty. That’s what brought this value to the teams in the first place. Of course, if they water that down, they’re going to have a problem,” Horner said.
In other words: You only get a Formula 1 team if you buy one of the existing racing teams. His full statement is here!
#FragMST
Gianni would like to know if Honda might also start with its own factory team in 2026. Of course, this cannot be ruled out completely. In this case, Honda would probably have to take over one of the existing teams, as Audi did, for example.
In any case, everything is still open, because at today’s PK, Koji Watanabe, President of the Honda Racing Corporation, said: “After we registered, we were contacted by several Formula 1 teams.” However, we would like to wait and see.
“For the time being, we want to closely monitor the development of Formula 1 and see how it goes. At the moment we haven’t made any concrete decisions as to whether we will get back into Formula 1 or not,” said Watanabe.
That means: In principle, everything is still possible at the moment – from a factory team to not joining.
Apropos Button …
It is often forgotten that the Brit scored more points than his then team-mate Lewis Hamilton in the three years they shared McLaren! This series of photos immediately comes to mind:
Photo gallery: Lewis Hamilton’s teammates
Button: Hamilton needs a winning car
One speaks from experience: ex-champion Jenson Button retired from Formula 1 following the 2016 season at the age of 36 – and at the time was even a little younger than Lewis Hamilton, who is now 38 years old.
He explains to ‘Sky’ that you can deal with the pressure and deprivation of Formula 1 “when you’re in a winning car.” If you no longer have this, then it becomes much more difficult.
“That’s why I quit,” recalls Button, who ended his career at McLaren in midfield. “Mercedes has given him a winning car for many years,” he says of Lewis Hamilton’s situation.
And he also believes that his former team-mate is capable of being up front once more this year. Because by the end of 2022 Hamilton had been “very constant” and “very fast” once more.
Hamilton himself has already emphasized that he wants to extend his Mercedes contract, which expires at the end of the year. But what happens when the W14 fails once more…?
Szafnauer: Ocon and Gasly don’t have to be friends
Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon weren’t exactly considered the best of friends in the field for many years. Nevertheless, Alpine signed Gasly for the new season as Fernando Alonso’s successor. No problem for Otmar Szafnauer.
The team boss emphasizes that so far there have been no difficulties between the two – on the contrary. “It looks like they’re friends once more,” reveals Szafnauer, who insists, however, that it doesn’t really matter.
“Forget the friendship. The most important thing is that they work together as a team,” he clarifies and explains: “They have to share their impressions on the track and the data to help us all. And I think that will happen too. “
“I don’t think we will have a problem,” said the team boss.
That’s how much the team bosses of Formula 1 earn
My colleague Kevin Hermann took a very close look at the balance sheets of the ten Formula 1 teams and worked out for you which team boss in the premier class earns the most.
Exciting: Red Bull’s Christian Horner is on paper the best earner in terms of salary. But another gets even more than he does! How to do it and who is it?
You can find out here!
Four DRS Sons in Melbourne
More is always better? Apparently, at least when it comes to the organizers of the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. The race is supposed to have four DRS zones this year, reveals promoter Andrew Westacott opposite the Herald Sun.
You got “positive feedback” from Formula 1 for a fourth DRS zone. “It will be the fastest race in Melbourne ever,” said Westacott. In addition to the fourth DRS zone, faster cars should also help this year.
As a reminder: There should actually be four DRS zones as early as 2022, but the fourth was canceled once more for security reasons. According to Westacott, it should really be used this year.
Honda: Interest from several teams
In 2026, the Japanese want to return to Formula 1 quite regularly. They have already registered. However, the question remains as to who they want to supply with engines at all.
On the PK they just revealed that they were already in contact with several teams. But who might that be? The factory teams Ferrari, Mercedes, Alpine and Red Bull are no longer possible partners.
In addition, the cops have already confirmed that they will (logically) also supply sister team AlphaTauri with their own engines. Alfa Romeo is also not an option, because Audi will take over the Sauber racing team in 2026.
And that leaves only McLaren, Aston Martin, Haas and Williams. Haas should also be unlikely because the US force has close ties to Ferrari and would be the only remaining customer team following losing Sauber.
If only the three current Mercedes customers were left…
Not an isolated case
By the way: In 2022, Red Bull was not the first team in Formula 1 history that did not have what was on the engine. Just take a look at our photo gallery:
Photo gallery: Engine shams in Formula 1
Hamilton draws level with Schumacher
No, not in terms of world titles, he already caught up with Schumi in 2020. In fact, he will start his eleventh season with Mercedes in 2023. Only Schumi was so “loyal” before him, who also drove for Ferrari for eleven years between 1996 and 2006.
Should he break his contract extend it once more, he would even outperform Schumacher. And he still has the opportunity to win an eighth world title and push Schumi off the throne in this statistic too…
Why Aston Martin didn’t show a “fake” car
The launches of the ten teams are behind us and some were better, some worse. For example, it was important to Aston Martin to actually show a real car at the presentation – which not all racing teams did.
“I think the fans will appreciate that we launched a real car. It’s sometimes disappointing when only an old car with new stickers is shown. This team is more authentic there,” emphasizes Fernando Alonso.
The complete news is here!