Honda to leave F1 at end of 2021 season

[CalAcacian]

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

Thats true...but while Renault are apparently prepared to comply with the regs neither they or Red Bull (and AlphaTauri) are at all enthusiastic about it.
What other choice is there?
Aston Martin threatened a couple of years ago to manufacturer an F1 engine but that now seems unlikely to ever happen.

Well I wish another engine manufacturer would come into the sport, but there is no way that is going to happen until 2025 when we get a new engine formula.

Any team that comes in from 2022 on will be at least 8 years behind Mercedes in terms of development. And with engine upgrades essentially frozen, there would be no chance to come in and shake things up.

Aston certainly won't do it, there's no reason for them to throw away Mercedes power (or the rest of the Mercedes car they're currently using).

As much as I hate the idea, spec engines are almost starting to look appealing. Stick then new Cosworth Hybrid from the Valkyrie in every car and we can finally have some V12 noise back. Let teams just focus on aero and suspension and cooling optimization and start racing again.

[SenorFunkyPants]

Originally Posted by CalAcacian

Well I wish another engine manufacturer would come into the sport, but there is no way that is going to happen until 2025 when we get a new engine formula.

Any team that comes in from 2022 on will be at least 8 years behind Mercedes in terms of development. And with engine upgrades essentially frozen, there would be no chance to come in and shake things up.

Aston certainly won't do it, there's no reason for them to throw away Mercedes power (or the rest of the Mercedes car they're currently using).

As much as I hate the idea, spec engines are almost starting to look appealing. Stick then new Cosworth Hybrid from the Valkyrie in every car and we can finally have some V12 noise back. Let teams just focus on aero and suspension and cooling optimization and start racing again.

I did wonder if someone could "take over" the Honda engine and further develop it.
There is some history of third parties putting their name on an engine built by a manufacturer...TAG and Mugen f'instance....IIRC.

Also not a big fan of spec engines...but it would definitely close up the field and make it more about aero and the driver.

[CalAcacian]

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

I did wonder if someone could "take over" the Honda engine and further develop it.
There is some history of third parties putting their name on an engine built by a manufacturer...TAG and Mugen f'instance....IIRC.

Also not a big fan of spec engines...but it would definitely close up the field and make it more about aero and the driver.

Turns out you were pretty damn correct with that guess. Looks like RB is going to try and buy the Honda IP and keep making the engines themselves if they can get an engine freeze from 2022 on.

I'm actually interested in this. Might be fun to have Red Bull as true works team and engine manufacturer now. Might even poach Haas as a customer.

[CalAcacian]

Originally Posted by 3798j

Interestingly, Honda appears ready to announce tomorrow it will continue to supply engines to the IndyCar League. They and Chevrolet will commit to a multiyear engine program that includes the (delayed till 2023) 2.4L twin turbo hybrid power unit.
https://racer.com/2020/10/02/indycar...-announcement/

Those are (confusingly) two separate entities. Honda the Indycar engine manufacturer is American Honda Motor Co. Honda the F1 engine manufacturer is the Japanese Honda. So they don't have any direct overlapping interests.

[3798j]

Honda’s F1 chief Masashi Yamamoto...
“From our point of view, our work in Indycar is run by HPD (Honda Performance Development) which is an independent part of Honda within America."

https://www.gptours.com/gr_news/hond...ay-in-indycar/