Honda revine in F1!!!

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  • 'Starting from zero each year' detrimental to Honda - Alonso

    Fernando Alonso believes Honda's inability to sustain its efforts each year from a solid foundation led to the failure of its partnership with McLaren.

    The Japanese manufacturer which enjoyed great success in F1 in the 80s returned to the pinnacle of motorsport in 2015 with McLaren, in the second year of the sport's V6 hybrid era.

    It's first year was marked by incessant reliability issues however which improved in 2016 although performance remained depressed. The introduction of a new power unit this year was met with even more reliability troubles which dogged the Woking-based outfit's campaign at the outset.

    McLaren-Honda's form, or lack of, in pre-season testing, when everything is validated rather than trial and tested, put the writing on the wall, says Alonso.

    "I think the biggest problems we faced in the last three years was winter testing, because we came to the next season, and we started from zero," said Alonso in Japan.

    "So we had to improve things a lot, and Australia was a test, China was a test, Bahrain was a test, and we ended up with a package, a power unit, that we knew more or less how it works.

    Honda hoping for 'memorable' last Japanese GP with McLaren
    "That put you in a position and a hope that next year you will start there, and the gap is closer and closer. And it didn't happen.

    "Every single season we had to change the philosophy of the engine, we had to change the turbine position, we changed different things that slowed us a little bit too much in terms of development."

    Despite the turbulent period and the painful lack of results, Alonso claims he is proud of the work achieved by McLaren, and working with Honda has been a special experience.

    "There are ups and down in all the teams," he said.

    "The good thing is I think together with the Japanese mentality, no one gave up, they're still always working.

    "We didn't deliver the results that everyone was hoping for, and that's a shame, we're sad for that.

    "But we're still proud of the work that the team achieved with all the difficulties we found in winter testing. We tried to overcome all those problems in as short a period as possible.

    "I will always still be proud of this project, even if the lack of results will say the opposite, and will be remembered as a bad timing, and frustrating timing, which it was, and it is now.

    "I always loved Japan from the past, I have a samurai tattoo on my back, and to work in a Japanese organisation was quite intense, it was special, it was a different way of working."

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    • Honda targets to beat rival engine maker Renault in 2018 F1


      Honda has set the minimum target of overtaking rival engine maker Renault in 2018.

      After three abysmal years with the Japanese supplier, McLaren has dumped Honda and will next year swap engine deals with the currently Renault-powered Toro Rosso.

      Since 2015, Honda’s has been clearly the slowest engine on the grid, but boss Yusuke Hasegawa insisted: “I think we’re reducing the gap, even if we are not close enough yet.

      “Obviously we hope to do more over the winter,” he is quoted by El Mundo Deportivo.

      “We must definitely reach Renault and overtake them” in 2018, the Japanese added.

      “Our goal for 2018 is to go beyond overtaking Renault, even if we do not want to reveal our plans right now,” said Hasegawa.

      Comment


      • Ce inseamna tradarea in dragoste...

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        • La cum merge Renault momentan + putina evolutie din partea HONDA, ar trebui sa le ia fata.
          HONDA. The finest from Japan. Since 1963.

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          • HASEGAWA: WE KEEP PROGRESSING AND HONDA NEVER GIVE UP


            The 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marked a significant moment in Honda’s Formula 1 history as it brought to a close a challenging three years in partnership with McLaren and presents the promise of new opportunities in 2018 with Toro Rosso.

            The last five decades chart a glorious Honda-powered past that boasts 72 F1 victories. From the first win as a works outfit at the 1965 Mexico Grand Prix, to two periods of dominance as an engine supplier. Williams-Honda first secured 23 wins in three years during the mid-1980s before McLaren-Honda then won 44 of 80 races from 1988-1992.

            It is the latter period that stood out when Honda returned to race with McLaren in 2015. However, this recent partnership has failed to hit the same heights in terms of results.

            Reflecting on the past three years, Head of F1 Project Yusuke Hasegawa is proud of the way both aspects of the team fought until the very end of the final lap in Abu Dhabi.

            “It was of course very challenging,” Hasegawa-san says. “Honda started very late compared to the other manufacturers, so it was a big disadvantage. While I think we are doing a very good job from a development point of view, from a competitiveness point of view, we are behind.”

            “I am still very proud of our job. We keep progressing, we never give up and we have never stopped our development. We have kept going at maximum speed for all three years. But this is a competition and from the outside, it is obvious we haven’t been getting results, which is of course disappointing.”

            “We live with this, but during this situation, I really appreciate the McLaren guys, and have to give a special mention to those at the circuit. Everybody is always focusing on getting out the maximum performance from the car and the PU. They never give up. Even when we had an engine failure, the mechanics were always trying to recover the situation and focus on getting the car back on track. They are very professional and always had a great attitude.”

            2017 saw a new power unit concept introduced in an attempt to give better development potential for the future. Despite a troubled first half to the season, the team has since scored points in five of the final seven races.

            “It was a necessary challenge for us to take on. Although we showed some decent performance last year we knew it wasn’t good enough to break into the top three, so we needed to change the engine concept,” says Hasegawa-san. “There is no doubt that this was the right direction but we just couldn’t complete the package in time for the start of the 2017 season.”

            “That meant we had to solve many issues at the Grands Prix instead. But unless we tried those modifications there was no chance of going forward in the longer term. So that’s why we decided to change. I have no regrets in taking that decision.”

            “Of course we have been challenged from the outside by McLaren throughout, which is very good. We had so many experiences with them, so obviously from an organisation point of view – both technically and as people – we have all grown, there is no doubt.”

            That growth will continue to be proven in F1, as a new partnership is forged with Toro Rosso from 2018 onwards. With the new driver line-up of Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley, it’s a fresh start for both the team and the Honda project – and one that Hasegawa believes was necessary to take.

            “A new challenge and making new relationships with people is always exciting. From an experience point of view, for this era of Honda, it will be the first time we have changed team and we’ll get a better understanding of what a normal situation is.”

            “We only know things as the McLaren-Honda way, but this will be another opportunity to expand our understanding and experience of a different way of working.”

            “I think we needed the change. From a technical point of view, it’s good for us to know more about other things, like new cooling situations or how the top speed of a different car design is affected by drag. It is very important to understand what the standard is.”

            “Toro Rosso is also a very good team and they are very open with us. Compared to their position – in terms of size and resources – they are actually very competitive. I don’t know how the rest of the Paddock looks at Toro Rosso but we’ve had many meetings with them and they are technically very professional.”

            While initial work with Toro Rosso has been ongoing since the announcement of the new partnership, the winter will see the collaboration taking on the challenge of preparing a new car ahead of pre-season testing in February.

            “The installation is the biggest job for us, to get the engine to fit the chassis. We need to make many modifications, which is a big job, especially in this limited amount of time. Honda and Toro Rosso – from both sides – are doing a very good job.”

            “We’ve been the ones making the majority of requests so far, but it’s fair to say this will be a more equal partnership than it was with McLaren in terms of leadership. And that’s not just because of the size of the team. Obviously, Honda as a company is huge but we had little recent F1 experience – so from that point of view, McLaren was still leading us. That won’t be the same with Toro Rosso.”

            “We are working quickly to swap teams. We have to prepare things before February, so it will be a very busy winter. Development is ongoing on the power unit. It will remain the same power unit concept from this year, so we are able to use the current one as the starting point.”

            In terms of expectations, lessons have been learned from the McLaren-Honda partnership that suggests it takes time to set realistic goals. Toro Rosso-Honda will not rush into any predictions that are overly optimistic for a team used to prepare the next generation of F1 drivers and engineers.

            Targets will be set in future, but for now, the hard work will continue, as everyone involved remains determined to return the Honda name to the front of the grid.

            “That’s the biggest agenda we need to discuss. From a championship point of view, Franz Tost always said it is down to the drivers. So we have to provide Brendon and Pierre with the performance they need. Of course, they are very good drivers but they are also rookies in F1 so it’s too early to say what we can target from a Constructors’ Championship point of view.”

            “People tell me we’ll have much less pressure at Toro Rosso but I don’t think that’s true. In my mind, we simply need to prepare the best engine and nothing is going to slow that down,” concluded Hasegawa.

            Comment


            • Honda has changed its Formula 1 management structure for the 2018 season


              Struggling F1 manufacturer Honda has eliminated the head of F1 role, which Yusuke Hasegawa occupied from March 2016. A new role has instead been created, F1 technical director, with Toyoharu Tanabe moving across from Honda's US arm.

              Tanabe was Gerhard Berger's race engineer from 1990-92 and Jenson Button's chief engineer from 2003-07 before he moved to an engine development role, then a senior management position within Honda Performance Development, Honda's North American racing division. Hasegawa has not been completely ousted, as he remains executive chief engineer for Honda R&D.

              The move comes in preparation for Honda's new partnership with Toro Rosso as Honda moves to a more familiar management structure in the vein of teams such as Mercedes, Force India and Sauber.

              “In the past, the head of F1 project assumed responsibility in both technological development and directing the team at the spot of racing," said Honda spokesman Katsuhide Moriyama, "By separating these areas of responsibility, we will evolve our structure so that both the development team and racing/testing team can assume their respective responsibilities more speedily.

              "By ensuring both the development team and racing team soundly fulfil their respective roles, Honda will continue its challenges so that fans can enjoy seeing Toro Rosso-Honda competing at the top level without further delay. Thank you for your continuous support.“

              Honda's troubled return to F1 in 2015 came after a seven-year hiatus. Though Fernando Alonso managed fifth place finishes at the 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix and the 2016 Monaco and USA GPs, McLaren couldn't muster anything higher with a Honda power unit and will switch to Renault engines from the 2018 season onwards.

              Sursa: https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/o...fles-f1-chiefs

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              • Hirotoshi Honda has nothing but sympathy for Fernando Alonso


                Hirotoshi Honda, the son of the legendary Soichiro Honda who founded the Japanese manufacturer, understands Fernando Alonso's disappointment in the McLaren-Honda project.

                The partnership's three-year unmitigated disaster led to a divorce between the two parties, and one which couldn't have happened too soon as far as Alonso was concerned.

                Hirotoshi Honda, who is the founder of Mugen Motorsports, has nothing but sympathy for the two-time world champion.

                "Alonso is a young, intelligent and captivating man," Honda told France's L'Equipe.

                "I can easily understand the reason for his great disappointment.

                Hasegawa departs F1 in Honda reshuffle
                "The professional life of an athlete is very short and it's stressful to lose three years at such an important moment in his career. But it's not my fault, please ask Honda!" said the 75-year-old business magnate.

                Honda is moving its engine supply to Toro Rosso for 2018 and has also initiated management changes which will see F1 boss Yusuke Hasegawa shuffled out of the top position.

                "My father was a real fighter who hated being second," added Hirotoshi Honda.

                "Shortly before his death, when Senna could no longer win, my father complained from his hospital bed.

                "I'm sure of one thing," he concluded

                "The Japanese have a culture of fighting in Formula 1. We are probably very polite, but we can fight."

                Ce cuvinte frumoase la adresa poporului nipon si in special, la adresa tatalui sau.

                Comment


                • Da, cuvintele la adresa tatalui sau sunt inclusiv nostalgice dar sa nu uitam, nici chiar pe vremea tatalui sau, Honda (in F1) n-a fost mereu numai pe primul loc din simplul motiv ca nu se poate. Au fost ani si ani si buni si rai dar ideea e ca Honda a stiut mereu ce sa ia din F1 chiar si atunci cand termina campionatul pe locul 5.
                  Acele vorbe le putea spune si baiatul unui Ferrari, McLaren, Chapman, s.a.m.d. Toti racerii urasc sa fie pe locul 2 dar viata merge mai departe fiindca toti pe locul intai nu se poate.
                  Diferenta dintre cele doua spirite competitionale (tata vs. fiu) sunt mari. Iar dintre cele doua caractere, nu mai vorbim. Sa zica si ca tata-sau s-ar roti-n mormant "de mandrie" ca are un fiu puscarias.
                  Nu comentez de dragul de a comenta dar chiar nu-l inteleg la ce se baga in seama la modul "pe vremuri bla bla dar acum nu stiu de ce, intrebatii pe cei de la Honda". Asa ma calca pe coada tipul asta de comentarii! Daca-i asa destept de ce nu-i ajuta el? Dar ma rog, cand esti magnat si stai numai la tranzactionat lozu´ prin Panama, nu-ti mai bati capu´ cu mojicii si probleme lor.
                  In locul lui mi-as detasa o echipa de ingineri la fata locului sa le arat adevarata provocare a motorsportului si nu sa o ard cu "ce mai luptatori suntem noi japonezii". Nu de alta dar dupa cum se vede, sa fi doar mare luptator dar sarac cu spiritul, nu prea mai ajuta pe nimeni. Iar vremurile samurailor au trecut, aici e vorba de motorsport.
                  Scuze daca enerveaza pe cineva bagatura mea in seama.
                  HONDA. The finest from Japan. Since 1963.

                  Comment


                  • Sezonul 2018 bate la usa motiv pentru care noul mariaj TR-Honda face primul pas in F1.

                    Comment


                    • Monday 19 February at 08:35 : Feb.19 (GMM) Red Bull will decide in the first half of 2018 whether to switch to Honda power next year.

                      After the McLaren-Honda divorce, the Japanese engine supplier has moved on to Red Bull's second team, Toro Rosso.

                      Dr Helmut Marko, the Red Bull official, said he has been "positively surprised" with what he has seen from Honda so far.

                      "So far we're positively surprised by Honda, also in terms of their dedication and enthusiasm," he told Auto Motor und Sport.

                      "I think they have learned from the mistakes that certainly happened.

                      "So far, according to the test stands, the engine is reliable. I think it will be possible for the engine to catch up to Renault level by mid season," Marko added.

                      And if that happens, Red Bull is likely to make the switch from Renault to Honda for 2019.

                      "The regulations have changed so that you have to announce what engine you want to compete with the following year by the summer," said Marko.

                      "We will analyse thoroughly and then make a decision."

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                      • Ceva nu se pupa .... daca citesc laudele sale din primele randuri dupa care "I think it will be possible for the engine to catch up to Renault level by mid season".
                        Toate astea dupa ce - confrom ams.de - la sfarsitul anului trecut, strict pe partea de putere, Honda se apropiase foarte mult de francezi.
                        Nu stiu ce sa mai cred.
                        HONDA. The finest from Japan. Since 1963.

                        Comment


                        • Nuu, nici vorba de asa ceva. Sunt destul de departe chiar si fata de Renault. Nu trebuie sa ne spuna vreo poblicatie, se vede lesne le TV.

                          Oricum, nu stiu cat/daca Honda a mai recuperat ceva de la sfarsitul sezonului pana acum, intrucat cert este ca nici Renault n-a stat pe loc, cum n-a stat nimeni pe loc cu dezvoltarea motoarelor. Poate ca Honda are un avantaj de mai recupera din deficitul de putere datorita schimbarii de regulament (3 motoare pe sezon).

                          Ierarhia ar fi: Mercedes foarte aproape de a sparge bariera celor 1000 de cai putere, urmata foarte aproape de Ferrari (15-20 cai putere mai putin), Renault (40-50 cai putere mai putin fata de Mercedes) iar pe ultima pozitie, evident, Honda (80-90 cai putere mai putin fata de Mercedes).

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                          • http://www.gptoday.com/full_story/vi...re_than_950HP/

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                            • Toro Rosso prezinta noua masina: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/13...ts-2018-design
                              "Things are not what they appear to be: nor are they otherwise."
                              "The truth may be out there, but the lies are inside your head." - Sir Terry Pratchett

                              Comment


                              • Simpatica creatia!
                                In rest, pentru McLaren numai de bine ))
                                HONDA. The finest from Japan. Since 1963.

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