Honda eager to reconnect with Verstappen in the future.
"I hold Max in high regard as a person."
Honda acknowledges its desire for its Formula 1 engines to continue supporting Max Verstappen after this season. The four-time world champion made headlines earlier this week in Tokyo while attending an event to celebrate the impending conclusion of the successful Honda-Red Bull collaboration. "I’m still quite young and the future is unpredictable," he stated. "I never envisioned we would achieve such heights with four championships together."
The chance of reuniting with Verstappen—should the Dutch driver activate an exit clause and move to Aston Martin—has also caught Honda's interest. "After this season, our focus will shift to collaborating with Aston Martin," Honda Racing Corporation chief Koji Watanabe told De Telegraaf. "Honestly, I hope there will be another opportunity for Honda to partner with Max Verstappen," he added. "I truly hope so."
Watanabe mentioned, "I’ve had many conversations with him, and he has consistently been positive about our approach and mindset. Max also communicates effectively with the Honda engineers." He noted, "He engages clearly with them, which has turned the engineers into his fans, contributing to their exceptional commitment to him. While people often see him as an athlete, I have profound respect for Max as an individual."
The likelihood of Verstappen leaving Red Bull is increasing, particularly as the 27-year-old raised concerns about chassis "flexing" at Suzuka. The team is diligently working on a new wind tunnel, which Dr. Helmut Marko described as "an artifact from the 1940s created by the British military." There also seems to be an inconsistency between the simulator and the actual performance on the track. "The feel of the real car differs somewhat from the virtual version I anticipated," Yuki Tsunoda shared after practice at Suzuka. "It was more extreme than I anticipated. Driving the real car, especially through the fast corners, was significantly more challenging."
Team advisor Marko concurs: "We need to reassess the processes in the simulator, as the fundamental setup when we arrive at the track is often incorrect." Some believe that Red Bull's 'junior' team, Racing Bulls, may have even developed a superior car compared to Red Bull Racing this year. Verstappen chuckled when asked for his thoughts on that. "I think they've surprised themselves with their car," he commented. "They're close on one lap."
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