Honda F1 return – fact or rumour?
| November 20, 2011 | Posted by admin under Formula 1 |
Honda returning to F1 for 2014? The rumours of a comeback as an engine supplier are mounting. Why would the Japanese manufacturer hampered by earthquakes, a global economic downturn, want to spend even more money on developig a 1.6 Litre turbo engine for F1?
A recent article about a Honda F1 return as an engine suplier appeared Auto Moto und Sport suggesting that McLaren are eyeing up a switch from Mercedes engines to Honda.
The German magazine said that a senior Honda manager in Suzuki also claims that the company is ready to make a return to Formula One, although management have yet to give the go-ahead.
No Smoke without Fire!
Surely the return to Indycar racing with a turbo engine must have made a few Honda people think, why don’t we develop a 1.6 turbo for F1 whilst we’re at it? – Honda F1 engines powered McLaren to victory in 15 out of 16 races in 1988. As and engine supplier Honda could regain much of the credibility it lost from running it’s own F1 team which Merceds bought from Ross Brawn following Honda being unable to find a buyer for the Brackley absed team. It was not the end that Honda would have wished for, either financially or reputation wise.
Formula 1 needs Honda, what if Renault or Mercedes left F1? it’d end up as Ferrari Vs 13 cosworth powered teams, much like the late 70′s! – This was ok, but it did become a lot more interesting when Renault, BMW, Alfa Romeo, and Honda came along!
But that era was just a question of who had the most reliable engine won the race? – yes, although Piquet won in 1983 with a BMW turbo which wasn’t the most reliable – 4 retirements to Prost’s 3. Why were there so many engine failures, and will it happen again?
Well…. most of the fires were due to the turbochargers getting so hot, and materials technolgy was not so advanced, and neither was CNC/computer controlled machining. Now there is X-ray of components, micron tolerance fit of components, and there will also not be the high boost pressure that the turbos were subjected to in the early 80′s.
A Honda F1 return would be big news, and very welcome. I’m sure Jenson Button would love to be at Mcaren in 2014 in a McLaren Honda?
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