Bahrain Grand Prix: Honda engine causes a sensation
The Japanese engine-maker has pulled out all the stops with its V6 hybrid to round off its official Formula 1 involvement with Red Bull and AlphaTauri in style. Dazzling progress that has the competition, including Mercedes, worried.
Author of an authoritative pole position in Bahrain, Max Verstappen showed that the Japanese cavalry propelling his Red Bull was indeed up to the task. The Tokyo manufacturer opted for an ultra-compact engine for this season. Progress qualified as almost miraculous by Honda. The Dutch driver thinks no less and appreciates these advances.
« I think we can say that, yes », Verstappen emphasized in the post-qualifying press conference.
« This does not mean that the previous seasons were not impressive. But I think their change in philosophy was good, as well as their understanding of the engine. It is very nice to work with them, they are passionate and emotional, I like that. I congratulate them on this result, they had a very good winter.
Max Verstappen, on Honda: “I think their change of philosophy has been good, as well as their understanding of the engine.”
AlphaTauri leads in top speeds.
If Red Bull has claimed pole position, the fastest machines in a straight line were simply those of Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda.
The single-seaters from Faenza are ahead of the pack in Bahrain. Pierre Gasly achieved the best Vmax with 326 km/h at the end of the straight. His Japanese teammate Tsunoda follows him with 324.6 km/h on the radar. Apart from Nicholas Latifi in the Williams (320.3 km/h), the AlphaTauri cars are the only ones to have exceeded the 320 km/h mark.
Top speeds that will prove to be very useful to defend their position or even win it!
Worry at Mercedes.
For the first time since 2014: Mercedes misses the pole position at an opening race.
Toto Wolff, director of the Mercedes team, points out several weaknesses on the W12.
We are struggling in high-speed corners. On the engine side, we are also losing a little bit. Our energy recovery system is not making us happy either.
The boss of the German team, however, wanted to salute Honda’s work.
« We must keep our sportsmanship. Honda has done an excellent job providing an extremely competitive power unit. See where AlphaTauri is! I think they have not left any resource aside to fulfill their commitment (in F1 editor’s note) […] It’s good motivation for us. »
The Red Bull-Honda vs Mercedes match may only be just beginning with the first Grand Prix of the 2021 season in Bahrain!
