Honda hopes to be able to repair Max Verstappen’s engine
Honda believes that the damage to Max Verstappen's engine could be much less significant than expected. However, it should still be analyzed at the factory of the Japanese engine manufacturer.
This Sunday, Max Verstappen was involved in a collision with his title rival, Lewis Hamilton. The accident between the two men turned bad for the Dutchman as he went on to hit the wall with incredible violence. The Red Bull driver suffered an impact of 51G.
The accident largely destroyed Verstappen’s RB16B, crashing into the tire barrier. If the Austrian team fears significant damage to the chassis of the car, Honda is concerned about the engine’s condition. If the engine was too damaged during the incident, the world championship leader could be forced to introduce a third power unit in Hungary. This could jeopardize his end of the championship, as penalties are imposed if more than three engines are used in the same season.
However, Honda F1’s technical director, Toyoharu Tanabe, is optimistic about the state of the hybrid turbo V6 after the initial post-race analysis. The Japanese also specified that the engine should be brought to Japan for further examinations.
When I first saw the images of the lifted car, I thought there was a lot of damage. But in reality, it seems that the damages are less significant than what we initially saw. However, it is impossible to know their real extent based on their appearance when the engine is already installed in the car. We would therefore like to send it back to HRD in Sakura and have it checked before making a decision, stated Tanabe.
Although the question of a possible penalty for Max Verstappen at the end of the season is concerning, the cost of repairs to the RB16B could prove to be a significant issue. With the introduction of a budget cap this year, teams now have little room for maneuver, and considering that Bottas’ accident in Imola cost Mercedes 1.1 million euros, Red Bull may have to do the math quickly.
