[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/honda...o/3214597/

Honda is weighing up giving Japanese racing star Naoki Yamamoto a free practice run in Formula 1 next season in the wake of his Super GT title success.

Yamamoto became first driver since Richard Lyons in 2004 to achieve titles in both of Japan’s premier racing categories in the same year when he and Team Kunimitsu teammate Jenson Button clinched the Super GT championship in a dramatic Motegi finale last weekend.

Motegi Super GT: Button, Yamamoto crowned in tense finale
Two weeks earlier, Yamamoto won the Super Formula season-closer at Suzuka ahead of chief title rival Nick Cassidy to earn his second crown in the series.
The 30-year-old’s 2018 successes have bolstered his superlicence points tally by 35, taking him to the 40-point threshold required to be eligible to drive in F1.

Masashi Yamamoto, general manager of Honda’s motorsport division, suggested this could pave the way for an appearance in a free practice session during a grand prix weekend at the wheel of a Honda-powered car.
“If [Yamamoto] could drive an F1 car in FP1, he may be able to grow even further,” he said. “It’s not only being a regular driver that is important. The experience of F1 is important for him.

“[Nobuharu] Matsushita is the only Japanese driver who has experience of driving a current F1 car [during in-season testing in Hungary last year]. His driving was highly valued by the team [Sauber]; his feedback was very good.
“[Now he’s earned 40 points] I will let him [Yamamoto] get a superlicence, because we want to have several possibilities. We never exclude any possibilities.”

[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/why-r...d/4301688/

Hiya, just wondering, does anyone subscribe to Motorsport? would like to read this if possible?

Why Red Bull's most exciting junior won't be silenced.

The superlicence rules that govern when drivers are eligible to drive Formula 1 cars frustrated the outspoken Dan Ticktum this summer. He's now on the verge of holding a full licence, but a grand prix graduation is unlikely to change his approach.

It's been a whirlwind few months for Red Bull junior Dan Ticktum. But that's not such a surprise for a driver who has had a rollercoaster career to this point and is regarded as one of motorsport's most exciting young talents.

He's been blocked from a potential debut Formula 1 test by superlicence rules; has cast doubts over the legitimacy of Formula 3 European Championship rival Mick Schumacher's performance; been scolded by his Red Bull bosses for engaging his mouth before his brain; 


He's tested a McLaren F1 car; then won Macau in a manner of dominance not seen for years - where he also picked up a fine for being late for an official photoshoot.

[forzaferrari]

Hiya, just wondering, does anyone subscribe to Motorsport? would like to read this if possible?

Sorry bud, can`t help as Im too tight to shell out for a subscription 

[PapaofGags]

Hiya, just wondering, does anyone subscribe to Motorsport? would like to read this if possible?

Sorry bud, can`t help as Im too tight to shell out for a subscription 

                                                          +1   

[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/red-b...n/4315284/

Red Bull must be F1 title contender with Honda - Brawn.

Red Bull must become a Formula 1 championship contender again with its Honda partnership, says ex-Ferrari boss-turned-Formula 1 head Ross Brawn.

"Honda teaming up with Red Bull will be positive because Red Bull become a full works team," says Brawn. "It's always a different challenge when you are a works team with an engine manufacturer.

[Jody Barton]

I think Brawn is right. RBR and Honda have to show at the very least potential this season, and by 2020 be genuinely mixing it with Ferrari and Mercedes, otherwise F1 will suffer. Yeah, sure we've had periods of dominance, and true, Ferrari are at the very least on the car side of things a match for Mercedes (still think they've produced the quicker car the last two seasons) but Mercedes are at risk of becoming unstoppable. We really need the RBR / Honda partnership to step up, and Renault to significantly close the gap.

[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/commu...n/4315734/

Communication Honda's "biggest change" after McLaren split.

Honda Formula 1 boss Masashi Yamamoto says the manufacturer's "biggest change" in 2018 with Toro Rosso compared with its McLaren partnership was "much better communication".

[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/honda...e/4317970/

Honda's reliability level "completely different" in 2018.

The reliability of Honda’s Formula 1 engine reached a “comfortable” level in 2018 that was “completely different” to its previous years with McLaren.

Honda partnered with Toro Rosso for 2018 and scored more points with Red Bull’s junior team than it managed in two of the three years spent with McLaren.

That effort included a fourth-place finish in Bahrain, Honda’s best result since rejoining the F1 grid in 2015, and the higher performance peaks came with improved reliability too.

After nine-Honda related retirements for McLaren in 2017, Toro Rosso drivers Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley only had three non-finishes linked to Honda this season.

Hartley’s sole Honda-related DNF was a legacy of a rushed rebuild and engine installation following his massive British Grand Prix practice crash.

“It was very hard to set expectations this season early this year because we had a new partner,” Honda technical director Toyoharu Tanabe told Motorsport.com.

“We had a lot of failures and issues in past years. The power unit, our first priority was reliability for this season. And of course performance.

“We are comfortable with the reliability of the unit. It was completely different from previous years.”

[Jody Barton]

That's all well and good, but they still took a fairly ridiculous amount of components and thus grid penalties in 2018. Sure, it was an improvement over previous seasons, but we shouldn't kid ourselves that it was a spectacular performance from them. Both Renault and Honda need to do better. I'm hoping they both will to make 2019 evenore competitive.

[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/honda...n/4319248/

Honda must understand reality of F1 – Brawn.

Red Bull must ensure Honda is connected to the reality of Formula 1 and has its priorities in order if the engine manufacturer is to succeed again, says Ross Brawn.

Honda has convinced Red Bull it is capable of producing an engine that can fight for the world championship, after spending a season rebuilding its reputation with the junior Toro Rosso team.

F1's V6-turbo hybrid engines tempted Honda to rejoin the grid in 2015 as McLaren's partner, but poor reliability and performance undermined its comeback and despite an improved 2018 Honda remains without a podium since its works team folded in 2008.

F1 managing director of motorsport Brawn, who was team principal at Honda when the manufacturer withdrew, told Motorsport.com: "The secret to success with Honda is sort of connecting the engineers to the Formula 1 challenges.

"When I arrived at Honda, the engineers were a little bit remote from the reality of what was needed.

"My job was to connect the engineers and make sure they were working on the right things and they had the priorities, they had the information, they had the real picture about what was happening.

"When I arrived there was a view that their engine was one of the best. Because I was familiar with the Ferrari, it was clear it wasn't one of the best.

"So connecting the Honda people with the real situation, helping them understand what the priorities are, and understanding where they should be focused, was one of the important elements.

"I think Red Bull will be very good at making sure Honda have that clarity of what should be focused on."