F1 News
Tanabe says Honda engine was "on the edge on terms of cooling" in Austria
The high temperatures in Austria caused some serious problems for the two Silver Arrows. The Mercedes couldn't handle the heat and for the first time in the 2019 Formula 1 season, they didn't win the race. Honda Technical Director Toyoharu Tanabe also says the heat caused problems for their engine.
Max Verstappen's sublime drive gave Honda their first win since they returned to the sport. But Tanabe confirmed the team had to work against the elements.
“We were on the edge on terms of cooling. Of course, the high temperatures forced us to save the power unit. We tried to extract as much power as we could," Tanabe told Formula 1's official website.
“I did not [expect to be competitive] like this, be so strong. From the previous races, we could see a very strong Mercedes but sometimes we could compete with Ferrari. Differently, we showed the strongest performance against them, so I’m a bit surprised.”