Honda praises Verstappen and Gasly: "It was our eleventh podium in a row"

"In today’s Portuguese GP, Max secured his third consecutive podium finish for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, while for us at Honda it was our eleventh podium in a row," Tanabe reflected.

Not only did Verstappen perform well at the Portimao circuit, but Pierre Gasly also impressed the Japanese. "In the AlphaTauri, Pierre was quick all weekend, including today, when he produced some spectacular overtakes to score valuable points for the team. So a positive result overall. Today, tyre management was definitely the key and that’s what Max and Pierre built their race on."

Imola the next challenge

For the third time, F1 will be in Italy, this time on the circuit of Imola. "It is a short distance from the AlphaTauri factory, so it will be an important weekend for us. This will be another circuit that we have never visited in the hybrid era, making for an interesting challenge for everyone."

It will be an extra challenge for Honda, because the weekend in Imola only lasts two days. There is only one free practice session on Saturday morning. "With only 90 minutes of free practice to prepare for qualifying and the race," concluded Tanabe in his review of Honda.