Honda sees opportunities for Verstappen: "Four Honda drivers in top ten"

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9 October 2021 at 17:57
Last update 9 October 2021 at 19:28
  • GPblog.com

Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing may not have had as strong a weekend as hoped, but Honda is looking forward to it. After qualifying on Sunday, the engine supplier sees all four of its drivers starting from the top ten, and according to Toyoharu Tanabe that offers opportunities for the race.

The Honda F1 technical director saw qualifying begin in tricky conditions, with a damp track and rain at the start of the session. "Although these were not the best conditions, it was a clean session, which ended with all four Honda drivers in the top ten," the Honda chief noted in a press release.

Honda sees opportunities for Verstappen

"Max was third with Checo seventh, while after a couple of difficult qualifying sessions, Pierre was back on form with a good fifth and Yuki is back in the top ten for the first time in a while," Tanabe continued. "His pace usually picks up over the course of the weekend so he should perform well tomorrow."

Honda sees a good chance in the race, particularly due to Lewis Hamilton's grid penalty. "Because of Lewis’ penalty, all our drivers move up one place on the grid. We will now prepare carefully for the race, paying particular attention to the start which will be important tomorrow," the Japanese concluded.