Red Bull team boss Christian Horner thinks Honda’s latest victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix was important for helping convince the manufacturer to remain in Formula 1.
Max Verstappen triumphed ahead of Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly at Interlagos last weekend to deliver Honda its first-1-2 finish in F1 since the 1991 Japanese GP, scored by Gerhard Berger and Ayrton Senna for McLaren.
The recent run of strong form, which included Verstappen delivering a pole position-setting time in Mexico before a penalty, comes against the backdrop of Honda deciding whether or not to commit to F1 after 2020.
Company bosses are considering whether the investment that will be required for F1’s new era from 2021 onwards is likely to deliver the results they hope for.
Asked by Autosport how crucial the latest run of form was in getting Honda to stay in F1, Horner said: “I think is very important.
“Honda is seeing great progress and I think they can really see [the reward] after five years of commitment and effort.
“You have to remember how things were when they came back into the sport.
“I think that they have done a great job in keeping their heads down with great passion and pride to get themselves into this position.”
Horner’s belief about the positive impact of the latest win are shared by Honda’s F1 technical director Toyoharu Tanabe, who has helped guide it to its most successful season since returning to the sport in 2015.
“I hope this result impact our future with a positive side,” he said.
“I’m not involved in the process of the decision.
“Our board members are working on that.
“When we are ready, we will announce.”