From the RBR site. Albon replaces Gasly in Spa.Post by dren » 12 Aug 2019, 13:12
I think Kvyat still has a shot at the seat for 2020. He just has to put his head down and have a good end to the year.
Alexander Albon is being promoted to the Team to drive alongside Max, while Pierre will return to the Red Bull sister team, Scuderia Toro Rosso.
Red Bull are in the unique position of having four talented Formula One drivers under contract who can be rotated between the Team and Toro Rosso. The Team will use the next nine races to evaluate Alex’s performance in order to make an informed decision as to who will drive alongside Max in 2020.
Everyone at the Team looks forward to welcoming Alex and supporting him during the next phase of his F1 career.
The company's F1 managing director Masashi Yamamoto told Autosport that in terms of the significance of the place and timing for Honda's first win since returning to F1 in 2015, "maybe the only place it can equal is Suzuka".
Can you tell us what you think after the first half of the game?
Masafumi Yamamoto Managing Director (Yamamoto MD): Looking back on the first half of the game, I think the French GP was a turning point.
──What is it?
Yamamoto MD: At the start over there, Verstappen would probably be out for a moment alongside Charles Leclerc (Ferrari). I think you remember. However, immediately after that, it was torn lightly.
Actually, Honda's power unit was overheated at that time. Just for Max. I can say that because it is now. Why is that? I analyzed why this happened after the race and went to Austria.
──That was what happened.
Yamamoto MD: Originally all four units had signs of heat.
──At the previous round of the 7th Canadian Grand Prix, you had power loss symptoms.
Yamamoto MD: That's right. And in France, only Max has lost a lot of power at the start. Exactly the power loss symptom remains in the data, and why does this happen immediately after the start of the first lap. So in Austria, we took all possible measures against overheating.
Running four units has an advantage at this time, and the laboratory has verified a huge amount of data from four units. Austria was very hot, but it was set to the limit so that it could demonstrate its original performance in such an environment. That was directly linked to the victory of Austria.
At the same time, I learned that it was possible to draw performance from our power unit so far, and I was able to do a good race with England, Germany and Hungary. About the UK after the first victory, I was talking to Tanabe (Toyoharu / Honda F1 Technical Director), saying, “It ’s a power circuit, so it ’s a podium even if it works.” In fact, it was impossible to win, but it could have been second if he hadn't even hit Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari). Thanks to such a race, we felt a good response.
Brain hurts even if you try to read this.Wouter wrote: ↑20 Aug 2019, 12:27Japanese interview with Yamamoto about this saison. Part 1 and 2.
France was the turning point this year and Spa and especially Monza could RBR be competative.
Part 1. https://www.as-web.jp/f1/512082?all
Part 2. https://www.as-web.jp/f1/513488?all
From part 1, yesterday:
Can you tell us what you think after the first half of the game?
Masafumi Yamamoto Managing Director (Yamamoto MD): Looking back on the first half of the game, I think the French GP was a turning point.
──What is it?
Yamamoto MD: At the start over there, Verstappen would probably be out for a moment alongside Charles Leclerc (Ferrari). I think you remember. However, immediately after that, it was torn lightly.
Actually, Honda's power unit was overheated at that time. Just for Max. I can say that because it is now. Why is that? I analyzed why this happened after the race and went to Austria.
──That was what happened.
Yamamoto MD: Originally all four units had signs of heat.
──At the previous round of the 7th Canadian Grand Prix, you had power loss symptoms.
Yamamoto MD: That's right. And in France, only Max has lost a lot of power at the start. Exactly the power loss symptom remains in the data, and why does this happen immediately after the start of the first lap. So in Austria, we took all possible measures against overheating.
Running four units has an advantage at this time, and the laboratory has verified a huge amount of data from four units. Austria was very hot, but it was set to the limit so that it could demonstrate its original performance in such an environment. That was directly linked to the victory of Austria.
At the same time, I learned that it was possible to draw performance from our power unit so far, and I was able to do a good race with England, Germany and Hungary. About the UK after the first victory, I was talking to Tanabe (Toyoharu / Honda F1 Technical Director), saying, “It ’s a power circuit, so it ’s a podium even if it works.” In fact, it was impossible to win, but it could have been second if he hadn't even hit Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari). Thanks to such a race, we felt a good response.
i agree Honda won't debut a new PU in Sochi unless they can squeeze another 10 hp at least from it but if that happens i fancy RBR to be extremely competitive from Suzuka to Abudhabi.
Reliability may play a role that last half of the season, and Honda seems at the top of it. 0 engine blows, the only manufacturer without it now.
They can try it on FridayAlexf1 wrote: ↑20 Aug 2019, 13:17Hope RBR and/or TR are clear of the next competitor in WCC before the last race so they/one of them can take a penalty and try the 2020 engine (or what's ready of it) in the weekend and the test. Cause if Mercedes is on the brink of introducing a new concept for 2020 and if we have an engine freeze as of 2021 max development speed is required to keep up.
It's highly impressive that we can say they are the most reliable in 2019 so far... 2017 seems is a distant past now..Marti_EF3 wrote: ↑01 Sep 2019, 17:58Reliability may play a role that last half of the season, and Honda seems at the top of it. 0 engine blows, the only manufacturer without it now.
No they cannot. Still a penalty.Big Tea wrote: ↑01 Sep 2019, 18:06They can try it on FridayAlexf1 wrote: ↑20 Aug 2019, 13:17Hope RBR and/or TR are clear of the next competitor in WCC before the last race so they/one of them can take a penalty and try the 2020 engine (or what's ready of it) in the weekend and the test. Cause if Mercedes is on the brink of introducing a new concept for 2020 and if we have an engine freeze as of 2021 max development speed is required to keep up.