Honda wants 'clean, fair race' under F1 engine regulations

Honda F1 technical director Toyoharu Tanabe says the Japanese company aspires to battle its rivals on a level playing field and without a competitor benefiting from an illicit edge.

The FIA's recent clarification, through a technical directive issued in Austin, of a potential fuel flow scheme that would generate an increase in engine performance was believed to have targeted Ferrari.

The clarification, and subsequent ruling prohibiting the fuel flow ploy in question, had come about as a result of a formal inquiry by Honda partner Red Bull Racing.

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Tanabe welcomed the clarification, insisting it provided a clear understanding of a specific technicality which was now no longer a grey area in the rules.

"There are some ways to improve performance of the engine, and the chassis, using grey areas or techniques, fuel, oil burning – something like that," Tanabe told Motorsport.com.

"We are very keen to have a fair race under the FIA Formula 1 regulations, respecting the regulations. That's our desire. To have that clean, fair race, we need FIA policing.

"Maybe some teams, or some people, are thinking of something to improve performance, and we clarify whether it's OK and they say 'no', then we don't do it.

"Someone doing something like that, when they clearly said no, maybe they stop using that. Then we will have a clean race."

Tanabe said he supported the idea of querying beforehand F1's governing body on a technical issue that may be considered as sitting on the fringes of the regulations.

"If someone thinks something is unclear maybe it's good to ask the FIA 'yes or no?'," said the Honda engineer.

"Get clarification, to go ahead of not. It helped our direction. There is a lot of wording in the regulations and specific items are described.

"It's good to clarify everything."

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